Pisq’a 180206H: 204; JN2: 60. 1. You shall designate for yourself . . . three cities” (Dt.19:2)— cities, but not fortresses; cities, but not capitols; cities, but not towns.207//T. Mak.3:8; cf. Sifre Num, 159.
2
תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ – וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים.
“Designate for yourself” (Dt.19:2)— but not for [gentile] others.208Cf. Pisqa’ 116.2
3
בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ – וְלֹא בַּסְּפָר.
“Within your Land” (Dt.19:2)— but not along the border.209Cf. Sifre Num, 160.
“And tri-sect the boundary of your Land” (Dt.19:3)— so that the [three cities] are not scattered, but are aligned like two rows of a vineyard.210Cf. T. Mak. 2:3, M. Mak.2:5.
“Which HASHEM your God is bequeathing to you” (Dt.19:3)— this includes the trans-Jordanian territories [of Gad, Reuben, and Menasseh].211Cf. Sifre Nu, 160 and Pisqa’ 164.1
“So that any one who unwittingly kills [an innocent party] might seek asylum there” (Dt.19:3)— so that he needn’t be expelled from city to city.212Cf. Pisqa’ 183.2
(דברים יט ב) שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים, עָרִים וְלֹא טִירִים, עָרִים וְלֹא כְּרַכִּים, עָרִים וְלֹא כְּפָרִים.
Pisq’a 180206H: 204; JN2: 60.
1. You shall designate for yourself . . . three cities” (Dt.19:2)—
cities, but not fortresses;
cities, but not capitols;
cities, but not towns.207//T. Mak.3:8; cf. Sifre Num, 159.
תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ – וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים.
“Designate for yourself” (Dt.19:2)—
but not for [gentile] others.208Cf. Pisqa’ 116.2
בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ – וְלֹא בַּסְּפָר.
“Within your Land” (Dt.19:2)—
but not along the border.209Cf. Sifre Num, 160.
אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ, מַה שֶּׁתִּירַשׁ – תִּכְבֹּשׁ.
“Which HASHEM your God is giving you to inherit” (Dt.19:2)—
you will have to conquer whatever you inherit.
(דברים יט ג) תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ, תָּכִין לְךָ סְטְרָטְיָאוֹת שֶׁיְּהוּ מְפֹרָשׁוֹת לְתוֹכָהּ.
2. “Prepare for yourself the way” (Dt.19:3)—
prepare for yourself highways that
lead straight to it.
וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מְפֻזָּרוֹת אֶלָּא יִהְיוּ מְכֻוָּנוֹת, כִּשְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּכֶּרֶם.
“And tri-sect the boundary of your Land” (Dt.19:3)—
so that the [three cities] are not scattered,
but are aligned like two rows of a vineyard.210Cf. T. Mak. 2:3, M. Mak.2:5.
אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ – לְרַבּוֹת עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן.
“Which HASHEM your God is bequeathing to you” (Dt.19:3)—
this includes the trans-Jordanian territories
[of Gad, Reuben, and Menasseh].211Cf. Sifre Nu, 160 and Pisqa’ 164.1
וְהָיָה לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל רוֹצֵחַ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה גוֹלֶה מֵעִיר לְעִיר.
“So that any one who unwittingly kills [an innocent party]
might seek asylum there” (Dt.19:3)—
so that he needn’t be expelled from city to city.212Cf. Pisqa’ 183.2