Makkot 2

אֵלּוּ הֵן הַגּוֹלִין, הַהוֹרֵג נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה. הָיָה מְעַגֵּל בְּמַעְגִּילָה וְנָפְלָה עָלָיו וַהֲרָגַתּוּ, הָיָה מְשַׁלְשֵׁל בְּחָבִית וְנָפְלָה עָלָיו וַהֲרָגַתּוּ, הָיָה יוֹרֵד בְּסֻלָּם וְנָפַל עָלָיו וַהֲרָגוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה גוֹלֶה. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּמַעְגִּילָה וְנָפְלָה עָלָיו וַהֲרָגַתּוּ, הָיָה דוֹלֶה בְחָבִית וְנִפְסַק הַחֶבֶל וְנָפְלָה עָלָיו וַהֲרָגַתּוּ, הָיָה עוֹלֶה בְסֻלָּם וְנָפַל עָלָיו וַהֲרָגוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כֹּל שֶׁבְּדֶרֶךְ יְרִידָתוֹ, גּוֹלֶה. וְשֶׁלֹּא בְדֶרֶךְ יְרִידָתוֹ, אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. נִשְׁמַט הַבַּרְזֶל מִקַּתּוֹ וְהָרַג, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, גּוֹלֶה. מִן הָעֵץ הַמִּתְבַּקֵּעַ, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, גּוֹלֶה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה:

These are the ones who are exiled: one who kills another unwittingly (e.g.,): If one were rolling with a ma'agilah [a smooth round stone rolled over lime or plaster on the roof to even cracks], and it fell upon someone and killed him; or if he were letting down a jug, and it fell on someone and killed him; or if he were climbing down a ladder and fell on someone and killed him — he is exiled. But if he were pulling up a ma'agilah, and it fell on someone and killed him; or if he were pulling up a jug, and the rope snapped, and it (the jug) fell upon someone and killed him; or if he were climbing up a ladder and fell on someone and killed him — he is not exiled. This is the rule: Whenever (someone is killed) through one's downward action, he is exiled; not through his downward action, he is not exiled, [it being written (Numbers 35:23): "…and he cause it to fall upon him" — it must be by way of "falling." "Whenever" ("kol") comes to include even a downward motion for the sake of an upward one.] If the blade slips from its haft and kills — Rebbi says: He is not exiled; the sages say: He is exiled. If it slips from the wood he is chopping, Rebbi says: He is exiled; the sages say: He is not exiled. [Rebbi holds that "wood" in (Deuteronomy 19:5): "…and the blade slips from the wood" refers to the wood that is being chopped, and not the haft. And the rabbis hold that "the wood" is the haft. The halachah is in accordance with the sages. For (the blade slipping from) the wood that is being chopped is "the power of his power," for which one is not exiled.]

הַזּוֹרֵק אֶבֶן לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים וְהָרַג, הֲרֵי זֶה גּוֹלֶה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, אִם מִכְּשֶׁיָּצְאתָה הָאֶבֶן מִיָּדוֹ הוֹצִיא הַלָּז אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְקִבְּלָהּ, הֲרֵי זֶה פָטוּר. זָרַק אֶת הָאֶבֶן לַחֲצֵרוֹ וְהָרַג, אִם יֵשׁ רְשׁוּת לַנִּזָּק לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם, גּוֹלֶה. וְאִם לָאו, אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט) וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בַיַּעַר, מַה הַיַּעַר רְשׁוּת לַנִּזָּק וְלַמַּזִּיק לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם, יָצָא חֲצַר בַּעַל הַבַּיִת שֶׁאֵין רְשׁוּת לַנִּזָּק וְלַמַּזִּיק לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, מַה חֲטָבַת עֵצִים רְשׁוּת, יָצָא הָאָב הַמַּכֶּה אֶת בְּנוֹ, וְהָרַב הָרוֹדֶה אֶת תַּלְמִידוֹ, וּשְׁלִיחַ בֵּית דִּין:

If one threw a stone into the public domain and killed someone, he is exiled. [Even though this sounds close to "witting," for one should take into account that there are always people in the public domain, we are speaking here of a refuse heap in the public domain where people are wont to relieve themselves at night, but rarely in the daytime (when he threw the stone). For this reason, he is exiled; for he is neither a willful offender nor completely blameless.] If, after the stone left his hand, the other stuck out his head and was struck by it (and killed), he is not liable, [it being written (Deuteronomy 19:5): "…and it find his neighbor" — to exclude his presenting himself.] If he threw the stone into his own domain and killed someone, if the latter had permission [from the owner] to enter there, he is exiled; if not, he is not exiled, it being written (Deuteronomy 19:5): "And one who comes upon his neighbor in the forest to chop wood, etc.": Just as a forest is a place that the slayer and the slain were permitted to enter, (so all such places are subsumed in this halachah) — to exclude the slayer's courtyard where both did not have the right to enter (but only the owner). Abba Shaul says: Just as the chopping of wood is a (merely) permitted activity, [i.e., if he wishes, he goes to chop; if not, not], so all (merely permitted activities are subsumed in the halachah) — to exclude a father beating his son, [the father doing a mitzvah], a teacher chastising his student, and a bailiff of beth-din (beating someone at beth-din's behest.)

הָאָב גּוֹלֶה עַל יְדֵי הַבֵּן, וְהַבֵּן גּוֹלֶה עַל יְדֵי הָאָב. הַכֹּל גּוֹלִין עַל יְדֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹלִין עַל יְדֵיהֶן, חוּץ מֵעַל יְדֵי גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב. וְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב. הַסּוּמָא אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, גּוֹלֶה. הַשּׂוֹנֵא אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הַשּׂוֹנֵא נֶהֱרָג, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כְמוּעָד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, יֵשׁ שׂוֹנֵא גוֹלֶה וְיֵשׁ שׂוֹנֵא שֶׁאֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כֹּל שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לְדַעַת הָרַג, אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. וְשֶׁלֹּא לְדַעַת הָרַג, הֲרֵי זֶה גוֹלֶה:

A father is exiled through his son [if he were not beating him to teach him Torah, or to chastise him, or to teach him a trade (and he died).], and a son is exiled through his father. All [even a bondsman or a Cuthite] are exiled through an Israelite, and an Israelite is exiled through them, except a ger toshav (a "resident-stranger"). [If he kills an Israelite unwittingly, he is not exiled, but killed.] And a ger toshav is not exiled except through (another) ger toshav. A blind man is not exiled, [it being written (Numbers 35:23): "without seeing" — to exclude one who is blind.] These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Meir says: He is exiled: ["without seeing" — to include one who is blind. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Meir.] R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah says: A "hater" [one who did not speak with him for three days out of hatred] is killed, for he is like a mued (one who has been forewarned). R. Shimon says: There is a hater who is exiled and a hater who is not exiled. This is the rule: Wherever it may be presumed that he killed wittingly, he is not exiled; (and wherever it may be presumed) that he did not kill wittingly, he is exiled. [The halachah is neither in accordance with R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah nor with R. Shimon; but a hater is neither killed nor "absorbed" (in the cities of refuge), for he is close to "witting."]

לְהֵיכָן גּוֹלִין, לְעָרֵי מִקְלָט. לַשָּׁלשׁ שֶׁבְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְלַשָּׁלשׁ שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה) אֵת שְׁלשׁ הֶעָרִים תִּתְּנוּ מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן וְאֵת שְׁלשׁ הֶעָרִים תִּתְּנוּ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְגוֹ'. עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְחֲרוּ שָׁלשׁ שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא הָיוּ שָׁלשׁ שֶׁבְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן קוֹלְטוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) שֵׁשׁ עָרֵי מִקְלָט תִּהְיֶינָה, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שֶׁשְׁתָּן קוֹלְטוֹת כְּאֶחָד:

Whither is one exiled to the cities of refuge? To the three across the Jordan and the three in the land of Canaan, as it is written (Numbers 35:14): "The three cities shall you provide across the Jordan; and the three cities shall you provide in the land of Canaan." And as long as the three in Eretz Yisrael had not been designated, the three across the Jordan did not grant refuge, it being written (Ibid. 13): "Six cities of refuge shall there be" — they must all be capable of granting refuge as one. [And forty-two cities of the Levites also all granted refuge. It is just that these six cities granted refuge whether or not the slayer entered there with the intent that they do so, whereas the forty-two cities granted refuge only where there was intent, but not otherwise; and if the blood-redeemer killed him there (in the absence of such intent), he is not liable.]

