Makkos Daf 12 מאקוס דַף 12

Rav said that Yoav made two mistakes when he fled to the משכן in שילה and grabbed the horns of the מזבח. (1) טעה שאינו קולט אלא גגו – he erred in that only [the mizbeiach’s] roof protects (by standing on it), והוא תפס בקרנותיו – but he grabbed its horns. (2) He also erred because only the מזבח in the Beis Hamikdash offers refuge, and he grabbed the מזבח in the משכן in שילה. Abaye said he made a third mistake: שאינו קולט אלא כהן ועבודה בידו – it only protects a Kohen performing the avodah, and Yoav was a non-Kohen. Reish Lakish said that in the future, the שרו של רומי – the Heavenly minister of Rome will make three mistakes about refuge when he flees to בצרה, as the passuk says: מי זה בא מאדום חמוץ בגדים מבצרה – who is this who comes from Edom, garments stained, from Batzrah? (1) Only the city of בצר protects, and he went to בצרה, (2) an עיר מקלט only protects one who kills בשוגג, and he killed במזיד, and (3) it only protects people, and he is a מלאך.

A Baraisa elaborates on a machlokes from the Mishnah on the previous Daf about killing a רוצח who left the עיר מקלט. The passuk says: ורצח גואל הדם את הרוצח – and the redeemer of blood will kill the killer. Rebbe Yose HaGlili says that since the passuk does not say "אם רצח" – if he kills, but "ורצח" – and he will kill, we darshen: מצוה ביד גואל הדם – it is a mitzvah for the גואל הדם to kill him. If there is no גואל הדם, רשות ביד כל אדם – it is permitted for any other person to kill him. Rebbe Akiva says that since the passuk does not say "ירצח" – he shall kill (a directive), it is only permitted for the גואל הדם to kill him, וכל אדם חייבין עליו – and any other person is liable to the death penalty for killing him. Rav said the גואל הדם is executed if he killed the רוצח, and the Gemara explains he follows a third opinion, who darshens that the גואל הדם cannot kill the רוצח for leaving the עיר מקלט until he is first brought to Beis Din. Tannaim disagree if a רוצח who mistakenly left the עיר מקלט may be killed.

The next Mishnah states that if a tree is inside the techum of the עיר מקלט, and its branches are outside, or the reverse, הכל הולך אחר הנוף – everything follows the branches regarding whether the גואל הדם can kill him. The Gemara proceeds to present a machlokes about a tree which is partially outside Yerushalayim regarding maaser sheni. One Tanna holds each part follows its actual location, and Rebbe Yehudah holds to follow the branches. The Gemara says our Mishnah is Rebbe Yehudah, but objects that Rebbe Yehudah only said this regarding maaser, and לחומרא – as a stringency (because maaser outside Yerushalayim cannot be eaten, and maaser inside Yerushalayim cannot be redeemed), and similarly, regarding עיר מקלט, he would follow the branches inside the city to prohibit killing the רוצח on the trunk outside, but in the reverse case, he would not allow killing the רוצח on the trunk inside!?

Rava answers that where the רוצח is on the branches outside the techum, Rebbe Yehudah would not allow the גואל הדם to climb up the trunk inside the techum to reach him. Rav Ashi says that Rebbe Yehudah only meant "אף אחר הנוף" – we even follow the branches, when they are inside and represent a stringency, but not when they are outside.