Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

 

 

Matot - Masaei – 5767

 

 

 

 

במדבר פרק לה: כה

 

וְהִצִּילוּ הָעֵדָה אֶת הָרֹצֵחַ מִיַּד גֹּאֵל הַדָּם וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֹתוֹ הָעֵדָה אֶל עִיר מִקְלָטוֹ אֲשֶׁר נָס שָׁמָּה וְיָשַׁב בָּהּ עַד מוֹת הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדֹל אֲשֶׁר מָשַׁח אֹתוֹ בְּשֶׁמֶן הַקֹּדֶשׁ:

 

 

Numbers 35:25 

 

The assembly shall protect the manslayer from the blood-avenger, and the assembly shall restore him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and there he shall remain until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the sacred oil.

 

 

 


 

Rambam

 

His return was made dependent [on the death of] an honoured person who was loved by all of Israel; because this way the feelings of family of the victim would be assuaged. This is the way of people that when a disaster befalls them –they find solace when something similar, or even something greater happens to another person. And there is no greater loss to the people than the death of the High Priest.

 

Sforno

 

Exile is the punishment for manslaughter. There are many different degrees of manslaughter – some that are close to being complete accidents and some that are close to murder. Therefore the punishment for manslaughter is unequal; some will have gone to the city of refuge shortly before the death of the High Priest and some will die in their exile before the High Priest dies. The Holy One is witness, that they will be punished for their manslaughter, each to the appropriate degree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions:

 

  1. What question in the text are the commentators addressing?

 

  1. How are the 2 answers different?

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTIONS:

 

1. Explain the underlined words.

 

Rahab lived in the wall of Jericho, and greeted the spies Joshua had sent before the Children of Israel attacked Jericho. Her reply to the spies – that the people of Jericho feared the Israelites, proves that their reputation went before them. This proves that Balaam’s blessings were effective.

 

2. What question in the text does he answer?

 

Why did God care about Balaam’s curses or blessings? Surely God could have ignored Balaam’s words!

 

 

 

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

 

 

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