Parshat Maasei opens with a review of the journeys the Jews traveled during their forty years in the Sinai Desert, where they camped in a total of 42 cities. The Torah then focuses its attention on the Jews entering the Land of Israel. They are commanded to drive out the Canaanites; if not, these people would be as “thorns” to them, giving them no respite in their Promised Land. The Torah then delineates the exact boundaries of the Land of Israel. The tribe of Levi would not receive a regular portion of land; instead special cities were set aside for them throughout Israel. These cities would also serve as "cities of refuge" for unintentional killers who feared retribution from close relatives of their victims. The unintentional killer would remain in the city until the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) died, at which point any relative who harmed him would be culpable for his actions.