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Why did Moshe establish cities of refuge that wouldn't function until all six were operational? The shiur argues that ir miklat serves two distinct purposes: protective custody from the go'el hadam, and a mandatory jail sentence for atonement. Even Moshe's three cities functioned as prisons requiring lifetime sentences, though they lacked the halachic protection that came only with the complete set of six.
The shiur addresses a compelling question about the cities of refuge (arei miklat): if the halacha (הלכה) states that the cities on the east side of the Jordan don't provide protective custody until the western cities are established, what was Moshe's purpose in setting up these cities that seemingly had no function? Rabbi Zweig develops a fundamental understanding that distinguishes between two separate aspects of ir miklat. The shiur begins by analyzing a difficult verse in the parsha that describes the murderer as someone who "kills unintentionally" (makeh nefesh bishgagah), yet still requires trial before execution can be prevented. This seems contradictory - if we already know the killing was unintentional, why the emphasis on bringing him to trial before protecting him? The usual understanding would make sense if we didn't know whether the killing was intentional or not, but the Torah (תורה) explicitly describes an unintentional killer.
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Parshas Masei - Cities of Refuge
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