The commandment to prepare six cities of refuge: To separate six cities of refuge from the cities of the Levites, that they should be designated for the one that slays a soul inadvertently to flee there; to fix and straighten the roads that correspond to the cities — and like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Makkot 10b) that they would write [signs] at the crossroads [saying], “refuge, refuge”; and clear the paths, so that there not be anything on them to delay the fugitive from his run. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 19:3), “You shall prepare the path for yourself and divide the border of your Land into three, etc.”
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (see Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murderer and the Preservation of Life 8:2, 4) [regarding] these six cities that Moshe separated three of them in Transjordan and Yehoshua separated three of them in the Land of Canaan, but the ones of Moshe did not shelter until the three of Yehoshua were separated. And if so, why did Moshe separate them? He said, “[If] a commandment comes to my hand, I will fulfill it.” And at the time of the King Messiah, we will add another three, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 19:9), “and you shall further add for yourself three cities upon these three, etc.” And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murderer and the Preservation of Life 8:10) that all of the cities of the Levites would shelter, as it is stated (Numbers 35:6-7), “and upon them you shall give forty-two cities. All of the cities that you shall give to the Levites, etc.” — Scripture compared all of them (the six cities of refuge and the forty-two additional ones). But there is this difference between them — that the cities of refuge shelter, whether knowingly (when the inadvertent killer is seeking refuge there) or not knowingly; whereas the cities of the Levites only shelter knowingly. [Also] a murderer that lives in a city of refuge does not [pay] rent; whereas in the other cities, he [pays] rent. And [also that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Batra 100b) that the width of the path [to the] city of refuge is thirty-two ells; and that on the fifteenth of Adar, the court would send agents to fix the paths — and if they were negligent in the matter, it is as if they spilled blood. And [also that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Makkot 11b) that the perimeter of any city that shelters, [also] shelters. And the rest of the details of the commandment are in Sanhedrin, in Makkot, in Shekalim and in Sotah.
And this commandment is practiced at the time that Israel is dwelling on their Land. And it is from the commandments incumbent upon the king and upon the whole community.
מִצְוָה לְהָכִין שֵׁשׁ עָרֵי מִקְלָט – לְהַבְדִּיל שֵׁשׁ עָרֵי מִקְלָט מֵעָרֵי הַלְּוִיִּם, שֶׁתִּהְיֶינָה מוּעָדוֹת לָנוּס שָׁמָּה מַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה, וְשֶׁיְּתַקְּנוּ הַדְּרָכִים לְעֻמַּת הֶעָרִים וְיִתְיַשְּׁרוּ, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מכות י, ב), שֶׁמִּקְלָט מִקְלָט הָיוּ כּוֹתְבִין בְּפָרָשַׁת הַדְּרָכִים, וּמְפַנִּים הַדְּרָכִים שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא בָּהֶן דָּבָר שֶׁיְּאַחֵר הַבּוֹרֵחַ מִן הַמְּרוּצָה, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים יט ג) תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ וְגוֹ'.
The commandment to prepare six cities of refuge: To separate six cities of refuge from the cities of the Levites, that they should be designated for the one that slays a soul inadvertently to flee there; to fix and straighten the roads that correspond to the cities — and like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Makkot 10b) that they would write [signs] at the crossroads [saying], “refuge, refuge”; and clear the paths, so that there not be anything on them to delay the fugitive from his run. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 19:3), “You shall prepare the path for yourself and divide the border of your Land into three, etc.”
שֹׁרֶשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ יָדוּעַ וּבָרוּר, שֶׁהוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יוּמַת הַהוֹרֵג שׁוֹגֵג עַל יְדֵי גּוֹאֲלֵי הַדָּם.
