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THE DAFYOMI DISCUSSION LIST
brought to you by Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld
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Makos 009: More killers in Jordan
Neil Blavin < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> asked:
(a) Why does Abaye answer that there are more murderers in Ever Yardin,
when the commandment precedes the conquest of Eretz Yisrael itself? Abaye's
answer seems to be that we place three cities there as a result of where
the murderers live, but that occurs long aftere the six cities have been
designated. Hashem obviously knows where the murderers will reside in the
future and thus specifies this seeming imbalance.
(b) Also, the cities of the Levites certainly squews the balance
tremendously in Eretz Yisraels favor.
N. Blavin
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The Kollel replies:
(a) The GUR ARYEH on the Torah (Bamidbar 35) explains that certain places
are more destined to raise killers than others. He apparently is making a
reference to the Gemara in Nedarim 22b which says that people are more
likely to get angry and kill in Ever ha'Yarden (Gil'ad) than in Eretz
Yisrael. See also Sanhedrin 24a, where the Gemara compares the calmness of
Talmidei Chachamim in Eretz Yisrael to the agitation of those outside of
Eretz Yisrael.
If so, there were probably more killers in Ever ha'Yarden in the times of
Moshe, and it was clear that that would be the case in the future as well.
(See also Beis ha'Levi Parashas No'ach, who explains who the actions of
people in a particular location influence all who later enter it.)
(b) It was more expensive to live in the Arei ha'Levi'im, since they had to
pay rent (13a). Not all could afford that. It is likely that even those who
maintain that the Arei ha'Levi'im are free held that these cities were not
as prepared to accept killers as the six cities, since we see that the
Pasuk itself differentiates between them (see Aruch la'Ner there). Perhaps
they had the right to reject a killer, saying that they have no more room.
(In addition, the Gemara on 10a explains that the six cities protect the
killer even if he entered them unintentionally.)
M. Kornfeld
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