Deuteronomy: 5:41-42

אָ֣ז יַבְדִּ֤יל מֹשֶׁה֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ עָרִ֔ים בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן מִזְרְחָ֖ה שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃ לָנֻ֨ס שָׁ֜מָּה רוֹצֵ֗חַ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִרְצַ֤ח אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַת וְה֛וּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם וְנָ֗ס אֶל־אַחַ֛ת מִן־הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖ל וָחָֽי׃

Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan to which one who has killed someone could escape, one who unwittingly slew another without having been an enemy in the past; he could flee to one of these cities and live.

At the end of his life, Moses has a few final tasks to complete. Chief among them is empowering his successor, Joshua, and doing everything he can to set the Israelites on the right spiritual path. He is also given a specific charge: to designate three cities of refuge. These cities serve as safe havens for individuals who have caused accidental deaths, offering them protection from retribution. According to the Torah, six cities of refuge are required – three in the land of Israel, and three beyond its borders. Moses is responsible for setting aside the three outside the land, while Joshua will later assign the three within Israel.

In our day, and especially in ancient times, the accidental death of a loved one stirs deep, understandable anger in those left behind. Few accidents are more tragic, few mistakes more devastating. And even in less extreme circumstances, we all know what it’s like to be hurt unintentionally. Though we may understand, intellectually, that no harm was meant, true forgiveness does not always come easily.

We are not Moses or Joshua, able to establish cities of refuge. But we can create space in our hearts – emotional sanctuaries for those who wound us unintentionally, even deeply. This is something we can do proactively, just as the cities of refuge were designated in advance, before anyone needed them. Like Moses preparing the land, we can prepare our hearts: making space, setting intentions, offering refuge to those who hurt us by mistake. The command to establish these cities was meant to promote peace in the land. May our own inner sanctuaries bring peace to our lives as well.