Virtual City of Refuge
- eli1175
- Aug 16, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 20, 2024
B”H
In this week's Torah portion, Vaetchanan we read how Moses allocates three cities on the eastern side of the Jordan River as cities of refuge or in Hebrew: Arei Miklat - for people who killed someone inadvertently. There is an allowance for a goal haddam, a blood avenger - a relative of the person killed by mistake - to find and kill the killer so long as they are not in the city of refuge. Once in the Ir Miklat, no one is allowed to kill them. They stay in this city until the high priest of the time passes away and then they are free to go back home without the fear of being avenged.
Isn't it interesting how Moses chooses to allocate these cities here and now, soon after arriving in the region and conquering the land. How can this relate to us here and now?
Perhaps the concept of a city of refuge can be a safe zone, a practical concept that can be applied in various dimensions. In physical space. A safe zone where no one is permitted to harm you. Perhaps even further one could have their own safe space. When I was a student living at the Rabbinical college, I recall my bed as being my space. Although one has access to a variety of locations around the school, where is your place, a place that you can go to when you need some time, I had my bed. Some people have their office, their man cave or a couch where they go to think, to be, to move away from the rest of the world. And at times this is a valuable asset to have, to know that I have a space where I can go when everything else isn't going how I’d like or when I need a break or just to rejuvenate. A physical place can be an Ir Miklat, a space of Refuge.
Another dimension of Ir Miklat can be a space where people can communicate in a safe zone. The Talmud tells us (in Avot - Ethics of our fathers) Knei Lecha Chover - acquire for yourself a friend, having a person or a group of people who you can speak with freely, to share your thoughts without the worry of being judged or taken advantage of is a very real opportunity to help you move forward. The legendary Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, found that victims often recover from trauma through emotional disclosure–by putting their thoughts and feelings into a form that others can understand. Freud recognized the remarkable relief that his patients gained by revealing personally painful past experiences, which he referred to as “the talking cure” and this can be achieved through a virtual Ir Miklat
What's interesting is that as soon as Moses can dedicate these refuge cities, he does so, as Rashi in his commentary states, Moses felt, if I have the opportunity to fulfil this commandment then I will do it straight away. Taking this idea further May include an injunction: before one enters into a new situation, it is important, perhaps even incumbent on us to ensure that we have opportunities to create a space where we can have refuge from the pressures of life, where one can communicate, articulate and formulate their thoughts, so that this Ir Miklat will help them to recover from the potential trauma and move closer towards one's goals.
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About the author:
Elimelech Levy is a Rabbi and Coach in Sydney Australia where he runs Chabad Youth NSW, an organisation that's focused on Providing Jewish enrichment that's educational, fun, social & affordable. Elimelech received his MBA from Macquarie University in 2021 then chose to use his studies and experience to become a Results Coach and member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) helping people take control of their lives through establishing goals and working towards them. In 2023, Elimelech established the Knei Lecha Chover program focused on matching Rabbis around the world and providing foundational tools for them to coach each other regularly avoiding significant fees needed for professional coaching sessions.
Elimelech can be reached via his website elilevy.com.au
