Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Masei

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Cities of Refuge or Exile?

Bemidbar 35 speaks of the creation of ערי מקלט (cities of refuge) as places to which an inadvertent killer might flee from a גואל הדם (blood avenger). 

• What does this law suggest about the Torah's view of blood avengers?  On one hand the very existence of such cities attests to the fact that the Torah does not want the unintentional killer to die.  On the other hand, this institution simultaneously attest to the fact that the Torah did not outlaw avenging of blood. If the גואל הדם is a negative institution, why allow it at all?  If it is legitimate, why protect the unintentional murderer from them?
• The flip side of the question relates to the Torah's evaluation of the unintentional murderer.  How culpable does the Torah hold him?   Is he totally innocent, and sent to the cities only for his own good?  If so, though, why is he only allowed to leave the city at the death of the high priest and not at his own discretion?  Does this suggest that perhaps he, too, is somewhat deserving of punishment, and that the cities are a form of mandatory exile rather than a safe haven?

See Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge or Exile for more.

Calling for Peace

Bemidbar 33 is one of several sources which speak of killing off the inhabitants of Canaan. Many modern readers wonder about the directive.  Was there really no possibility for peaceful co-existence?  Medieval commentators also debated the issue. Rashi maintains that it was prohibited to call for peace and war was inevitable, while RambamHilkhot Melakhim 6:1,4,5About R. Moshe b. Maimon claims that the Israelites were obligated to offer terms of peace before waging war against the Canaanites.

• How does each side of the debate read the verses of Devarim 20 (where the main directive is found)?  What other verses could support each position? How does the story of the Gibeonites' deceit in Yehoshua 9 shed light on the issue?
• According to RashiSotah 35bAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, the reason for the decree of obliteration is religious in nature, lest the nations sway Israel towards idolatry.  Sometimes a zero-tolerance policy is necessary.  Do you agree?  In what circumstances are compromises not an option?
• According to RambamHilkhot Melakhim 6:1,4,5About R. Moshe b. Maimon, what would have happened had the nations actually surrendered to Israel?  Could the land have sustained both populations?  How might the course of our history have changed?  For more, see Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan.