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If someone kills a someone else through gross negligence in an Ir Miklat in which the victim and/or his relatives live, must he leave and seek refuge in another Ir Miklat? After all, surely the victim has relatives in the city who would avenge him.

The same problem would seem to apply to where the death occurred in a place where the closest Ir Miklat contained some of the victim's relatives.

In short, can someone claim refuge in an Ir Miklat where the victim's relatives live?

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    I don't think those problems are parallel. There is nothing preventing a goel hadam from walking into an ir miklat to go shopping.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 4, 2013 at 17:31
  • mistakes?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 4, 2013 at 17:31
  • @DoubleAA Alex quoting the Sefer Hachinuch: "This exile also serves two other purposes: it keeps him safe from the goel hadam (the "avenger of blood" who is out to kill him); and it also offers the other relatives of the victim some closure, so that they don't have to see the person who killed their relative day in and day out."
    – HodofHod
    Commented Mar 4, 2013 at 17:42
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    I think the Chinuch there may be talking generally, not how every case happens to work out.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Mar 4, 2013 at 17:43

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The Rambam rules (Rotzeiach 7:5 (English)) that one who is in exile in an Ir Miklat and kills unintentionally inside his Ir Miklat, is 'exiled' to a different neighborhood in that city, where presumably he is safe from threats. A Levi who lives in an Ir Miklat ordinarily who kills unintentionally is exiled to a different Ir Miklat.

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  • This is supported by the mishna in Makkot chapter 2.
    – Monica Cellio
    Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 22:58

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