T ORAH P ORTION
CAN DL E L IGHTIN G
July 9
July 16
a protective haven where the
perpetrator lived cut off from
his family and friends. It
provided an opportunity for
spiritual growth and teshuvah.

Th e second was physical
safety. In a world of “an eye
for an eye,” the city of refuge
removes the manslayer from
society so that the victim’s
family will not be able to exact
retribution. Law enforcement
today uses this idea by off ering
a protective custody system or
the witness protection program.

The third reason was
emotional. Th e relatives of the
victim didn’t have to see the
perpetrator every day and be
constantly reminded of their
pain. Th e Ir Miklat protected
the family member of the victim
by not forcing the bereaved to
see their loved one’s killer every
day on the street.

In short, the Ir Miklat, the
city of refuge, was a spiritual,
physical and psychological
retreat. Once the Jews were exiled
from Israel in 135 CE, the
six cities lost their status as
refuges. Th e word miklat, or
shelter, fell out of use. But when
the state of Israel was created
and Hebrew was resurrected,
the word took on a whole new
meaning. The father of modern
Hebrew, Eliezer Ben Yehuda,
was brilliant in fashioning
words to express modern
phenomenon. As there was no
biblical word for telephone,
and Hebrew was not a spoken
language, Ben Yehuda needed
to create a modern word for
it. Ben Yehuda created words
for telephone, television and
the like. For bottle, he used the
Otto moto poetic sound that a
glass bottle makes when milk
pours out ... “Bakbuk.”
So what name do you
think Ben Yehuda came up
with for a bomb shelter? Ben
Yehuda named these shelters
“Ir Miklat,” aft er the cities of
refuge. Th ousands of shelters,
or miklatim, in rural kibbutzim
and modern cities, in shopping
malls and hospitals offer
Jane Austen (Penguin Books,
2002 reprint, 1813 original
publication) Jane Austen’s iconic “Pride
and Prejudice” lives up to its
long-lived hype, but it is so
much more than a romance
novel. Leah Snyderman, intern
It’s the story of Elizabeth
“Pride and Prejudice,” by
Bennet’s journey in discovering
love. On a night during courting
season, the Bennet family
attends a ball when new faces
walk in: Charles Bingley and
Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth
and Mr. Darcy begin a rivalry
when Elizabeth overhears him
speaking negatively about her,
and decides then and there to
hate him. Th e story follows
Elizabeth and Darcy’s journey
through life as their prides and
prejudices fi ght to take over.

Austen’s writing style is
nothing short of brilliant. Th e
way she is able to create her
characters with such depth
and complexity made them
feel that much more real. Her
satirical elements provided
authorial commentary on early
19th-century English society.

Th is book deserves its label as a
classic; it’s truly timeless. ●
BY RABBI GREGORY MARX
Parshat Matot-Masei
NUMBERS, CHAPTER 35
speaks about the Ir Miklat, or
the six cities of refuge.

These cities, spread all
over Israel and beyond, were
places to which an uninten-
tional manslayer could fl ee and
fi nd shelter in the event of an
accidental death. Th e relatives
of the deceased would have no
access to the off ender to exact
vengeance. Th e off ender would
be safe in the city of shelter.

From this idea, the church
developed the idea of making
a cathedral a “sanctuary” — a
place where the police could
gain no access.

According to the Sefer
Hachinuch, a
medieval commentary, the city of shelter
had three purposes.

Th e fi rst was repentance.

Th e person who committed
manslaughter could realize
and regret his deed. Living in
the city of refuge was a respite,
Read Continued from Page 19
meanderings have led me to it,
and I’m glad they did.

Default Friend’s stories are
snippets of life that make big
points about our times.

“La dolce vita” is about a girl
pondering the meaning of life
and realizing she doesn’t really
know. “Aft erglow” is about
a millennial who chooses
pleasure over commitment,
and then has to face her biggest
commitment at the end of the
story. Th ere are several others
like these.

It’s fascinating to look at the
times in which you are living.

Now I’ve had this experience
on the most intimate level.

20 JULY 8, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
protective housing to Israelis.

Most Israelis don’t make the
connection between their
miklat and the biblical Ir
Miklat, but both are shelters.

Where do we go when we
need to fi nd shelter? For many,
it is our homes, our families.

We fi nd shelter in the loving
embrace of our family. We can
fi nd shelter in the presence of
God through prayer and refl ec-
tion. All of these are essential.

I found it recently as I
conducted a wedding for some
Israelis. As the bride came
down the aisle, the family
played familiar Israeli tunes
that I heard when I was in high
school back in the 1970s. I felt
like I was home again. Others
still go to our synagogues,
which are a spiritual shelter
where we can pray, grow,
learn and repent. Synagogues
are place for refl ection, safety,
restoration and where we can
be who we are. We can speak of
our support for Israel without
being concerned that someone
might overhear.

8:13 p.m.

8:10 p.m.

Close to 4,000 years ago,
our people knew that we would
need shelter. Th ey knew that we
would need a place to repent,
feel safe and fi nd reconcilia-
tion. Th ey build six cities all
across Israel to which people
could fl ee. Th ose refuges no
longer exist, but today we
know otherwise. May we fi nd,
this summer, shelter in our
families, communities, shuls,
Israel and the loving embrace
of those we adore. Let love be
our shelter from life’s storms. ●
Rabbi Gregory S. Marx serves as
the senior rabbi of Congregation
Beth Or in Maple Glen. The Board
of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia
is proud to provide diverse
perspectives on Torah commentary
for the Jewish Exponent. The
opinions expressed in this column
are the author’s own and do not
refl ect the view of the Board of
Rabbis. Be heard.

Email your letters
to the editor.

letters@jewishexponent.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Pride and Prejudice: Courtesy of Penguin Classics
Finding Our Miklat