הלכה אויף שמות 21:14

And now I am going to begin mentioning every single mitzvah, and I will explain them, as I made clear at the beginning that this is the intention of the book. ... I will also explain the punishments for not doing a mitzvah or for a transgression ... And every one of those negative commandments for which we do not count a punishment among the punishments, you should know that that is like the mitzvah of a king, that for one that transgresses it we have no punishment in record. Even though for positive commandments in which one is obligated we have that one receives lashes if one refrains from observing them until that person either dies or does it, in any instance if the time is passed we refrain from doing [such punishment], like for instance a person during Sukkot who did not dwell in a sukkah, we do not lash such person due to his/her transgression, and you should know this. And I also announced the mitzvot in which women are not obligated, whether positive or negative... in several mitzvot I do not need to explain to you that they are not obligated, such as the mitzvot that deal with the temple or optional wars, because those are wordy add-ons that are superfluous, and this is also the case regarding mitzvot that only apply in the Land of Israel or when the Temple is standing. It is known that sacrifices are not done outside of the Temple area, and so too capital punishments are not judged unless the Temple is standing. And in the language of the Mechilta:  "from where do we know that we do not sentence to death unless in front of the Temple? The text says: 'from My altar you will take him to die' (Exodus 21:14) - behold, if you have the Temple you make him die, if you don't have the Temple you don't." And there too it says "from where do we know that the Sanhedrin needs to be close to the altar? From what is said: 'from My altar'." And it is known that both prophecy and kingship have been taken away from us until we refrain from our constant sins, and then He will be forgiving to us, and will merciful to us, as we have testimony regarding prophecy: "And it will be, after I pour My spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughters will prophesy" (Joel 2:28). And regarding the return of the kingship: "On that day I will restore the fallen sukkah of David, and I will repair its breaches and set up its ruins anew, I will build it firm as in the days of old" (Amos 9:11). And it is known that war and conquering of the cities cannot happen without a king and without the advice of the Great Sanhedrin and without a High Priest, as it says "he [Joshua] shall present himself in front of Eleazar the Priest [who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim]" (Numbers 27:21). And therefore it should be announced for all people that all positive commandments that are dependent on sacrifices, Temple rituals, capital punishments, Sanhedrin, prophet and king, or optional wars one does not have to say that there is no obligation regarding those unless the Temple is standing, as we explained, may we be sufficient, and rouse ourselves for it, with God's help. And now I will begin the mentioning of each and every mitzvah with the help of Shaddai.

Tötet ein Israel einen Beisaßen [Ben Noach] גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב, wird er vom Gericht nicht hingerichtet [aber durch den Bluträcher], darüber sagt die Schrift »Wenn aber Jemand gegenüber einem Genossen רֵעֵהוּ vorsätzlich handelt« [und der Ben Noach gilt nicht als Genosse] und um so mehr, wenn er einen Nichtjuden tötet [jedoch darf der Bluträcher des Nichtjuden den Mörder umbringen, bei einem unvorsätzlichen Mord wird der Jude verbannt, siehe 5:3]. Tötet Jemand seinen eignen oder fremden Sklaven, wird er hingerichtet, denn ein Sklave hat die Erfüllung der Gebote über sich genommen, demgemäß er auch als Einer angesehen, der zum Erbe des Ewigen gerechnet ist.

Der Altar hat ebenfalls die rechtliche Wirkung einer Asylstätte, denn es heißt beim vorsätzlichen Mörder: »So sollst du ihn von meinem Altare hinwegführen zum Tode« (Ex. 21:14), woraus zu schließen ist, dass derjenige, welcher einen unvorsätzlichen Mord begangen, beim Altar nicht getötet werden darf. Wenn sich daher Jemand der einen unabsichtlichen Mord verübte, im Asylbereich des Altars befindet und wird dort vom Bluträcher erschlagen, so verfällt dieser in Folge dessen eben so gut der Hinrichtung als wenn er es innerhalb einer Freistadt getan hätte.