1)

(a)In Parshas Masei, the Torah refers to another forty-two Arei Miklat. Abaye ...

1. ... differentiates between those towns and the initial six - inasmuch as they only save the murderer from the Go'el ha'Dam in the event that he enters there knowing that he is in an Ir Miklat, whereas the original six save him even if he is not.

2. ... reconciles the Beraisa, which lists Chevron as an Ir Miklat, with the Pasuk in Shoftim, which informs us that they gave Chevron to Kalev - by establishing the latter as the suburbs of Chevron and the villages surrounding it, but not the actual town itself.

(b)With regard to Arei Miklat, the Beraisa disqualifies ...

1. ... very small towns - because they will not be able to supply the murderers with food.

2. ... large cities - because that would encourage the Go'el ha'Dam to visit the city, avenge the murder of his relative, and escape in the crowds.

(c)The problem with Kedesh, which the Beraisa earlier listed as an Ir Miklat is then - that the Pasuk in Yehoshua lists it as a fortified city, in which case it would have fallen under the category of a large city, which should not have been eligible as an Ir Miklat.

(d)Rav ...

1. ... Yosef resolves the problem, by referring to two Kedesh's (both in Naftali), one a city, the other, a neighboring village with the same name.

2. ... Ashi proves it from "Saleikum" and "Akra de'Saleikum" which the Pasuk in Yehoshua specifically mentions, which are a city and a neighboring village, respectively.

2)

(a)Besides water, the Beraisa require an Ir Miklat to have - market-places, surrounding villages and suburbs, and many residents.

(b)It is important to have surrounding villages - to prevent Go'alei ha'Dam from gathering together en masse and attacking the town, to avenge the blood of their next of kin)

(c)If a potential Ir Miklat does not have ...

1. ... a natural water supply - they import water.

2. ... surrounding villages - they build them.

3. ... many residents - they import Kohanim, Levi'im and Yisre'elim to live there (see Aruch la'Ner).

3)

(a)Rebbi Nechemyah prohibit the sale of weapons or hunting implements in an Ir Miklat - for fear that the Go'el ha'Dam (whom they would inspect for weapons, as well as all guests, as they entered) might purchase a weapon with which to kill the murderer.

(b)Although the Chachamim permit it, they concede that, besides placing traps - manufacturing ropes is forbidden ...

(c)... because both of these activities will attract the Go'el ha'Dam (see Aruch la'Ner).

(d)Rebbi Yitzchak learns all these Halachos from the word "va'Chai" (in the Pasuk in Devarim - "ve'Nas el Achas he'Arim ha'Eil va'Chai" [obligating Beis-Din to do whatever is needed to enable the murderers to live]).

4)

(a)Based on the same word "va'Chai", the Tana rules that if a Talmid kills be'Shogeg - his Rebbe must accompany him into Galus.

(b)Rebbi Ze'eira extrapolates from this that - one should only learn with 'decent' Talmidim.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan rules that a Rosh Yeshivah who killed be'Shogeg, must go into Galus together with his entire Yeshivah.

(d)We query this however from another statement of his, where he learns from the juxtaposition of the Pasuk in Devarim "ve'Zos ha'Torah asher Sam Moshe ... " to the Pasuk "es Betzer ba'Midbar" that - Divrei Torah also rescue a murderer from death (so why should the Rosh Yeshivah need to go into Galus)?

(e)To reconcile the two rulings - by confining the latter ruling to where the person is actually learning, Torah (but no longer have effect once he closes his Gemara).

5)

(a)Alternatively, when Rebbi Yochanan described the words of Torah as 'Koltin', he might have meant that - they save a person from the clutches of the Mal'ach ha'Ma'ves (as we shall now see), but not from the Go'el ha'Dam (even whilst he is learning).

(b)The Malach ha'Ma'ves' Shali'ach was initially unable to touch Rav Chisda - because (like in the well-known incident with David ha'Melech), he was sitting in Yeshivah and learning Torah uninterruptedly.

(c)He finally managed to do his job - by climbing a cedar-tree that grew outside the Yeshivah and causing it to fall, momentarily distracting Rav Chisda's attention.

6)

(a)Rav Tanchum bar Chanila'i gives the reason for the Torah opening the list of the Ir ha'Nidachas with "Betzer" which belonged to the tribe of Reuven - because Reuven was the first of the brothers to rescue Yosef from death.

(b)When Rebbi Simla'i explained the words "Az Yavdil Mosheh Shalosh Arim be'Eiver ha'Yarden *Mizrechah Shamesh*" to mean that Hash-m said to Moshe ...

