Vertlach: Parshas Masei

We find in this weeks�parsha�that�Hashem�tells�Moshe�rabbeinu�about the�mitzvah�of designating the�arei�miklat. An�arei�miklat�is a refugee city for someone who killed another person accidentally. One lives there until the death of the�Kohen�Gadol�and is thus spared from the deceased relatives retaliating against him.�Hashem�tells�Moshe�to designate three�arei�miklat�in�aiver�hayarden�and another three in�eretzYisroel.

There were only two and a half�shevatim�on that side of the�yarden. Why was there the same number of�arei�miklat�as there was for the rest of�klal�yisroel�in�eretz�Yisroel? The�gemara�in�Makos�answers that since there were many murders there, they had that amount. The question asked by many�rishonim�is, that the�arei�miklat�was for accidents-not murderers? They answer, that being that the people of those towns were living around death so often-and that murder was so common-many of them lost their appreciation towards human life. Perhaps, had they lived elsewhere the�arei�miklats�would not have been necessary. It seemed that losing a life wasn�t so immoral after all and unfortunately the�arei�miklats�were needed quite often. We see from here how important it is to choose where you live and who you are surrounded by.

The�mishna�in�makkos�(9b) says that the three�arei�miklat�that were�aiver�hayarden�were not activated until the three in�eretz�Yisroel�were activated. They didn�t have the ability to protect anyone until the three in�eretz�Yisroel�were set up and ready to be used. But why was it setup like that? Why the need to wait until the three in�eretz�Yisroel�were setup before the ones that were�aiver�hayarden�protected people and why were these three bound and dependent upon the latter?

Meshech Chochma�offers a fascinating answer.

A person was to stay in�galus�until the�Kohen Gadol�died. The�Kohen Gadol�at that time was�Elazar haKohen. The�pasuk�specifically prophesies that�Elazar haKohen�was going to be alive by the dividing of the land, in�eretz Yisroel. There was no doubt in anyone�s mind thatElazar�was going to be alive at the time when�klal yisroel�was going to enter into�eretz Yisroel.�That means that at the time they were inaiver hayarden-had the�arei miklat�worked -whoever had to run there knew they had no hope of survival because they knew�Elazar haKohenwould enter�eretz Yisroel�alive! The anticipation of being a free man one day was gone! The�Torah�is sensitive to a person�s feelings, thoughts and emotions. Had the cities been up and running, a refugee would have nothing to hope for all the while the�yidden�weren�t ineretz Yisroel. Such hopelessness is something the�Torah�deemed as the worst thing possible for a person. For that,�Hashem�didn�t allow them to open unless they all did so simultaneously.�

The�Ribono Shel Olam�will never put us in a�galus�without the hope of surviving and without having the hope that we will be redeemed. We all know there�s a�geulah�coming and that alone gives each of us not only the strength to continue but the reason to strive to greater heights. One must never forget that�Hashem�promised us a�geula shleima�and that�He�would never have put us here if not for allowing us to live with that hope. For if we had nothing to look forward to, the�arei�miklat�would have been up and running prior to us entering�eretz�Yisroel.