In this week’s parsha we read about the mitzvah of dedicating cities in Eretz Yisrael as “Arei Miklat – Cities of Refuge” for people who kill without intent (a modern-day example would be vehicular homicide). They must stay in the city until the Kohen Gadol passes away. If the killer leaves the City of Refuge for any reason before then, the relatives of the man who was killed have the right to kill him.
This punishment should not be confused with what we call prison. In fact, the Torah never uses prison as a punishment. Although the killer may not leave the city, we are obligated to provide him with all of his needs so that he can live a full life while there. The Talmud goes as far as to say: “If he is a teacher – his students are exiled with him.” That is because: “What is life for a teacher if he cannot teach.”
The Mishna in Makos (Chapter 2) says: A person in the City of Refuge may not leave for any reason, even if it is to save someone from dying; even if all of Israel needs him, like the chief general of Israel, Yoav the son of Zeruiah.
This begs the question: Why can’t the killer leave the city to save a life? Would it not be a great zechut for the soul of the man who was killed that another life is being spared? I’m sure rabbanim and community leaders can convince the relatives of the man who was killed to hold back their anger for the sake of saving a life, and even more so, for the sake of saving many lives.
Nonetheless, the Torah tells us that this man should not leave – even if we think he can save all of Klal Yisrael like Yoav, King David’s general. That is because Torah is the ultimate truth – unlike the truth of humans which is based on a limited vision. Hashem sees all the generations that were and will be, and the outcome of every action before it happens – so His truth has no limit; what is true today will be as true 10 years from now. If the Torah tells us that this man should not leave the Ir Miklat, we can be sure that nothing good will come from his violating that halacha. While it may seem to us that this man can save many people, there is much we cannot see. He needs to remain exiled until the Torah prescribes his freedom.
Knowing and feeling that Torah is the only absolute truth will not only help us serve Hashem properly, it will also help us reach out to others. We can be confident that we are offering them the best product possible.
Every year on Sukkot I visit the Jewish professors at WVU and have them make a blessing on the lulav. A few years ago I came into the office of a professor who was born in Romania and had never received a Jewish education. He had no idea what a lulav was, so when I asked him to make the blessing it was a bit awkward, to say the least. However, I knew it was the right thing to do. When we were done, we sat down to schmooze and catch up. About five minutes into our conversation his face lit up and he says out loud: “I GOT IT!” Knowing that I had not said anything too profound, I asked him what he “got.” He said he remembered his grandmother in Romania always telling him to “stop shaking like a lulav!” I am sure that he didn’t just get his grandmother’s “code word” for “stop making me meshuga” – he “got it,” that he was linked to the great and eternal tradition of Torah and mitzvos.