1. ... 'Hazrach Shemesh le'Rotzchim', he meant that - he should make the sun shine for the murderers, by ensuring that they lived in the Arei Miklat, as we explained earlier.

2. ... 'Hizrachta Shemesh le'Rotzchim', he meant that - he had already made the sun shine for the murderers, by designating the Arei Miklat.

(c)Rebbi Sima'i also connected the Pasuk in Koheles "Oheiv Kesef Lo Yisba Kesef" to Moshe - who prepared the three Arei Miklat in Eiver ha'Yarden, even though he knew that they would not become functional until the three in Eretz Yisrael (where he was not destined to go) did, because he performed a Mitzvah that came to hand (although he would unable to finish it).

(d)And he interpreted the continuation of the Pasuk "u'Mi Oheiv ba'Hamon lo Tevu'ah" in the same way as Rebbi Elazar explained the Pasuk "Mi Yemalel Gevuros Hash-m Yashmi'a Kol Tehilaso", which therefore means that - it is only someone who has a vast store of knowledge (Mikra, Mishnah, Halachos and Agados) who is able to Darshen in public.

7)

(a)The Rabbanan (or Rabah bar Mari) explained the Pasuk in Koheles ("Oheiv Kesef ... ") to mean that - someone who loves Talmidei-Chachamim will have children who are Talmidei-Chachamim, as indeed happened to Rava b'rei de'Rabah, who himself loved Rabbanan, and who subsequently had sons who were Talmidei-Chachamim.

(b)According to Rav Ashi, the Pasuk means that it is someone who learns in public who will succeed in his learning. This explanation tallies with Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Chanina's interpretation of the Pasuk "Cherev el ha'Badim ve'No'alu", which he explains to mean that - a sword is at the necks of Talmidei-Chachamim who study alone.

(c)And he ...

1. ... explains "ve'Na'olu" (based on the Pasuk in Beha'aloscha ("Asher No'alnu ... ") to mean that - they become foolish (by virtue of the fact that they learn without a Chavrusa to complement their lack of understanding).

2. ... applies the continuation of the latter Pasuk "va'Asher Chatanu" to our Sugya - inasmuch as they end up by sinning (the inevitable result of a flawed Torah knowledge).

8)

(a)Ravina interprets the Pasuk in the same way as Rav Ashi, only with regard to *teaching* Torah. He quotes Rebbi as having said how he learned more from his Chaverim than from his Rebbes, but most of all - he learned from his Talmidim.

(b)The advantage of learning with ...

1. ... a Chaver over learning from a Rebbe is that - although a person can fall asleep whilst being taught, he is forced to stay awake when learning with a Chavrusa.

2. ... with a Talmid over learning with a Chaver is that - whereas the latter entails fifty percent input, the former require a hundred percent input.

(c)According to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, the Pasuk in Tehilim (said by David to Hash-m) ...

1. ... "Omdos Hayu Ragleinu, bi'She'arayich Yerushalayim" means that - if we defeated our enemies in battle, it was due to the fact that in Yerushalayim, they sat and studied Torah.

2. ... "Samachti be'Omrim li, Beis Hash-m Neilech" was - David's reaction to people who said how they wished how that old man (himself) would die, and his son Sh'lomoh would ascend the throne and build the Beis-Hamikdash. It actually made him happy to hear how people were impatient for the Beis-Hamikdash to be built.

(d)Hash-m's response (based on the Pasuk there "Ki Tov Yom ba'Chatzerecha me'Alef") was that - He preferred one day of David's Torah-learning to the thousand burnt-offerings that Sh'lomoh was destined to bring on the day that he inaugurated the Beis-Hamikdash.

9)

(a)According to Rebbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov in a Beraisa, they would mark intersections of roads leading to the Arei Miklat - with signposts that were marked 'Miklat'.

(b)As the source for this, Rav Kahana quotes the Pasuk in Parshas Shoftim - "Tachin l'cha ha'Derech".

(c)Rav Chama b'Rebbi Chanina Darshens from the Pasuk in Tehilim (in connection with the previous Halachah) "Tov ve'Yashar Hash-m, al-Kein Yoreh Chata'im ba'Derech" that - if Hash-m guides sinners along the right path, how much more so Tzadikim.

(d)Resh Lakish Darshens the Pasuk in Mishpatim "va'Asher Lo Tzadah ve'ha'Elokim Inah le'Yado" - with reference to Reuven who murdered someone be'Meizid, and Shimon be'Shogeg, but in neither case were there witnesses. Hash-m will subsequently guide them both to the same inn, where Shimon, who is descending a ladder, will fall on Reuven, killing him. And this time, there are witnesses, and he has to run into Galus.

