Massei, Numbers 33:1–36:13

 

Massei, Numbers 33:1–36:13

Much of what I am writing about Parshat Massei comes from a recollection of Reb Yitz’s shiur of last Monday morning:

Massei, מַסְעֵ֣י, means journeys.  Massei is in contradistinction to Tiyul, טִיוּל, which means a tour or a hike.

A journey is serious.  It can be physical or spiritual   or a combination of both.

The Book of Numbers describes our 40-year journey that started in Egypt and ends on the bank of the Jordan River ready to cross to the other side into the land of Canaan, a total of 42 stops. Most of us are on our own journey, involving highs and lows, starts and stops, suffering and exaltation. It is very much a part of life.

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At 35:11-13 we  are commanded to designate six cities of refuge. These cities offer refuge to a person who inadvertently kills another. The  perpetrator must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the serving High Priest. 

 וְהִקְרִיתֶם לָכֶם עָרִים, עָרֵי מִקְלָט תִּהְיֶינָה לָכֶם; וְנָס שָׁמָּה רֹצֵחַ, מַכֵּה-נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה.

  וְהָיוּ לָכֶם הֶעָרִים לְמִקְלָט, מִגֹּאֵל; וְלֹא יָמוּת הָרֹצֵחַ, עַד-עָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי הָעֵדָה לַמִּשְׁפָּט.

“you shall designate cities for yourselves; they shall be cities of refuge for you, and a murderer who killed a person unintentionally shall flee there.

These cities shall serve you as a refuge from an avenger, so that the murderer shall not die until he stands in judgment before the congregation.”

I think Hashem’s commandment to establish Cities of Refuge is prescient, if not brilliant.

At this stage in our development as a people we had much to learn. For the most part we were a violent tribal society ruled by tribal elders and clan-family leaders.

 

It was pretty much an eye for an eye society: If you hurt me, I’ll hurt you. If you hurt or kill one of my clan, then we hunt you down and take revenge.  The Cities of Refuge allow for an alternative approach. Their establishment tempers the need for vengeance. It did not happen overnight, but was the beginning of instilling into the Jewish people a sense of social justice and mercy. And that is part and parcel of what we are today. We have moved away from a clan society; family is still very much important, but not the end-all. If a family member is off the derech, even disgraced the family name, in Jewish society there are no honor killings.  No one is thrown off a roof because of his or her sexual preference.

 

Not all societies have evolved this way, but we have, and the Cities of Refuge were a beginning

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We have now concluded the Book of Numbers, and traditionally we say with a strong voice:

חזק, חזק, ונתחזק

Be strong; Be strong, and let us strengthen one another.

Chazak Chazak Ve-Nit’Chazek