ABSTRACT
For ancient Israel, the Torah established cities of refuge for those who had accidentally killed someone (Devarim/Deuteronomy Chapter 19). On entering such a city of refuge, a person guilty of manslaughter would be safe from the revenge of relatives of the victim. There is a tradition to take mental illness very seriously within traditional ‘orthodox’ Judaism; even the usual Shabbat restrictions may be suspended to secure the safety of a person with a mental disorder that could lead to loss of life or serious injury.
