[Avodah] Masei "The Ultimate Goal of the Ir Miklat"

[Cantor Wolberg]

This Torah portion describes the cities of refuge. A man who kills  
someone accidentally is exiled to an Ir Miklat. In addition to these  
accidental killers, a very distinguished group of people, the Leviyim,  
lived in those cities. They traveled throughout Israel, teaching and  
preaching. The Leviyim actually played an integral role in the  
killer's rehabilitation.

The sentence imposed on the killers was also very unique. It was not  
defined by time, but rather by an odd and puzzling circumstance. The  
killers would go free only when the Kohen Gadol died. The gemara in  
Makos tells us that the Kohen Gadol's family members were quite  
worried. They were not concerned that there would be an assassination  
plot against the Kohen Gadol's life. They were worried that the  
convicts would pray that the Kohen Gadol would die. In order to  
dissuade them, the mother of the Kohen Gadol would distribute food and  
clothing to the detainees to deter them from praying that her son die.

The whole thing sounds strange and weird. But in order to grasp the  
deeper meaning, it is important to understand that these cities of  
refuge were not jails, nor were they mere detention camps. They were  
environments in which reckless people were made to become aware that  
careless actions have serious ramifications. They were constantly  
under the influence of their neighbors, the Leviyim. They would  
observe them daven, learn, and teach others. They would, in essence,  
be exposed to sensitivity training, awareness, and care for their  
fellow beings.

The mission of the Kohen Gadol's mother was not just to just  
distribute food and clothing. It was to develop a bond with those  
people, whose carelessness cost a fellow human being's life. They  
sensed the love the Kohen Gadol's mother had for her son and hopefully  
realized how wrong and selfish it was for them to pray for anyone's  
death -- especially one who was a valuable and prominent member of  
society. They saw how a total stranger, despite her great esteem,  
would make sure that their needs in the city of refuge were cared for.  
This led to their rehabilitation and made them painfully aware of the  
grief they caused the family and friends of the person they  
accidentally killed.

After developing a positive awareness of life and a keen empathy for  
others, they would never pray for the death of anyone, even if it  
meant their own freedom. In fact, they may have offered their years  
for the merit of the Kohen Gadol -- the ultimate act of selflessness.

The Torah does not just punish without teaching and rehabilitating. It  
infuses a love for life and spirituality into former careless killers.  
Its goal is to mold a new person whose attitudes will cause him to be  
kinder, gentler, and most of all, a lot more careful.

rw
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