Joshua-Chapter-20
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Remember the following truth
from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction: Joshua Chapter 20
Chapter 20 of the Book of Joshua marks a
critical transition from the military conquest and territorial allotment to the
establishment of civil justice and sanctity within the
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Joshua
Chapter 20, verses 1 to 9: Whilst below the verses are the Explanation’s. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version
of the Torah).
Verses 1-2: And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying: ‘Speak
to the children of
Explanation: Verses 1 and 2 serve as the formal Divine command to Joshua to
designate the specific cities that were promised through Moses. It establishes
that the following laws are not mere suggestions, but an integral part of the
covenantal law governing the land.
Verse
3: that
the manslayer that killeth any person through error
and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the
avenger of blood.
Explanation: Verse 3 defines the specific legal category of the individual
entitled to sanctuary: the “manslayer” who kills “unawares
and unwittingly”. This distinguishes between premeditated murder and accidental
manslaughter, providing a shield against the “avenger of blood” the kinsman of
the deceased seeking immediate retribution.
Verse 4: And he shall flee unto
one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city,
and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall
take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among
them.
Explanation: Verse 4 outlines the due process for seeking asylum. The individual
must stand at the “entrance of the gate of the city”, which functioned as the
public court of the time, and present his case to the elders. This ensures that
entry into the city is a legal act recognized by the community leaders, rather
than a clandestine escape.
Verse 5: And if the avenger of
blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his
hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.
Explanation: Verse 5 prohibits the elders from surrendering the fugitive to the
blood avenger if the act was truly accidental and committed without prior
enmity. This places the burden of protection on the city itself.
Verse 6: And he shall dwell in that
city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of
the high priest that shall be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and
come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he
fled’.
Explanation: Verse 6 describes the duration of the sanctuary. The manslayer must
remain in the city until two conditions are met: standing trial before the
congregation to verify the accidental nature of the act, and the passing of the
High Priest serving at that time. The death of the High Priest acts as a
communal turning point that allows the manslayer to return to his ancestral
home without fear of legal retribution.
Verse 7: And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and
Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba
the same is
Explanation: Verse 7 lists the three cities designated on the western side of
the
Verse 8: And beyond the
Explanation: Verse 8 identifies the three cities on the eastern side of the
Verse 9: These were the appointed
cities for all the children of
Explanation: Verse 9 concludes the chapter by clarifying that these cities were “appointed
cities” for all of
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My Closing Message:
The institution of the Cities of Refuge
reminds us that a functional society requires more than just boundaries and
borders; it requires a mechanism for protecting the vulnerable and upholding
the value of human life. By creating spaces where "intent" was the
measure of guilt, the text elevates the legal standards of the nation. It
teaches that while we cannot undo the tragedies of the past, we can prevent
them from spiralling into further cycles of violence, thereby maintaining the
moral integrity of our communities.
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