The root of this commandment is well-known and clear — that it be so that the inadvertent killer not be killed by the blood avengers.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עי' רמב"ם הל' רוצח פ"ח הל' ב ד) כִּי שֵׁשׁ עָרִים אֵלֶּה שָׁלֹשׁ מֵהֶן הִבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, וְשָׁלֹשׁ הִבְדִּיל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְלֹא קָלְטוּ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, עַד שֶׁהֻבְדְּלוּ הַשָּׁלֹשׁ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְאִם כֵּן, לָמָּה הִבְדִּילָן מֹשֶׁה? אָמַר מִצְוָה שֶׁבָּאָה לְיָדִי אֲקַיְּמֶנָּה, וּבִימֵי מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ נוֹסִיף עוֹד שָׁלֹשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיָסַפְתָּ לְךָ עוֹד שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים עַל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ הָאֵלֶּה וְגוֹ'. וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם הל' ט י) שֶׁכָּל עָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם הָיוּ קוֹלְטוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַעֲלֵיהֶם תִּתְּנוּ אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם עִיר כָּל הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר תִּתְּנוּ לַלְוִיִּם וְגוֹ' הִקִּישָׁן הַכָּתוּב כֻּלָּן. אֲבָל הֶפְרֵשׁ זֶה הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, שֶׁעָרֵי מִקְלָט קוֹלְטוֹת, בֵּין לְדַעַת בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא לְדַעַת, וּשְׁאָר עָרֵי הַלְוִיִּם אֵינָן קוֹלְטוֹת אֶלָּא לְדַעַת. וְרוֹצֵחַ הַדָּר בְּעָרֵי מִקְלָט אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן שְׂכַר בַּיִת, וּבִשְׁאָר הֶעָרִים נוֹתֵן שְׂכַר בַּיִת. וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ב"ב ק, ב) שֶׁרֹחַב דֶּרֶךְ עִיר מִקְלָט צָרִיךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמּוֹת, וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בַּאֲדָר, בֵּית דִּין שׁוֹלְחִין שְׁלוּחִים, לְתַקֵּן אֶת הַדְּרָכִים, וְאִם נִתְרַשְּׁלוּ בַּדָּבָר כְּאִלּוּ שָׁפְכוּ דָּמִים. וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מכות יא, ב) שֶׁכָּל עִיר הַקּוֹלֶטֶת תְּחוּמָהּ קוֹלֵט. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֵי הַמִּצְוָה בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין וּמַכּוֹת וּשְׁקָלִים וְסוֹטָה.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (see Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murderer and the Preservation of Life 8:2, 4) [regarding] these six cities that Moshe separated three of them in Transjordan and Yehoshua separated three of them in the Land of Canaan, but the ones of Moshe did not shelter until the three of Yehoshua were separated. And if so, why did Moshe separate them? He said, “[If] a commandment comes to my hand, I will fulfill it.” And at the time of the King Messiah, we will add another three, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 19:9), “and you shall further add for yourself three cities upon these three, etc.” And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Murderer and the Preservation of Life 8:10) that all of the cities of the Levites would shelter, as it is stated (Numbers 35:6-7), “and upon them you shall give forty-two cities. All of the cities that you shall give to the Levites, etc.” — Scripture compared all of them (the six cities of refuge and the forty-two additional ones). But there is this difference between them — that the cities of refuge shelter, whether knowingly (when the inadvertent killer is seeking refuge there) or not knowingly; whereas the cities of the Levites only shelter knowingly. [Also] a murderer that lives in a city of refuge does not [pay] rent; whereas in the other cities, he [pays] rent. And [also that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Batra 100b) that the width of the path [to the] city of refuge is thirty-two ells; and that on the fifteenth of Adar, the court would send agents to fix the paths — and if they were negligent in the matter, it is as if they spilled blood. And [also that which] they, may their memory be blessed, said (Makkot 11b) that the perimeter of any city that shelters, [also] shelters. And the rest of the details of the commandment are in Sanhedrin, in Makkot, in Shekalim and in Sotah.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁרוּיִים עַל אַדְמָתָן, וְהִיא מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הַמּוּטָלוֹת עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְעַל הַצִּבּוּר כֻּלָּן.
And this commandment is practiced at the time that Israel is dwelling on their Land. And it is from the commandments incumbent upon the king and upon the whole community.