Masei
The passuk states a person who kills accidentally is subject to flee to Arey Miklat, cities of refuge. There were 6 cities, of which 3 were in Eretz Yisrael and the other 3 were across the Yarden. Rashi points out that although 9½ tribes lived in Eretz Yisrael and only 2½ tribes lived across the Yarden, there was the same amount of Arey Miklat for both regions. The reason is because in Gil’ad, by Gad’s tribe, there were a lot of killers. The Gemara adds, this is hinted in the passuk which states, “גלעד קרית פועלי און עקובה מדם, Gil’ad, a city who acted with sin, which would wait in ambush in order to kill.” Why were there were more killers across the Yarden than in Eretz Yisrael?
This can be answered based on a Gemara which brings: Ulah ascended from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael escorted by 2 people from Mechuza. One of them got up and killed the other one. He asked Ulah, “Did I do good?” Ulah responded, “Yes, go and open the place of slaughter;” meaning, finish the rest of the job. Rashi explains, Ulah said this to the murderer because he was afraid that the murderer might do the same to him as well. When Ulah came before Rebi Yochanan, he said, chas v’shalom, is it possible that I assisted sinners by saying “Yes, go open the place of slaughter?” Rebi Yochanan responded, “you said this in order to save yourself. Since it was for pikuach nefesh, it is OK.” Rebi Yochanan wondered, “how could it be? It states, ‘ונתן לך שם לב רגז, and there He will give you an angry heart,’ which refers to the place of Bavel, not Eretz Yisrael?” Ulah answered, “at that time we did not yet pass over the Yarden. This episode occurred before we passed over the Yarden; we were not yet inside the borders of Eretz Yisrael.” What was Rebi Yochanan startled about what had occurred? And why is Eretz Yisrael different than Chutz La’aretz?
Rashi explains, Rebi Yochanan wondered: since it is only in Bavel that Hashem will give an angry heart, then how could a person get so angry to kill his friend in the land of Eretz Yisrael? HaRav Chaim Shmulevitz zatzal says, we see that only across the Yarden is it possible to have this phenomenon of someone who gets angry and goes so far as to kill his friend – not in Eretz Yisrael. He brings b’shem the Ran, the reason is because Eretz Yisrael has more kedusha than other places.
The Maharsha offers a different reason: the yeitzer hara rules over a person in Chutz La’aretz more than in Eretz Yisrael. Anger is from one of the midos of the yeitzer hara, as he persuades people to get upset and angry. Rebi Yochanan wondered, how could the yeitzer hara rule over a person so much to cause him to get so upset and kill in Eretz Yisrael? Ulah responded, this happened before entering Eretz Yisrael. Says the Maharsha, this idea is hinted in Parshas Nitzavim, where it states, “כי ידעתי את יצרו אשר הוא עושה היום בטרם אביאנו אל הארץ אשר נשבעתי, since I know his inclination that he does today, before I will bring him into the land that I swore.” The Maharsha explains: since I know the person’s inclination that rules over him today – while in the Midbar, before he enters Eretz Yisrael, I can’t punish so much for what was done, I will look away. The yeitzer hara has a grasp and makes things very difficult for us; it is harder to conquer. However, once Yisrael will enter Eretz Yisrael, if they will continue to do any more bad things as they did before, it will then be fitting to punish them, since their inclination does not rule over them as much in Eretz Yisrael. It is easier to do what is right.
May Hashem return us to Eretz Yisrael with its kedusha and have easier challenges.
