פּירוש אויף במדבר 35:23

או בכל אבן אשר ימות בה OR WITH ANY STONE WHEREBY ONE MAY DIE, he smote him.

ויפל עליו, “he caused it to fall upon him.” This verse caused our sages (Makkot 7) to determine that if someone kills unintentionally by dropping something while lowering it he must go to the city of refuge, but if it occurred while lifting the object he does not go.

He struck him. Without the additional phrase, “He struck him,” we would understand “without seeing” is associated with “which can kill” as if to say that he did not see his death. However this is not so, rather it means to say that he did not see when he struck him. Furthermore, without the additional wording the phrase, “Or even with a stone” would obviously be missing [a verb], since it should have said, “Or even struck with a stone.” For if it referred back to [the verb] “threw” (v. 22), the verse should have said או כל אבן ["or even a stone"].

בלא ראות — i.e. that he (the slayer) did not see him (Not: without anyone having seen him, i.e. that there were no witnesses).

ויפל עליו AND HE CAST IT UPON HIM — From here (i.e. from these words) they (the Rabbis) said: he who kills inadvertently by way of a falling movement goes into exile (i.e. must escape to and reside in a city of refuge); he who kills by way of an upward movement does not go into exile (Makkot 7b; cf. our Note on Exodus 21:13).