This is the last Torah Portion from the book of numbers. The Israelites are so close to the promised land but before they can enter the promised land God tells Moses that they must create cities of refuge. Today we might call them Sanctuary cities. Today when we are talking about Sanctuary cities we are talking about protecting undocumented immigrants in the United States.
The Torah Laws related to the cities of refuge are unique. The Torah says that when a person accidentally kills another person he may flee to one of these cities. The Torah says that as long as a person is within the boundaries of one of these cities they will be protected. These cities were intended for everyone, Israelites, and non-Israelites all were protected by God.
This week’s Torah portion is talking about people who accidentally kill but I can’t help but draw a connection between to our obligation to protect human life. There are so many people in our world who are seeking protection, a city of refuge a city of refuge.