Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Bilangan 35:11

Am deutlichsten erscheint dies, wo uns aufgegeben wird, ein מקרה zu veranstalten. והקריתם לכם heißt es Bamidbar 35, 11 von den Zufluchtsstädten, die wir im Lande also gelegen bestimmen sollen, daß sie den unabsichtlichen Totschläger in leichter Weise zu sich laden und führen, wie dies ganz ausdrücklich in dem תכין לך הדרך (Dewarim 19, 3) ausgesprochen ist (siehe Makkot 9b). Der Unglückliche hat es nicht beabsichtigt, einen Menschen gerade in der Nähe einer zur Zufluchtsstadt führenden Straße zu töten, die ganze Handlung war ja eine unabsichtliche; daß er sich in der Nähe einer solchen Straße befindet, ist ihm gewiß etwas zufälliges. Allein von vornherein war dafür gesorgt, daß in entsprechenden Abständen eine gebahnte Straße zu einer עיר מקלט führte. Kohelet hat daher vollkommen Recht, daß den Weisen wie den Toren מקרה אחד יקרה את כלם, daß auch der Weise sich nicht dem מקרה entziehen kann; denn auch der Weiseste, wenn man will der Klügste, hat Lebensereignisse, ja auch der vielleicht größte Teil der seinigen sind solche, die er weder erwartet, noch vorausgesehen, am allerwenigsten mit Absicht herbeigeführt, die ihn vielmehr in Verhältnisse und Beziehungen hineinrufen, die ganz außer seiner Berechnung lagen.

והאלהים אנה לידו BUT GOD GOT IT READY FOR HIS HAND — But why should this go forth from Him (be brought about by God)? This is just what David tells us: (I Samuel 24:13) “As says the proverb of the ancient (הקדמני) “Wickedness proceededeth from the wicked”. — “The proverb of the קדמני” is the Torah, the maxim of God, Who it the “Ancient” (Whose existence preceded that) of the world. But where indeed does the Torah say, “Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked”? It says it implicitly in the verse: “But God got it ready for his hand”. For what is Scripture here speaking about? About two men, one of whom killed a person with premeditation and the other killed inadvertently, and in neither case were there witnesses to the deed who could testify about it. Consequently, the former was not put to death and the latter was not forced into banishment to a city of refuge (cf. Numbers 35:11). Now God brings them together at the same inn. He who killed with premeditation happens to sit beneath a ladder, and the other who killed inadvertently ascends the ladder and falls, when descending it, upon the man who killed with premeditation and kills him. Witnesses now being present they testify against him, so compelling him to be banished to one of the cities of refuge. The result is that he who killed inadvertently is actually banished and he who killed with premeditation actually suffers death (cf. Mekhilta and Makkot 10b).

Then Moses set apart three cities. In connecting this verse with the previous topic, the commentators went out to collect but did not find a sufficient explanation, and what is the meaning of the word then? Now turn your ear and listen, for we find that a person begins a mitzvah even though it cannot be completed by him, nevertheless, a mitzvah that comes to his hand, he is obligated to fulfill it (Makkot 10a), as we find with David who said to his son Solomon, Now, in my poverty I have prepared for the house of the Lord gold, etc. (First Chronicles 22:14), even though he knew that he could not complete the mitzvah because he was not permitted to build the Temple, nevertheless, he began the mitzvah even though he truly knew that it would not be fulfilled completely and properly except through his son. For example, an old man who plants a tree for an etrog for a mitzvah, even though he truly knows that he will not be able to fulfill this mitzvah, nevertheless, his sons can come to fulfill it, and there are many similar examples in this manner. And about this it says in the previous verse, Keep his statutes and his commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you (Deuteronomy 4:40). That is to say, if some mitzvah comes to your hand, fulfill it today immediately, even though the benefit is not completed and visible immediately but rather at the time when your children after you will complete the mitzvah, nevertheless, do the mitzvah today immediately, whether it goes well with you, meaning that it is in your power to complete it, or whether it goes well with your children after you because it is not in your power to complete it. Therefore, it states with your children after you — the word after you is superfluous, but according to our explanation, it fits well. And regarding this it says, Then Moses set apart three cities even though they do not provide refuge until the other three in the land are set apart, nevertheless, Moses said, “A mitzvah that has come to my hand, I will fulfill it.” And this is the meaning of then — when he taught Israel this matter in the previous verse, he immediately put it into practice in a similar way, so that from him they would see and do likewise regarding the entire Torah and its commandments. And regarding this it says, And this is the Torah which Moses set before the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:44), that they should do likewise with all the commandments of the Torah. He further alluded to what our Sages said (Avot 4:18), “Exile yourself to a place of Torah,” for just as the cities of refuge provide protection, and he shall flee to these cities and live (see Numbers 35:11), so too regarding the Torah and its commandments it says and live by them (Leviticus 18:5).