Powtórzonego Prawa 19:1 Komentarz: Chizkuni, Ramban, Tur HaArokh & Rav Hirsch

כי יכרית, “When the Lord shall cut off, etc.” after Moses had dealt with the subject of impostors of different kinds, he now turns to the subject of cleansing the earth of the Holy Land of any vestiges of idolatry left behind by its former inhabitants. It must also be cleaned of traces of blood spilled that had belonged to innocent people.

WHEN THE ETERNAL THY G-D SHALL CUT OFF THE NATIONS etc. 2. THOU SHALT SEPARATE THREE CITIES FOR THEE. This also is an explanatory commandment, since He has already commanded thereon,²³⁹Exodus 21:13. and now he went on to explain the ordinances thereof, saying and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,²⁴⁰Verse 1. teaching that they are not obligated [to set aside the cities of refuge] until after taking possession of the Land and dwelling in it. And so Joshua did.²⁴¹Joshua, Chapter 20. He also added here, Thou shalt prepare thee the way,²⁴²Verse 3. meaning that the roads leading thereto should be direct [without being unnecessarily circumflex], and that [signs reading] “Refuge, Refuge” be set up at the crossroads. So also he added and thou shalt divide the territory of thy Land into three parts²⁴²Verse 3. [meaning, that the cities shall be equidistant from the frontier and from each other]. And he also went on to teach us [the rules of] the matter of “error” [which require the unintentional murderer to seek refuge] as he said, And when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor etc.²⁴³Verse 5. Our Rabbis have based many more interpretations on this section.

כי יכרית, “When He will cut down, etc.” Nachmanides writes that the basic legislation (Exodus 21,13) following had already been made public, Moses now elaborates on it.