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How can the Torah (תורה) allow relatives to kill accidental murderers who leave cities of refuge? The shiur argues that only humans, created with free will by God, possess an absolute right to life. When someone kills even unintentionally, they diminish this divine right, and avenging the death vindicates the victim's eternal right to exist.
Rabbi Zweig examines the perplexing laws in Parshas Masei regarding cities of refuge and the seeming contradiction between punishing accidental killers while allowing their relatives to be killed with impunity. The parsha states that blood defiles the land and can only be atoned through the blood of the murderer, using cryptic language about 'flattering the earth' that seems disconnected from practical law. The shiur draws a fundamental distinction between secular and Torah (תורה) perspectives on human rights. In a secular worldview without God, humans are merely cosmic accidents with no inherent rights - society may choose to protect life for practical reasons, but there are no absolute entitlements. This leads to utilitarian calculations about elderly care, abortion, and euthanasia based on social convenience rather than inherent worth.
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Parshas Masei - Cities of Refuge Laws
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