## Chizkuni, Numbers

###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:2:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:2:1)

**ערים לשבת** נהי דאין להם נחלה בית דירה מיהא צריכי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ערים לשבת, “cities to dwell in;” while the Levites were not given ancestral lands, at least they were given houses, i.e. some real estate where to make their permanent homes. (B’chor shor)


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:3:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:3:1)

**ולכל חיתם** לחיים נתנו ולא לקברות כמ״‎ש רבותינו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולכל חיתם, “and for all their livestock.” The choice by the Torah of the word: חיה for livestock, instead of בהמה, is to underline that the Levites’ function on earth is to promote constructive life not burial rites, as pointed out by our sages in the Talmud, tractate Makkot folio12.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:6:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:6:1)

**ועליהם תתנו ארבעים ושתים עיר** שאף הם קולטות אלא שהשש קולטות בין מדעת בין שלא מדעת ואלו המ״‎ב אין קולטות אלא מדעת כשנתכוון להנצל שם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ועליהם תתנו ארבעים ושתים עיר, “and in addition you will add 42 towns” (which can also serve as cities of refuge). The difference between the six cities of refuge named and the cities of the Levites is that the former serve as such regardless of if the unintentional killer is aware of their function or not, whereas the 42 cities of the Levites serve as such only if specifically chosen by the unintentional killer for that purpose. Talmud tractate Makkot, folio 10.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:12:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:12:1)

**למקלט מגאל** מחמת פחדו של גואל קרובו של הרוג.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
למקלט מגואל, “as refuge from the potential avenger of the slain person.” They are to calm the fears of the person who killed unintentionally who worries about becoming the victim of such relatives of the slain person.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:12:2
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:12:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:12:2)

**ולא ימות הרצח** לפי שנאמר ורצח גואל הדם את הרוצח שומע אני בינו לבין עצמו יהרגנו ת״‎ל ולא ימות הרצח עד עמדו לפני העדה למשפט.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולא ימות הרוצח, “so that the manslayer will not have to die.” The Torah had to stress this, seeing that it had written in verse 27 of this chapter: ורצח גואל הדם את הרוצח, “and the avenger of blood will slay the manslayer.” This taught that if these two meet elsewhere, the avenger would be culpable for having killed unless the manslayer had stood trial and been convicted of murder. (Sifri)


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:14:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:14:1)

**את שלש הערים** חסר כאן המעשה ופירש בפ׳‎ ואתחנן. כאן פירש״‎י אעפ״‎י שבארץ כנען תשעה שבטים וכאן אינן אלא שנים וחצי השוה מנין ערי מקלט שלהם משום דבגלעד נפישי רוצחים כדכתיב גלעד קרית פועלי און עקובה מדם כלומר אף ההורגים במזיד גולים לערי מקלט ולפיכך צריכים היו אותם שבגלעד לערי מקלט בשוה לאותה שבארץ כנען כדתנן במכות בראשונה אחד שוגג ואחד מזיד גולה לשם, בראשונה פרש״‎י בתחלת דינו והיינו דכתיב כאן ולא ימות הרוצח עד עמדו לפני העדה למשפט והכי איתא בסיפרי הכל מקדימין לערי מקלט ב״‎ד שולחין ומביאין אותו משם שמי שנתחייב מיתה הרגוהו ומי שלא נתחייב מיתה פטרוהו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
את שלש הערים, “the three cities;” we do not read here about the difference of the status of these cities that Moses had selected on the east bank of the Jordan and the three that were designated as cities of refuge on the west bank. (the word מקלט describing the function of the three cities on the east bank is absent in this verse. Ed.] This had been spelled out, however, in Deuteronomy 4,41-43. Rashi explains that a) the three cities which Moses had designated on the east bank did not become functional as long as the land on the west bank had not been conquered and settled. b) He also points out on our verse that whereas three such cities served in the west bank where nine and a half tribes had made their homes were on the east bank where only two and a half tribes had made their homes were served by the same number of cities of refuge. He views this as proof that Moses viewed the likelihood of these cities being needed on the east bank was far greater as in Gilead murders would be more common than in the “Holy Land” on the west bank. He backs up this surmise by quoting Hosea 6,8: גלעד קרית פועלי און עקובה מדם, “Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked up with blood.” This suggests that initially even intentional killers were in the habit of using these cities as cities of refuge. The Mishnah in Makkot folio 9, states that in the early periods both intentional and unintentional killers used to flee to the cities of refuge, pending a trial to determine who had been an intentional killer and who had been an unintentional killer. This explains what the Torah had written in verse 12 that no one was to be executed until he had stood trial. According to Sifri, the courts would dispatch messengers to bring the offending parties to trial in the location under their jurisdiction, i.e. depending on where the killing had occurred. They would execute the guilty and free the innocent, i.e. bring them back to the city of refuge.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:16:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:16:1)

**ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו** למה נאמר אם משהכהו באבן או בעץ חייב בברזל לא כ״‎ש אלא לכך נאמר **ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו** להמיתו אפי׳‎ מחט ללמדך שאין עונשים מן הדין. כאן פירש״‎י שהברזל ממית בכל שהוא ואפי׳‎ מחט לפיכך לא נתנה בו תורה שיעור לכתוב אשר ימות בו וה״‎מ דברזיה מברז ששפכו בו דכעין זה ראוי להמיתו אפילו מחט אבל אם הכהו בו צריך שעור. הכי מיתניא והכי פירש״‎י בפרק אלו הן הנשרפים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואם בכלי ברזל הכהו, “but if he struck him with a metal instrument or tool;” why did the Torah have to give us this example if it had already told us that wooden or stone vessels or tools are considered as lethal weapons? Surely it is understood that metal tools are at least as dangerous?! This is to teach us that penalties cannot be imposed on the basis of logic, especially in capital crimes, but only if the written Torah had decreed them. (Compare Rashi quoting the Talmud in Sanhedrin and by the commentaries.) A minute metal instrument, a needle is already capable of causing death, i.e. is a lethal weapon.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:20:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:20:1)

**ואם בשנאה יהדפנו** ממקום גבוה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואם בשנאה יהדפנו, “and if he had attacked him from above out of a feeling of hatred,” [possibly without intent to kill but only to harm, Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:23:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:23:1)

**ויפל עליו** מכאן אמרו רבותינו ההורג דרך ירידה גולה לפי שדרכו של אדם להסתכל לפניו, והיה לו ליזהר שלא תבא תקלה ע״‎י מלאכתו אבל ההורג דרך עליה אינו גולה שאין אדם עשוי להסתכל לאחוריו לפיכך אינו גולה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויפל עליו “and he threw it down upon him;” from the wording of this verse the Rabbis concluded that killing by dropping something on the victim makes the killer subject to spending the rest of his life until the death of the High Priest in a city of refuge. If the killer had looked at what was below him he would have seen that dropping an object or throwing an object down was something dangerous. (Talmud tractate Makkot folio 7) On the other hand, if the victim was struck by the killer having thrown something up into the air, this is considered an accident, and the person who had thrown the object does not have to be confined to the city of refuge. The basic principle is that one has to look in front if there are obstacles, but not behind or above. Normal people do not look in all directions before throwing an object.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:25:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:25:1)

**וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדל** שלא יהיו העולם מרננין על הכהן הגדול כשיראו הרוצח יוצא חוץ לעיר מקלטו ואומרים ראיתם זה שהרג את הנפש חנם יוצא ונכנס עם בני אדם ואין הכהן עושה בו נקמה והדבר מוטל עליו לעשות כדכתיב והאיש אשר יעשה בזדון לבלתי שמוע אל הכהן וגו׳‎ אבל הכהן שקם אחריו אין לרנן עליו ממה שלא נעשה בימיו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול, “and he has to dwell there until the death of the High Priest.” The reason is so that people at large will not accuse the High Priest as not having fulfilled his task of seeing to it that murder does not go unpunished (Deuteronomy 17,12). They would not be able to blame the new high Priest as the killing had not occurred while he was in office.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:26:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:26:1)

**את גבול עיר מקלטו** מן גבול עיר מקלטו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
את גבול עיר מקלטו, “beyond the boundary of his city of refuge;”


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:28:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:28:1)

