“Six Cities of Refuge Shall Serve for You” (Bamidbar 35:13)
The Sefer Hachinuch suggests that the number of cities of refuge, six, are a simple means of remembering the number of mitzvos “which are perpetual and constant, applicable at all times, all the days of our lives.”
- To believe in G-d, the Creator.
- Not to believe in any power other than the One Creator.
- To believe in His Absolute Singleness.
- To fear and be in awe of Him.
- To love Him.
- Not to be led astray by our desires and temptations.
Like every aspect of the Torah, even this suggested memory tool is laden with meaning. These six cities provided refuge for someone who accidentally caused a death, protecting him from the deceased’s relatives who might seek to avenge his blood. Metaphorically, the yetzer hara, the evil inclination within each of us, serves in the double capacity of both inciter and avenger. In the words of the Talmud (Bava Basra 16a), “Satan, the yetzer hara, and the Angel of Death are one and the same”. The cities of refuge and protection are therefore also a metaphor for the means of protecting ourselves from the yetzer hara.
Although we are spiritually enriched through every mitzvah, yet most of the mitzvos have a specific time and place for their performance. The yetzer hara’s work, however, is not specific or limited at all, “For the impulse of man’s heart is evil from his youth (Bereshis 8:21).” Consequently, neither can the added strength needed to overcome the yetzer hara’s temptations be time or place specific. Therefore, in His bid to assist in our constant struggle, G-d commanded us with six mitzvos that can and must be fulfilled constantly, providing us twenty-four-hour assistance and shelter from the yetzer hara’s constant threat.
—Sefer Hasichos 5747, pp. 494-495
There are six cities of refuge listed:
- Kedesh
- Shechem
- Kiryat-Arba
- Bezer
- Ramot-Gil'ad
- Golan
These cities are located on the map.