וּמְכֻוָּנוֹת לָהֶן דְּרָכִים מִזּוֹ לָזוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט) תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ וְגוֹ'. וּמוֹסְרִין לָהֶן שְׁנֵי תַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁמָּא יַהַרְגֶנּוּ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וִידַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, אַף הוּא מְדַבֵּר עַל יְדֵי עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וְזֶה דְּבַר הָרֹצֵחַ:

And roads led from one to the other, [i.e., they made roads leading to the cities of refuge, so that the slayer not stray on the road. And "Refuge" signs were posted on the crossroads for the slayer to see and to follow], viz. (Deuteronomy 19:3): "Prepare for yourself the way, and divide in thirds, etc." And two Torah scholars were provided them, lest they be slain on the way; and they would speak to him. [They would speak to the blood-redeemer, viz.: "Do not be a spiller of blood; he did this unwittingly." R. Meir says: He could also speak for himself, viz. (Ibid. 4): "And this is the 'word' of the slayer [i.e., It was not necessary to provide him with Torah scholars to speak to the blood-redeemer on his behalf, but he could do so himself. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Meir.]

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בַּתְּחִלָּה, אֶחָד שׁוֹגֵג וְאֶחָד מֵזִיד מַקְדִּימִין לְעָרֵי מִקְלָט, וּבֵית דִּין שׁוֹלְחִין וּמְבִיאִין אוֹתוֹ מִשָּׁם. מִי שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּב מִיתָה בְּבֵית דִּין, הֲרָגוּהוּ. וְשֶׁלֹּא נִתְחַיֵּב מִיתָה, פְּטָרוּהוּ. מִי שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּב גָּלוּת, מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ לִמְקוֹמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה) וְהֵשִׁיבוּ אֹתוֹ הָעֵדָה אֶל עִיר מִקְלָטוֹ וְגוֹ'. אֶחָד מָשׁוּחַ בְּשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְאֶחָד הַמְרֻבֶּה בִבְגָדִים וְאֶחָד שֶׁעָבַר מִמְּשִׁיחָתוֹ, מַחֲזִירִין אֶת הָרוֹצֵחַ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף מְשׁוּחַ מִלְחָמָה מַחֲזִיר אֶת הָרוֹצֵחַ. לְפִיכָךְ אִמּוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים מְסַפְּקוֹת לָהֶן מִחְיָה וּכְסוּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּלְּלוּ עַל בְּנֵיהֶם שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ. מִשֶּׁנִּגְמַר דִּינוֹ מֵת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, הֲרֵי זֶה אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה. אִם עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ מֵת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל וּמִנּוּ אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, וּלְאַחַר מִכֵּן נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ, חוֹזֵר בְּמִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁנִי:

R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah says: Initially, both one who kills unwittingly and one who kills willfully proceed to the cities of refuge and beth-din send and bring them from there. One who is liable to execution by beth-din is put to death, and one who is not, is acquitted. One who is liable to exile is returned to his place, as it is written (Numbers 35:25): "And the congregation shall return him to the city of his refuge, etc." Both the priest anointed with the anointing oil, and the priest of the "manifold vestments" [(For after the cruse of anointing oil was secreted, one was inaugurated into the high-priesthood only through the donning of the eight vestments)], and the priest whose anointment was rescinded [(if the high-priest had an emission on Yom Kippur and another was appointed in his stead)], "return" the slayer (from the city of refuge). [With the death of either of these he returns, even if the other is alive, "high-priest" being written three times in this section.] R. Yehudah says: The priest anointed for war (mashuach milchamah), too, returns the slayer, [it being written (Numbers 35:32): "…to return to dwell in the land until the death of the priest." And the rabbis do not expound it, it not being written "the high-priest." The halachah is in accordance with the sages.] Therefore, the mothers of the priests would supply them (the slayers in the city of refuge) with food and clothing, so that they not pray that their sons die (so that they can leave the city.) [And they (the priests) were at fault, for they should have implored mercy for their generation that misfortunes not occur, and they failed to do so.] If after he were sentenced [to exile] the high-priest died, he is not exiled. [For once he has been sentenced and is awaiting exile, it is as if he has already been exiled.] If before he were sentenced, the high-priest died, and another were appointed in his stead, after which he was sentenced, he returns with the death of the second.

