Makkot 10A

דכתיב: ״גלעד קרית פעלי און עקבה מדם״, מאי ״עקובה מדם״? אמר רבי אלעזר: שהיו עוקבין להרוג נפשות.

Therefore, a greater number of cities of refuge per capita were required there, as it is written: “Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is covered [akuba] with blood” (Hosea 6:8). What is the meaning of: Covered [akuba] with blood? R' Elazar says: It means that they would set an ambush [okevin] to kill people.

ומאי שנא מהאי גיסא ומהאי גיסא דמרחקי, ומאי שנא מציעאי דמקרבי?

The Talmud asks: And what is different about the cities of refuge closest to the border on this southern side of the country and from the border on that northern side of the country, that are distanced 1/4th of the length of Eretz Yisrael from the border, and what is different about the city of refuge in the middle of the country, which is relatively close to any potential murderers? The maximum distance that one would need to travel to reach the middle city is one-half the distance from the northern and southern borders to their respective cities of refuge.

אמר אביי: בשכם נמי שכיחי רוצחים, דכתיב: ״וכחכי איש גדודים חבר כהנים, דרך ירצחו שכמה וגו׳״, מאי ״חבר כהנים״? אמר רבי אלעזר: שהיו מתחברין להרוג נפשות, ככהנים הללו שמתחברין לחלוק תרומות בבית הגרנות.

Abaye said: Murderers are also common in Shechem, as it is written: “And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so does the band of priests; they murder in the way toward Shechem, yes, they commit enormity” (Hosea 6:9). What is the meaning of “the band of priests”? R' Elazar says: It means that the people would band together to kill people, like those priests who band together to distribute teruma among themselves in the granaries.

ותו ליכא? והא כתיב: ״ועליהם תתנו ארבעים ושתים עיר״! אמר אביי: הללו, קולטות בין לדעת בין שלא לדעת. הללו ⁠– לדעת קולטות, שלא לדעת אינן קולטות.

The Talmud asks: And are there no more cities of refuge beyond these 6? But isn’t it written: “And the cities that you should give to the Levites: The 6 cities of refuge you should give for the murderer to flee there, and beyond them you should give 42 cities” (Numbers 35:6), indicating that the status of all the Levite cities is that of cities of refuge? Abaye said: With regard to these 6 cities designated specifically for this purpose, unintentional murderers in need of refuge are admitted there whether they entered the cities deliberately, aware that they are cities of refuge, or whether they entered inadvertently. By contrast, with regard to those 42 Levite cities, unintentional murderers are admitted only if they entered the cities deliberately, but if they entered the cities inadvertently, they are not admitted to the cities.