Zevachim 117a

נִמְצְאוּ זָבִין וּטְמֵאֵי מֵתִים מִשְׁתַּלְּחִין חוּץ לְמַחֲנֶה אַחַת, וְהַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה: ״וְלֹא יְטַמְּאוּ אֶת מַחֲנֵיהֶם״ –

it would consequently be found that both zavim and those who are ritually impure from impurity imparted by a corpse are sent out of one camp, i.e., the camp of the Divine Presence, and both are permitted in the Israelite camp. But the Torah said with regard to sending the ritually impure out of the camp: “Outside the camp you shall put them; that they will not defile their camps” (Numbers 5:3).

תֵּן מַחֲנֶה לָזֶה וּמַחֲנֶה לָזֶה.

The use of the plural “camps” indicates: Give a specific camp to this group, i.e., those who are ritually impure from impurity imparted by a corpse, who may enter the Levite camp but are forbidden to enter the camp of the Divine Presence, and give a specific camp to this group, i.e., those who are zavim , who may enter the Israelite camp but are forbidden to enter the camp of the Divine presence or the Levite camp. If there were no Levite camp in Shiloh, it would follow that both a zav and one who is ritually impure from the impurity imparted by a corpse are sent out of only one camp, and there is no distinction between them.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא: אֶלָּא מַאי, מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא הֲוַאי?! נִמְצְאוּ זָבִין וּמְצוֹרָעִין מִשְׁתַּלְּחִין לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד, וְהַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה: ״בָּדָד יֵשֵׁב״ – שֶׁלֹּא יֵשֵׁב טָמֵא אַחֵר עִמּוֹ!

Rava said to him: Rather, what would you say instead? Would you say that the Israelite camp was not present in Shiloh? If so, it would be found that zavim and lepers are both sent to one place, i.e., outside the Levite camp. But the Torah said with regard to the leper: “He shall dwell alone; outside the camp shall his dwelling be” (Leviticus 13:46). The word “alone” teaches that another ritually impure person should not dwell with him.

אֶלָּא לְעוֹלָם כּוּלְּהוּ תְּלָתָא הָווּ; וּמַאי לֹא הָיוּ אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּי מַחֲנוֹת – לִקְלִיטָה. מִכְּלָל דִּבְמִדְבָּר הֲוַאי קָלְטָה מַחֲנֵה לְוִיָּה?

Rather, it must be that actually, all three camps were present in Shiloh, and what is the meaning of that which was taught with regard to Shiloh: There were only two camps? It is with regard to the fact that the Levite camp did not provide refuge to one who unintentionally killed another. The Gemara asks: By inference, does this mean that in the wilderness the Levite camp did provide refuge to those who unintentionally killed others?

אִין; וְהָא תַּנְיָא: ״וְשַׂמְתִּי לְךָ מָקוֹם״ – בְּחַיֶּיךָ מָקוֹם, מְקוֹמֶךָ; ״אֲשֶׁר יָנוּס שָׁמָּה״. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמַּגְלִין בַּמִּדְבָּר. לְהֵיכָן גּוֹלִין? לְמַחֲנֵה לְוִיָּה.

The Gemara replies: Yes, and so it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse concerning the cities of refuge. The verse states: “And one who did not lie in wait… and I will appoint for you a place where he may flee” (Exodus 21:13). The phrase “I will appoint for you” teaches that God said to Moses: There will be a place that provides refuge for unintentional murderers even during your lifetime. The term “a place” means that it will be from your place, meaning the Levite camp served as the place that provided refuge in the wilderness. “Where he may flee” teaches that the Jews would exile unintentional murderers in the wilderness as well, before they entered the land. To where did they exile unintentional murderers when they were in the wilderness? They exiled them to the Levite camp, which provided refuge.

מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ: בֶּן לֵוִי שֶׁהָרַג – גּוֹלֶה מִפֶּלֶךְ לְפֶלֶךְ, וְאִם גָּלָה לְפִלְכּוֹ – פִּלְכּוֹ קוֹלְטוֹ.