נִגְמַר דִּינוֹ בְלֹא כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, הַהוֹרֵג כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁהָרַג, אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם. וְאֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא לֹא לְעֵדוּת מִצְוָה וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת מָמוֹן וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת נְפָשׁוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים לוֹ, וַאֲפִלּוּ שַׂר צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה, אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה) אֲשֶׁר נָס שָׁמָּה, שָׁם תְּהֵא דִירָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא מִיתָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרָתוֹ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָעִיר קוֹלֶטֶת, כָּךְ תְּחוּמָהּ קוֹלֵט. רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁיָּצָא חוּץ לַתְּחוּם וּמְצָאוֹ גוֹאֵל הַדָּם, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, מִצְוָה בְיַד גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם, וּרְשׁוּת בְּיַד כָּל אָדָם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, רְשׁוּת בְּיַד גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם, וְכָל אָדָם אֵין חַיָּבִין עָלָיו. אִילָן שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּחוּם וְנוֹפוֹ נוֹטֶה חוּץ לַתְּחוּם, אוֹ עוֹמֵד חוּץ לַתְּחוּם וְנוֹפוֹ נוֹטֶה לְתוֹךְ הַתְּחוּם, הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַנּוֹף. הָרַג בְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר, גּוֹלֶה מִשְּׁכוּנָה לִשְׁכוּנָה. וּבֶן לֵוִי, גוֹלֶה מֵעִיר לְעִיר:

One whose judgment was concluded without a high-priest, [i.e., if there were no high-priest], one who kills a high-priest, and a high-priest who kills, never leaves (his city of refuge), and (one who is exiled) goes out neither for testimony of mitzvah, nor for testimony in monetary litigation, nor for testimony in a capital case. Even if Israel needed him; even if he were a commander in Israel, like Yoav ben Tzeruyah, he never leaves, it being written (Numbers 35:25): "…that he had fled there" — there shall be his dwelling; there shall he die; there shall he be buried. Just as the city grants refuge, so does its tchum (its bound, two thousand cubits around the city) grant refuge. A slayer who went outside the tchum and was found by the blood-redeemer — R. Yossi says: It is a mitzvah for the blood-redeemer (to kill him), and everyone else is permitted to do so. R. Akiva says: The blood-redeemer is permitted to do so, and all others are not liable if they do so. [All others, aside from the blood-redeemer, who killed him outside his city of refuge, are not liable, it being written (Numbers 35:27): "He has no blood"; and the blood-redeemer is permitted to kill him (ab initio)]. If a tree stands in the midst of the bounds (of the city of refuge), and its boughs extend outside the bounds; or if it stands outside the bounds and its boughs extend within the bounds, all goes according to the boughs. [The Gemara explains that "also according to the boughs" is what is meant, i.e., If its trunk were within the bounds of the city of refuge, and its boughs extend outside the bounds, if he stands under the boughs, he is "absorbed," since its main part is within, and its boughs are regarded as an extension of the main part. And if the main part is outside, and the boughs, within, so that he may not kill him under the boughs, he may also not kill him near the main part, the main part being regarded as an extension of its bows for stringency (in this regard). If he killed within that city, he is exiled from one neighborhood to another (within that city). A Levite is exiled from one city to another.

כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁגָּלָה לְעִיר מִקְלָטוֹ וְרָצוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר לְכַבְּדוֹ, יֹאמַר לָהֶם רוֹצֵחַ אָנִי. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, יְקַבֵּל מֵהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט) וְזֶה דְּבַר הָרֹצֵחַ. מַעֲלִים הָיוּ שָׂכָר לַלְוִיִּם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיוּ מַעֲלִים לָהֶן שָׂכָר. וְחוֹזֵר לַשְּׂרָרָה שֶׁהָיָה בָהּ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא הָיָה חוֹזֵר לַשְּׂרָרָה שֶׁהָיָה בָהּ:

Similarly, if a slayer fled to his city of refuge, and the people of that city wished to honor him, he must tell them: "I am a slayer"; and, if they persist, he may accept their homage, viz. (Deuteronomy 19:4): "And this is the word of the slayer" (i.e., He must say, in the above instance: "I am a slayer.") They would pay rent to the Levites. [In the forty-two (Levite) cities, which also grant refuge, the slayer pays rent to the man with whom he lodges.] These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Meir says: They would not pay rent to them. [The halachah is not in accordance with R. Meir. (The disagreement obtains) only with the forty-two (Levite) cities, but with the six cities of refuge, all agree that no rent was paid.] And (upon leaving the city of refuge) he returns to his former eminence. These are the words of R. Meir. R. Yehudah says: He would not return to his former eminence, [it being written (Leviticus 25:41): "And he shall return to his family, and to the holding of his fathers shall he return" — He returns to his family, but not to the station held by his fathers. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehudah.]