**ואחרי מות הכהן הגדל ישוב הרצח** וגו', שהרי ערי מקלט של לוים תחת ידו של כה״‎ג הם וזה נכנס תחת ידו בעירו משפט הוא לצאת חפשי במותו ואמרו רבותינו מיתתו מכפרת ודוגמא זו מצינו אסיריו לא פתח ביתה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אחרי מות הכהן הגדול ישוב הרוצח וגו, ”after the death of the High Priest, the “murderer” will return” (home). All the cities of the Levites are under the direct authority of the High Priest. It is an undisputed law that that such unintentional “murderers” go free at the death of the High Priest. Our sages have a saying that “death brings in its wake atonement.” (Talmud Makkot folio 11), where it is clear that the “death” referred to is that of the High Priest. We find something analogous in Isaiah 14,17: אסיריו לא פתח ביתה, “who never released its prisoners?” [The prophet decries such a cruel practice. Jewish law which basically does not provide for prison as a form of punishment, certainly would not countenance life imprisonment. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:30:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:30:1)

**ועד אחד לא יענה בנפש** סד״‎א הואיל ועונש דין נפשות חמור עד אחד נאמן בו קמ״‎ל.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ועד אחד לא יענה בנפש, “a solitary witness must not testify against a person (in a capital case).” We might have thought that seeing that the penalty for capital crimes is so severe that the testimony of a single witness is relevant. The Torah tells us that it is not.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:31:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:31:1)

**ולא תקחו כפר לנפש רצח** הרי זה דבר שהיה בכלל כל העונשים ולמה יצא ללמדך לרוצח אין לוקחים כופר אבל לשן ועין ורגל ויד וכויה פצע וחבורה ושאר חבלות ולמומתין בידי שמים לוקחים כופר כדכתיב אם כופר יושת עליו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולא תקחו כופר לנפש רוצח, “you must not accept a financial ransom in lieu of the life of the murderer.” Seeing that in almost all situations the Torah is willing to accept punishment in the form of money or its equivalent, why does the Torah not accept it as atonement for a life taken? Life, as opposed to limbs, is something that cannot be valued in terms of money, in terms of material things. The only instance in which financial atonement (partial at best) is acceptable is when the penalty for the sin committed is death at the hands of heaven, but not by a human tribunal. This is why the Torah added: אם כופר יושת עליו, (Exodus 21,30) “if payment of a ransom had been imposed upon the guilty party.” This type of punishment is not really a full compensation, but since G-d has reserved to mete out His own judgment, it will fill the bill in the meantime. [You will not find that a person convicted of theft and murder will be assessed the financial penalty, as the loss of his life is the ultimate penalty, and the Torah does not impose anything beyond that. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:33:1
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:33:1)

**ולא תחניפו את הארץ** כמשמעו לשון חנופה לא תחניפו את הרוצחים יושבי הארץ לפטרם מן הדין הראוי להם כי **הדם הוא יחניף** וגו׳‎ לכך אני מזהירכם על כך שהרי הרוצחים שהם אנשי דמים מנהגם להחניף את יושבי הארץ כדי שיחניפו עליהם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולא תחניפו את הארץ, “this verse is to be understood at face value, i.e. “you shall not flatter the land;” this is a warning for wealthy people who had become guilty of the death penalty not to be allowed to plead to a lesser charge, and to make generous financial restitution to the party whom they had harmed or to the family of that person. 'כי הדם הוא הוא יחניף וגו, “for the blood spilled (and not atoned for) would contaminate” the soil of the Holy Land. This is why G-d warns us not to contaminate the land he has given us by allowing bloodshed to go unpunished according to the principle of נפש תחת נפש, “a life for a life,” a principle spelled out already in Genesis 9,6, a principle applicable to all of mankind.


###### Chizkuni, Numbers 35:33:2
[Chizkuni, Numbers 35:33:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Numbers/r/35:33:2)

**ולארץ לא יכפר** וליושבי הארץ לא יכופר.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ולארץ לא יכופר, “and no expiation can be made for the land;” the Torah, of course, refers to the inhabitants of the land even more so, [seeing that the earth had been completely passive. Ed.]