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Makkos 10b

מכות י׳ ע״ב

Makkot 10b

Learn Makkos 10b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The עיר מקלט: road signs and how הקדוש ברוך הוא guides people, the גואל הדם who kills the רוצח, who runs to an עיר מקלט, and cities that cannot take a killer in.

Overview

The amud opens with the signs reading 'מקלט' that were posted at every crossroads, and רב כהנא gives the פסוק behind them. Two openings to the topic follow. רב חמא בר חנינא teaches that if הקדוש ברוך הוא guides sinners, He surely guides צדיקים. ריש לקיש explains how הקדוש ברוך הוא brings two unpunished killers together so each one gets what he deserves. Then the גמרא teaches that a person is led along whatever path he chooses, with proof from the תורה, the נביאים and the כתובים. Back in the הלכה, רב הונא rules that a גואל הדם who kills the רוצח on his way to exile is פטור. The גמרא defends him against a ברייתא and against the משנה about the two תלמידי חכמים. A ברייתא then shows that at first even a מזיד runs to the עיר מקלט until בית דין judges him. Next, רבי אלעזר rules on cities that do not take in a killer: a city made up mostly of killers, and a city with no זקנים. רבי אמי and רבי אסי argue whether 'elders' are required in three cases: עיר מקלט, בן סורר ומורה and עגלה ערופה. The amud ends as רבי חמא בר חנינא begins asking why the פרשה of רוצחים was said; the question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״מִקְלָט״ הָיָה כָּתוּב

"Refuge" was written

עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים,

at the crossroads,

כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּכִּיר הָרוֹצֵחַ

so that the killer would recognize the way

וְיִפְנֶה לְשָׁם.

and turn toward there.

The steps (25)

  1. StatementThe word 'Refuge' was posted at crossroads
  2. Proofרב כהנא's verse for the road signs
  3. StatementIf God guides sinners, all the more so the righteous
  4. Statementריש לקיש quotes two verses to open the section
  5. StatementThe case: two unpunished killers
  6. ConclusionGod brings them together so each gets his due
  7. StatementA person is led along the path he wants to take
  8. ProofThree פסוקים prove the idea
  9. StatementA גואל הדם who kills the רוצח is exempt
  10. ChallengeA ברייתא says the פסוק is about the killer
  11. Resolutionרב הונא follows another ברייתא
  12. ChallengeChallenge from the two תלמידי חכמים in the משנה
  13. RejectionThe scholars only speak gently
  14. Statementרבי מאיר: the killer speaks for himself
  15. QuestionWhy say it was by accident?
  16. ResponseYes, a מזיד can also go to גלות
  17. ProofAt first, both the accidental and the intentional killer run to the cities of refuge
  18. StatementThe court decides each killer's fate: death, freedom, or return to exile
  19. Statementרבי: the intentional killers go on their own because they are mistaken
  20. StatementA city full mostly of killers does not take in a killer
  21. StatementA city with no elders does not take in a killer
  22. Statementרבי אמי and רבי אסי disagree about a refuge city with no elders
  23. StatementSame disagreement about a בן סורר ומורה
  24. StatementSame disagreement about an עגלה ערופה
  25. QuestionWhy was the section about killers said?