Masei תרל”א

תרל”א

ב”ה מסעי בקיצור

אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל הגיד הטעות בצרה תקלוט כבצר.
Chidusei Harim explained the mistake of confusing Batzra for Betzer. (Gemara Makkot 12a explains that in the future HaShem will take vengeance on the guardian angel of the Romans. This angel runs to Batzra for refuge yet he makes 3 mistakes: Firstly he confuses the names and things that Batzra is a city of refuge, whereas Betzer is a city of refuge. Secondly he thinks that the cities of refuge provide protection for those that murdered willfully, whereas they only provide protection for killing inadvertently. And thirdly he thinks that they provide refuge for angels whereas they only provide refuge for people).
כי ההורג נפש בשגגה אין לו מקום בעצמו [כמ”ש ולארץ לא יכופר כו’] אך השי”ת נותן לו מקום לגלות שמה. וזה בצר. היא החיזוק והתוקף שנותן השי”ת ויוכל לחזק בזה.
(To explain the difference between the two words Betzer and Batzra), one who kills inadvertently, no longer has a place for himself, [As the pasuk says (Bamidbar 35:33) “The land shall not attone rather with the blood of the one that spilt”]. However HaShem provided the ‘place’ for a person to be exiled to. This is the place called Betzer (literally fortification), which is the strength that HaShem provides a person to be strengthened from.
וכן כתוב כי התורה קולטת כמ”ש בגמ’ בצר במדבר כו’ וזאת התורה כו’ וג”כ מי שיודע שחטא ואבד מקומו ושב להשי”ת יוכל להנצל ע”י התורה.
So too the Torah is called a place of refuge as the Gemara explains the words “Betzer in the desert” is juxtaposed to the words “This is the Torah”. So too one who realises that he has sinned and lost his ‘place’ can be saved with the Torah. (The Torah only saves a person who nullifies himself to HaShem, however if a person is haughty and he feels that he is deserving in his own right, then the Torah can’t help him).
אבל אם עולה ע”ד שיש לו מקום אינו קולט כלל כי כל מה שקולט הוא זה שיודע שאין לו מעצמו מקום. ובצרה היא שלוקח העוז והחיזוק לעצמו ולכך אינו קולט עכ”ד ז”ל:
However if a person thinks that he actually has his own ‘place’, then the city of refuge does not provide any refuge for him. For the only reason why it provides him with refuge is because he realises that he does not have his own place.
The word Batzra (with the ה that refers to belonging), is referring to a person who takes the strength and power for himself and therefore it does not provide him with refuge.