Life To The Dead

In the middle of parshat Vaeschanan (4:41) the Torah quickly mentions the idea of ערי מלקט.  As the Kli Yakar says בקישור פסוק זה עם הענין הקודם יצאו המפרשים ללקוט ולא מצאו ביאור מספיק, ומהו לשון אז.  What does it have to do with anything mentioned previously?  

The Shem MiShmuel (5673) says that after hearing the rebuke from Moshe Rabbenu the people may lose hope ויתיאשו בעצמם מלהשיג הנדרש להיות עובדי ה' באמת ובתמים of ever being proper.  Therefore, Moshe designated the cities of refuge.  The cities of refuge symbolize that even one who killed and technically blood should be paid with blood, the person has lost his חיות, he is also given a way to redeem himself.  He cites his father says the cities of the Leviem serve as arey miklat as well because the avodah of the Leviem is with song and hitlavut which can give חיות even to the murderer. 

The Baal Haturim says that the cities are followed by the possuk וזאת התורה to hint to the Mishna הוי גולה למקום תורה.  The Gemarah Maakot (20a) has a derash on the words ונס אל אחת מן הערים האל וחי that a rebe follows after their student into golut,  תנא תלמיד שגלה מגלין רבו עמו שנאמר וחי עביד ליה מידי דתהוי ליה חיותא.  Why are these hints to Torah mentioned specifically in this parsha of arey miklat and not in the earlier parshiot?  In light of the Shem MiShmuel, we can say that when there is no עיר מקלט, like in our times, how can one pick themselves up from the dead?  The answer is by cleaving to Torah.  ואתם הדבקים בה' אלקיכם חיים כולכם, that is the way for one to pump new life and energy into one's soul.