Va’eschanan 4:43 · unit 1

TT #17 · Parashas Va’eschanan · Second Aliyah · Passuk 4:43

The Complete Passuk

אֶת־בֶּ֧צֶר בַּמִּדְבָּ֛ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר לָרֽאוּבֵנִ֑י וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת בַּגִּלְעָד֙ לַגָּדִ֔י וְאֶת־גּוֹלָ֥ן בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן לַֽמְנַשִּֽׁי׃

Bezer in the wilderness in the land of the plain for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

Chabad.org — 4:43

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Makos 9b–10a (the three Transjordan cities aligned opposite the three cis-Jordan cities like two rows in a vineyard).

Sefaria — Makos 9b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים הִבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וּכְנֶגְדָּן הִבְדִּיל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וּמְכֻוָּנוֹת הָיוּ כִּשְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּכֶּרֶם — חֶבְרוֹן בִּיהוּדָה כְּנֶגֶד בֶּצֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר, שְׁכֶם בְּהַר אֶפְרַיִם כְּנֶגֶד רָאמוֹת בַּגִּלְעָד, קֶדֶשׁ בְּהַר נַפְתָּלִי כְּנֶגֶד גּוֹלָן בַּבָּשָׁן.

English: The Sages taught: Moshe set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan, and corresponding to them Yehoshua set aside three in the land of Canaan; they were aligned like two rows in a vineyard — Chevron in Yehudah opposite Bezer in the wilderness, Shechem in Mount Ephraim opposite Ramoth in Gilead, Kedesh in Mount Naftali opposite Golan in Bashan.

On the daf / in context: The geographic correspondence ensures that no region of the Land is without accessible refuge; the layout is deliberate and balanced.

Type of Learning

Custom (structural parallel between the two sets of cities).

What Is Learned

The three Transjordan cities of refuge were positioned to mirror the three cities later designated west of the Jordan, forming a balanced network across the whole Land.