Commentaire sur Les Nombres 35:28

V. 28. כי בעיר מקלטו ישב. Mackot 12 b wird an dieser wiederholten Beschränkung seines Aufenthaltes auf die Stadt, die ihn einmal schützend aufgenommen, zugleich der Satz gelehrt, dass, wenn er in seiner מקלט-Stadt wiederum einen unvorsätzlichen Mord begeht, er nicht in eine andere מקלט-Stadt zu fliehen hat, sondern innerhalb der Stadt, die einmal sein מקלט, die ihn "festhaltende Umgrenzung" geworden, משכונה לשכונה von einem Stadtviertel in das andere verwiesen wird und fortan auf diesen Stadtteil beschränkt bleibt. בעיר מקלטו ישב עיר שקלטתו כבר (daselbst).

כי בעיר מקלטו ישב עד מות הכהן הגדול, “for he has to remain in the city of his refuge until the death of the High Priest.” The plain meaning of the verse is to prevent people from complaining about the High Priest doing nothing to avenge the victim of this killer when they see the inadvertent killer leave his city of refuge. Once he has died and another has been appointed in his place, this is no longer a consideration as the murder had not been committed during the tenure of the new High Priest. According to Deuteronomy 26,3: the function of the High Priest is בימים ההם, during each High Priest’s lifetime, he is not held responsible for what occurred before he was appointed or after he had died.

'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 lifeimprisonment. Ed.]