stillsmallvoice
July 27th 2003, 09:17 AM
Hi all!
Yesterday, we (Jews all over the world) read Numbers 30:2-36:13 (which is actually two separate readings that were read together this year).
In Numbers 35:9-34, God instructs Moses to establish six cities of refuge where those who are guilty of accidentally/unintentionally killing someone must go to live (God referred to this concept very briefly in Exodus 21:13, here He gives the details; Moses adds more details in Deuteronomy 19:1-13; Moses and Joshua actually announce the cities in Deuteronomy 4:41-43 and Joshua 20:1-9). Numbers 35:25 says that someone who has gone to a city of refuge because he/she accidentally/unintentionally killed someone must stay there until the death of the then serving High Priest. This could be one day or it could be 20 years. Our Sages ask of what the death of the High Priest has to do with it? :?: Of what possible relevance is this? :?: (It is a principle of Jewish Biblical exegesis that nothing in the text of the Torah is either incidental or coincidental; every turn of phrase, sublety in the wording, etc. is there to teach us something.)
The rabbi at the synagogue we used to go to in our old neighborhood in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev put it this way. Among his many duties, the High Priest was the CSO & CEO (Chief Spiritual Officer and Chief Educational Officer) of the nation. If we as a nation should show such contempt for human life that situations in which a fellow human being could be accidentally/unintentionally killed (Deuteronomy 19:5 gives the example of someone going out to chop wood and the head flies off the axe and kills someone; our rabbi gave modern day examples of someone going out for a drive in his car & not being 101% sure that he was not DUI or wasn't fully wide-awake; I'd cite a very recent example of not making sure that porches were properly built so that they wouldn't collapse) could arise, and that people were actually killed as a result of our carelessness and negligence, then the High Priest had failed in his duties. For failing to inculcate a proper respect for human life in the nation, the High Priest is to be haunted by the fact that there are people (in the cities of refuge) who are waiting for him to die; that is his punishment. That's the relevance.
By the way, the manslayer in a city of refuge could be joined by his family. He could move his business there. He could carry on his life as normal, except that he couldn't leave the city until the High Priest died. The precepts regarding the cities of refuge, like so many others, are, unfortunatelt, temporarily suspended until the Messiah comes & rebuilds the Temple.)
Be well!
ssv :hi:
Yesterday, we (Jews all over the world) read Numbers 30:2-36:13 (which is actually two separate readings that were read together this year).
In Numbers 35:9-34, God instructs Moses to establish six cities of refuge where those who are guilty of accidentally/unintentionally killing someone must go to live (God referred to this concept very briefly in Exodus 21:13, here He gives the details; Moses adds more details in Deuteronomy 19:1-13; Moses and Joshua actually announce the cities in Deuteronomy 4:41-43 and Joshua 20:1-9). Numbers 35:25 says that someone who has gone to a city of refuge because he/she accidentally/unintentionally killed someone must stay there until the death of the then serving High Priest. This could be one day or it could be 20 years. Our Sages ask of what the death of the High Priest has to do with it? :?: Of what possible relevance is this? :?: (It is a principle of Jewish Biblical exegesis that nothing in the text of the Torah is either incidental or coincidental; every turn of phrase, sublety in the wording, etc. is there to teach us something.)
The rabbi at the synagogue we used to go to in our old neighborhood in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev put it this way. Among his many duties, the High Priest was the CSO & CEO (Chief Spiritual Officer and Chief Educational Officer) of the nation. If we as a nation should show such contempt for human life that situations in which a fellow human being could be accidentally/unintentionally killed (Deuteronomy 19:5 gives the example of someone going out to chop wood and the head flies off the axe and kills someone; our rabbi gave modern day examples of someone going out for a drive in his car & not being 101% sure that he was not DUI or wasn't fully wide-awake; I'd cite a very recent example of not making sure that porches were properly built so that they wouldn't collapse) could arise, and that people were actually killed as a result of our carelessness and negligence, then the High Priest had failed in his duties. For failing to inculcate a proper respect for human life in the nation, the High Priest is to be haunted by the fact that there are people (in the cities of refuge) who are waiting for him to die; that is his punishment. That's the relevance.
By the way, the manslayer in a city of refuge could be joined by his family. He could move his business there. He could carry on his life as normal, except that he couldn't leave the city until the High Priest died. The precepts regarding the cities of refuge, like so many others, are, unfortunatelt, temporarily suspended until the Messiah comes & rebuilds the Temple.)
Be well!
ssv :hi: