Cities of Refuge

“The Noble Calling of the Levites: Serving as an Exemplar for the Jewish People”

How is it possible that the descendants of Levi, the murderous and violent son of Jacob, were chosen to serve as role models for all the tribes of Israel?

"The Role of Witnesses and Testimony"

Parashat Masei features a chapter devoted to the case of accidental homicide. Nevertheless, this chapter also includes laws regarding premeditated homicide and definitively states that one witness is not acceptable in capital cases. This revolutionary Jewish juridical innovation underscores once again the principle of the sanctity of human life that governs all of Judaism.