Masei
Numbers
33:1-36:13
Précis: The Book of Numbers ends with this parasha. “These
are the stages (masei) of the journey” which the Israelites made through the
desert. In what amounts to a recapitulation, all of the stops along the way are
identified. The Israelites are reminded to drive the Canaanites from the Land.
Most of the parasha outlines the Israelites' entry to the Promised Land and
sets out the first steps to be taken as they establish their national home,
including the distribution of land among the tribes. The Levitical cities are
described, as well as the cities of refuge. Just prior to their invasion of the
land, the laws differentiating between murder and killing are repeated. The
parasha ends with a summary of the commandments and ordinances.
Num.
35:9-10 “The Lord spoke further to Moses:
‘Speak to the Israelite people and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into
the land of Canaan, you shall provide yourselves with places to serve as cities
of refuge to which a manslayer who has killed a person unintentionally may
flee. The cities shall serve you as a refuge from the avenger so that the
manslayer may be brought before a tribunal…”
The concept of cities of refuge (“arei miklat”) was developed for a society
in which revenge was the usual reaction to a murder, whether intentional or
unintentional. Even today, there remain cultures in which physical revenge is
used in reaction to a range of “insults” (from “improper” relations with a
female relative to the killing of a relative). While the concept of a city of
refuge was probably not a creation of the Israelites (there were similar
concepts known in neighboring cultures of that era), it was a mark of a society
in while the rule of law was to be supported. The Hebrew word we translate here
as “avenger” (go'el) literally means
“redeemer,” as in one who redeems the honor of his clan. This shows just how
important this concept of honor was in this society.
The Torah rejects revenge and an
avenger, and instead demands a system of tribunals to protect the accused from
the vengeance of others. If found innocent of intentional killing, the accused
would be permitted to live in the city, isolated from the community where he
had committed the non-willful slaying. For a civilization which had yet to
invent prisons, this was an important development.
There is a second interesting point
to consider. Among the tribes, the Levites were not provided with a portion of
the land; their “income” was to be derived from contributions to the Temple
from the other tribes. An exception was made, however, for the designated
refuge cities. These were under the control of the Levites. Thus, the role of
the Levites as envisioned in the Torah was to serve as both the ritual leaders
of the People, and as the civil protectors of society. This union of religious
and social leadership may well have been a unique contribution of the Torah. It
may give one some insight into today’s debate about the role of church and
state, and I would certainly appreciate hearing from others what the connection
might be.
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