What is the responsibility of the Jewish people towards inadvertent sinners?
Table for Five: Mishpatim
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. But one who did not stalk [him], but God brought [it] about into his hand, I will make a place for you to which he shall flee. -Ex. 21:13
Rivkah Slonim, Director, Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Life, Binghamton University
The Torah, we are taught, talks of physical matters on a temporal plane, but alludes to—and reflects—spiritual realties.
The Rebbe understood this verse to (also) be referring to spiritual “murder”: the trespass of God’s word which is truncation from one’s spiritual source of life. Because a Jew has a veritable aspect of the Divine within them, the Rebbe maintained that when a Jew sins– is involved in “murder”– it must, by definition, be inadvertent. And God always provides a place to which to flee, a “city of refuge” which is the process of teshuva, return. What, asks the Rebbe, is the responsibility of the Jewish people towards inadvertent sinners? Maimonides in his codex makes clear that the Beit Din must make sure that the roads to the cities of refuge are wide, safe, and accessible. And there must be sign posts strategically placed so that all people can be easily pointed in the direction of these roads.
In like fashion, taught the Rebbe, it is the responsibility and privilege of each Jew to be a “sign.” Through modeling a life that reflects God’s wishes; by being a living, breathing, enthusiastic “sign,” we can help those seeking their way to refuge. There are many who don’t (yet) know of teshuva, that these “cities of refuge” exist. Show them. And then there are those that are fleeing, but have not yet realized why, or from whom, or from what. Be a sign. Show them the way. Welcome them home.
Miriam Mill–Kreisman, President, The Tzaddik Foundation
The Torah teaches that even when a person does not intend to kill, “God brought it about into his hand.” This suggests that accidents are not random—Hashem orchestrates events for a purpose, a concept known as Divine Providence (hashgacha pratit).
The Talmud (Makkot 10b) explains this with a fascinating example: Imagine two men. One is guilty of murder but was never caught, and the other accidentally killed someone with no witnesses. Hashem arranges for them to meet in a way that brings divine justice. The murderer might sit under a shaky ladder, and the accidental killer climbs up. The ladder falls, causing the murderer’s death. Now, witnesses see the new accidental death, and the man is sent to a city of refuge—where he belonged all along. Justice is served without human courts even realizing it!
This teaches a powerful lesson: nothing in life is a coincidence. Every encounter, every “accident,” is part of Hashem’s master plan. Even when events seem unfair or tragic, they are pieces of a larger puzzle, ensuring balance in the world.
So, this verse isn’t just about crime and punishment—it’s a reminder to trust that Hashem guides our steps, often in ways we don’t immediately understand. It also requires us to see His hand in our lives and choose the correct path. This leads us to ask: Why did Salvador Litvak choose the name *Accidental Talmudist*? Now we know—nothing is by accident.
Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD, Senior Rabbi, Valley Beth Shalom
Following the revelation of the Ten Commandments, the Torah turns toward establishing a societal legal code. The sixth commandment “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13) leads into the first half of the verse (Ex. 21:13) and an assumption of legal retaliation. This “eye for an eye” mentality is reinforced later in Leviticus 24:17. Yet, embedded within the second part of this verse (Ex. 21:13) is the Torah’s recognition that any civil code must address the concept of unintended consequences. The creation of cities of refuge takes shape in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19. This aspect of our civil code reveals the Torah as an innovative expression of understanding, of compassion. While refuge might be a highly political issue today, ages ago the Torah confirmed a connection between our hearts and minds. We need to approach the world with our minds attuned and our hearts open. The wisdom of the Torah not only acknowledges the subtle differences between cases but also insists on human judgement to navigate them. Justice cannot exist without judgement. Consequences require compassion. The Psalmist sings of the connection between love and law, “As befits Your steadfast love, preserve me, so that I may keep the law You proclaimed.” (Ps. 119:88) Paul McCartney offers similar advice more than two thousand years later, “let her into your heart, then you can start, to make it better.” To make our world better, we must learn to consider all matters with our heart and mind together.
Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, Vice Dean, Ziegler School of AJU
Last week, the Torah described the awesome scene in which Moses stands atop Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Now, we turn to the basics of social law and justice. Essential for society and community is addressing what happens when we disagree, when people make mistakes and cause incidental or intentional harm? Even, what happens when those same people kill each other?
Laws against killing have existed in almost every age and place. In most secular legal codes today, intention plays a key role in differentiating between murder and inadvertent killing. So it was in the Torah. In fact, noteworthy in this verse is the use of Hebrew words which does not include retzach (murder).
Unlike secular legal codes, however, our passage claims God has a role in the process as well. The Torah asks that we recognize that there are some core societal values that are immutable. Among them are that human life is of infinite worth as is the dignity of every single individual. The transgression of striking to death another person is an affront to those values. And the deliberation about consequences must also occur within that same system.
While Jewish law may not operate fully in today’s world, and certainly not in criminal cases, the reminder is still clear and as relevant as ever. Human beings matter, life matters, and the way we live side by side is as consequential now as it ever was. If it matters to God, should it not matter to us?
Nina Litvak, Screenwriter, Accidental Talmudist content creator
The Torah mandates six cities of refuge where an accidental killer can find safe haven from the deceased’s vengeful relative. But if this law is to protect the killer from the “avenger of blood,” why is he commanded to uproot his life and resettle in a strange city even if there is no angry relative chasing him? And why does the verse state that God arranged for the tragic mishap to occur?
Ibn Ezra teaches that “accidental” manslaughter is a punishment from God for past sins of both the victim and the killer. He quotes Proverbs 12:21: “There shall no mischief befall the righteous.” Cynics may scoff at this fundamental Jewish teaching which seems to contradict their own lived experience, but everything that happens in this world is because God wills it. There are no accidents but rather perfect justice, sometimes in this world and always in the next, even though our small human minds can’t always comprehend the ways of our all-powerful Creator.
When a bad event befalls us, instead of asking “why me?” we should examine our own behavior to determine what sin may have led to this punishment – and none of us is free of sin. If an honest assessment of our behavior produces no answers, we should make a generous charitable donation. Rather than wallowing in victimhood or guilt, the inadvertent killer has an opportunity to improve his character, do more for others, and make the most of this unexpected, unwanted and dramatic life change.
With thanks to Rivkah Slonim, Miriam Mill-Kreisman, Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, Rabbi Cheryl Peretz
Image: Ruins of ancient Shechem, a city of refuge, photo credit Yair Dov
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