(e)All this is hinted in the Pasuk in Shmuel "Ka'asher Yomar M'shal ha'Kadmoni 'me'Resha'im Yeitzei Resha". The "M'shal ha'Kadmoni" is - the Torah itself (which preceded the world [and Shmuel was referring to our Pasuk in Mishpatim]).

10)

(a)Rav Huna Amar Rebbi Elazar learns from the Pesukim in Balak (in connection with Bil'am's request to accompany Balak's emissaries) "Lo Seilech imahem" ... "Kum Lech itam" that - Hash-m leads a person on the way that he wishes to go.

(b)And when Yeshayah ha'Navi says "Ani Hash-m Elokecha Melamedcha Leho'il, *Madrich'cha be'Derech Teilech*", he is coming to teach us - the same lesson.

(c)Rav Huna Amar Rebbi Elazar interprets the Pasuk in Mishlei (in Kesuvim) "Im le'Leitzim Hu Yalitz, ve'la'Anavim Yiten Chein to mean that - if a person wants to mix with mockers, then Hash-m leads him to that company; whereas if he wants to join those who are humble, Hash-m will help him find favor with them.

(d)The significance of the three Pesukim that Rav Huna ... has just quoted is that - he has learned the very important principle 'be'Derech she'Asah Rotzeh Leilech Molichin Oso from a Pasuk in Torah, in Nevi'im and in Kesuvim!

11)

(a)Rav Huna states that if a Go'el ha'Dam kills the murderer as he is running towards the Ir Miklat - he is Patur.

(b)And he explain that the Pasuk in Parshas Shoftim "ve'Lo Ein Mishpat Ma'ves" - refers to the Go'el ha'Dam under those very circumstances.

(c)Based on the phrase there "Ki Lo Sonei Hu lo" (which certainly pertains to the murderer) - the Beraisa ascribes "ve'lo Ein Mishpat Ma'ves" too, to the murderer, since most probably, both phrases refer to the same person.

(d)To resolve the Kashya on Rav Huna from the Beraisa, we quote another Beraisa, where the Tana, based on the same Pesukim, maintains - that if "Ki Lo Sonei Hu lo" pertains to the murderer, then "ve'Lo Ein Mishpat Ma'ves" must pertain to the Go'el ha'Dam.

12)

(a)We query Rav Huna from our Mishnah, which speaks about two Talmidei-Chachamim accompanying the murderer to the Ir Miklat, to speak to the Go'el ha'Dam inasmuch as - the Go'el ha'Dam must be Chayav should he kill the murderer. Otherwise, what would the Talmidei-Chachamim say to him?

(b)We refute this proof however - by establishing their request (not as a warning, but) as a plea to deal with him mercifully, seeing as he only killed his relative be'Shogeg.

(c)The Chachamim in the Beraisa counter Rebbi Meir's argument that the murderer can speak for himself - on the grounds that sometimes, Sheluchim can achieve what the person himself cannot.

13)

(a)According to the Chachamim, the Talmidei-Chachamim plead with the Go'el ha'Dam to have mercy on the murderer, because he was a Shogeg. This is not obvious at all - in light of Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah (whom we have already cited), who says that initially, every murderer is obligated to run to an Ir Miklat irrespective of how or why he killed him.

(b)The Pesukim "ve'Chi Yih'yeh Ish Sonei le'Re'eihu ve'Arav alav ... ve'Shalchu Ziknei Iro ve'Lakchu oso mi'Sham ... ", seem to support Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah's opinion. But Rebbi, who disagrees with him, interprets this - as a warning against the murderer, who thinks that he can escape to an Ir Miklat even if he is a Meizid (though in fact, he cannot).

14)

(a)Rebbi Elazar extrapolates ...

1. ... from the Pasuk in Yehoshua (in connection with a murderer be'Shogeg) "ve'Amad Pesach Sha'ar ha'Ir, ve'Diber be'Oznei Ziknei ha'Ir ha'Hi es Devarav" that - once the majority of the town comprises murderers, it no longer takes in fresh murderers (because the Pasuk implies that the murderer is speaking to his superiors (who are not murderers), and not to his equals.

2. ... from the word "Ziknei" - that a town that does not have 'elders' cannot serve as an Ir Miklat.

(b)This is also the subject of a Machlokes between Rebbi Ami and Rebbi Asi. The one who renders a town an Ir Miklat even if it has no Zekeinim, explains "Ziknei" to mean - Lechatchilah (but Bedi'eved, it doesn't matter).

(c)Rebbi Ami and Rebbi Asi repeat their Machlokes in two other cases (where the Torah uses the word "Ziknei"). One of them is that of ben Sorer u'Moreh; the other - that of Eglah Arufah.