Halachaהלכה

Signs Marking the Way to Cities of Refuge

The Gemara derives from the Torah's command to prepare roads to the cities of refuge that markers and signs must be placed at crossroads to guide an inadvertent killer to safety. Sources explain how this practical requirement stems from the biblical text.

מִקְלָט הָיָה כָּתוּב עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים

2 sources · all verified

Opens as a working sheet — explore, annotate, and export.

What the sources say

The Gemara in Makkot 10b establishes the practice directly: the word "Miklat" was written on signs posted at every crossroads so that an unintentional murderer would recognize the route and turn toward the city of refuge.

Rav Kahana in Makkot 10b then derives this requirement from the pasuk Devarim 19:3 — "Prepare for you the road" — reading it as a command to make active preparation of the road itself, i.e., to mark the way.

Source 1 · Tanach

Verified

Deuteronomy 19:3

דברים י״ט:ג׳

Deuteronomy 19:3

The Torah commands that you shall prepare the roads and divide the borders of your land into three parts, so that the murderer can flee there. Chazal read this as requiring the roads to the cities of refuge to be made ready and accessible.

תָּכִ֣ין לְךָ֮ הַדֶּ֒רֶךְ֒ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־גְּב֣וּל אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַנְחִֽילְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֕ה לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה כׇּל־רֹצֵֽחַ׃

You shall survey the distances, and divide into three parts the territory of the country that the ETERNAL your God has allotted to you, so that any manslayer may have a place to flee to.—

Full text on Sefaria ↗

Source 2 · Chazal

Verified

Makkot 10b

מכות י׳ ב — ד"ה ״מִקְלָט״ הָיָה כָּתוּב עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים

Makkot 10b:1

The Gemara derives from the verse 'takhin lekha ha-derekh' that the roads to the cities of refuge must be prepared. It explains that signs/markers are placed at every crossroads so the inadvertent killer can find the way easily.

״מִקְלָט״ הָיָה כָּתוּב עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּכִּיר הָרוֹצֵחַ וְיִפְנֶה לְשָׁם. אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא: מַאי קְרָא? ״תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ״ – עֲשֵׂה [לְךָ] הֲכָנָה לַדֶּרֶךְ.

Refuge was written on signs at every crossroads marking the path to a city of refuge, so that the unintentional murderer would identify the route to the city of refuge and turn to go there. Rav Kahana said: What is the verse from which this is derived? “Prepare for you the road” (Deuteronomy 19:3), meaning: Perform for you preparation of the road.

Full text on Sefaria ↗

Find sources for your own idea