From here the Sages said: A Levite who killed unintentionally is exiled from one Levite city to another Levite city. And if he was exiled to another area within his city, he is admitted to his city, i.e., it provides him with refuge.

מַאי קְרָא? אָמַר רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אִיקָא: ״כִּי בְעִיר מִקְלָטוֹ יֵשֵׁב״ – עִיר שֶׁקְּלָטַתּוּ כְּבָר.

The Gemara asks: What is the verse from which the principle is derived that one who was already exiled to a city of refuge and who then killed another person is exiled to another area in that same city? Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Ika, says that the verse: “For in his city of refuge he shall dwell” (Numbers 35:28), indicates that he can be exiled to a city in which he was already admitted, as the verse is referring to it as his city, and he shall continue to reside there.

בָּאוּ לַגִּלְגָּל. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כׇּל נִידָּר וְנִידָּב – הָיָה קָרֵב בְּבָמָה, שֶׁאֵין נִידָּר וְנִידָּב – אֵין קָרֵב בְּבָמָה. מִנְחָה וּנְזִירוּת – קְרֵיבִין בְּבָמָה. דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: לֹא קֵרְבוּ יָחִיד אֶלָּא עוֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים בִּלְבָד.

§ The mishna teaches that when the Jewish people arrived at Gilgal private altars were permitted. The Gemara elaborates: The Sages taught in a baraita : Any offering that was brought due to a vow, or contributed voluntarily, was sacrificed on a private altar; and any offering that is neither brought due to a vow nor contributed voluntarily, but rather is compulsory, was not sacrificed on a private altar. Therefore, a meal offering, which is generally brought voluntarily, and offerings of a nazirite, which have the status of vow offerings as no one is compelled to become a nazirite, were sacrificed upon a private altar. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: Only burnt offerings and peace offerings were sacrificed upon a private altar, not meal offerings or offerings of a nazirite.

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: כֹּל שֶׁהַצִּבּוּר וְהַיָּחִיד מַקְרִיבִין בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּמִּדְבָּר – מַקְרִיבִין בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּגִּלְגָּל. וּמַה בֵּין אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּמִּדְבָּר לְבֵין אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּגִּלְגָּל? אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא הָיוּ בָּמוֹת מוּתָּרוֹת, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּגִּלְגָּל הָיוּ הַבָּמוֹת מוּתָּרוֹת. וּבָמָתוֹ שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ גַּגּוֹ לֹא הָיָה מַקְרִיב עָלֶיהָ אֶלָּא עוֹלָה וּשְׁלָמִים.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Any offering that the public or an individual could sacrifice in the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness could also be sacrificed in the Tent of Meeting in Gilgal. What, then, is the difference between the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness and the Tent of Meeting in Gilgal? During the period of the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness private altars were not permitted and offerings could be sacrificed only in the Tabernacle, while during the period of the Tent of Meeting in Gilgal private altars were permitted. But even if one desired to sacrifice an offering upon his private altar on his roof, he could still sacrifice upon it only burnt offerings and peace offerings.

וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: כֹּל שֶׁהַצִּבּוּר מַקְרִיבִין בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּמִּדְבָּר – מַקְרִיבִין בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד שֶׁבַּגִּלְגָּל; וְכָאן וְכָאן לֹא קָרְבוּ יָחִיד אֶלָּא עוֹלָה וּשְׁלָמִים בִּלְבַד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: אַף צִבּוּר לֹא הִקְרִיבוּ אֶלָּא פְּסָחִים

And the Rabbis say: Any offering that the public could sacrifice in the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness could also be sacrificed in the Tent of Meeting in Gilgal, and here, in the Tabernacle in Gilgal, and there, upon private altars, only burnt offerings and peace offerings were sacrificed for an individual. Rabbi Shimon says: Even the public did not sacrifice every type of offering in the Tent of Meeting in Gilgal; they sacrificed only Paschal offerings