וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם אֵ֚ת שֵֽׁשׁ־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְּנ֔וּ לָנֻ֥ס שָׁ֖מָּה הָֽרֹצֵ֑חַ וַֽעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתְּנ֔וּ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם עִֽיר כָּל־הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנֶ֖ה עִ֑יר אֶתְהֶ֖ן וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן: The first possuk indicates that the 6 cities are separate from the 42 cities given to the Leviem but then the next possuk indicates they all belong to the Leviem (Or HaChayim)? Furthermore, why say 6 + 42 cities and then add it up to 48, we can do the math to figure out it equals 48? Add why does it add וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן?
There is another 42 in the parsha and that is the number of stops that Klal Yisrael had as they traveled through the desert. The Magen Avraham (528:8) says in the name of the Tzror Hamor that all the travels should be read as one aliyah without any breaks because they correspond to the 42 letter name of Hashem. This name corresponds to the 42 letters in אנא בכח which is split into 7 lines of 6 words each which aligns with the 6 middot * each other including malchut, 6*7 = 42. Each stop corresponded with Klal Yisrael perfecting another one of all of the various combinations of the middot. The Ohav Yisrael notes that their are 42 letters in the parsha of shema. For every one of the stops of Klal Yisrael they transformed another middah and channeled it for the service of Hashem. As noted by the Shem MiShmuel, each step was a step closer to the full fulfillment of ואהבת.
The Ohav Yisrael also notes that the possuk of Shema has 6 words. These correspond to the 6 cities designated as ערי מלקט. The additional 42 cities of the Leviem correspond to the parsha of ואהבת. The Ohev Yisrael says the message of ערי מלקט is that one who has sinned to get back on track should first focus on the 6, on shema, on מסירת נפש. After that, there are 42, meaning you take that power of מסיר נפש, of total devotion to Hashem and put it to use channeling it for the proper usage of Torah and mitzvot. In light of this we can understand why the Torah starts with 6 cities and says then add 42, for the starting point is the parsha of shema, of מסירת נפש and then one can channel it into the 42.
Another way to express the flow from 6 to 42 would be that one has to start with the main 6 middot and then one can fan out to perfect all the various combinations. Then the possuk says there will be 48 cities, meaning one will only get to 48 if one goes it the proper order of 6 and then 42. What is 48? 48 in lashon hakodesh is מח, brain. The end degree of wisdom is represented by the number 48. There are 48 ways the Torah is acquired for each gate has a prerequisite. The Zohar (Berashis 125a) says every day there are 48 drops of wisdom for that is the maximum gates of wisdom open to man to acquire. (Mei Hashiloach first piece Vayikra says only Moshe could reach level 49 , but everyone else maxes out at 48, see more about the number 48 in a piece by Rabbi Zave Rudman.) The goal of all the perfection of the middot is to allow one to access the maximum amount of potential of wisdom available. This is to atone for an act of שוגג which is an element of בבלי דעת as described by the possuk in Vaeschanan. The possuk concludes וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן which as the Meor Vashemesh explains לפי דרכו alludes to the idea than when one does teshuva in a manner of perfecting one's middot and purifying one's מח it will push out, מגרש all possible tumot and negative effects and qualities that may have been attached to the person.
The Arizal teaches (likutim Bo) that the various combinations that can be made from the 5 letters of the name אלקים are 120. That means each letter is responsible for 24 additional ways. He says that Cham the son of Noach took over two letters of the combinations, hence he is called חם, for 2*24 = 48. That is the root of the golus in the hands of Egypt, the descendent of חם. We may suggest as well that the golus to the 48 ערי מלקט is also an outgrow from of the חם within a person that needs to be cleansed.
The עיר מקלט as a safe space for the person who is stuck in golut is of course akin to our situation in golut, especially poignant durin this time of the year. The Gemarah Maakot (10a) tells us דברי תורה שהן קולטין. Our עיר מקלט is the words of Torah that sharpen our מח and ensure our continuity through the difficult golut until we are perfected enough to merit to be able to leave.
מענין לענין, the Mishna Makot (2:7) says אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא לֹא לְעֵדוּת מִצְוָה וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת מָמוֹן וְלֹא לְעֵדוּת נְפָשׁוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים לוֹ, וַאֲפִלּוּ שַׂר צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה, אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה) אֲשֶׁר נָס שָׁמָּה, שָׁם תְּהֵא דִירָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא מִיתָתוֹ, שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרָתוֹ. Why does one in an עיר מקלט not leave to help to Klal Yisrael in battle? The Or Sameach says because he doesn't have to put himself in danger of being killed by the גואל הדם even to save others. Rav Unterman finds this incredulous and he says the peshat is that just as one who kills on purpose gets killed, so too one who kills by accident has to be removed from the rest of the world. He is exiled to one city and we learn from the word שמה that he remains totally rooted there working on perfecting himself totally divorced from anyone else. The reason he doesn't leave is not because he is not permitted to leave due to an issur or that he may get killed but rather this is a unique din for someone who kills by accident that he has no interests and no obligations toward the outside world. His entire world view is inward and hence there is nothing that can budge him from his place.
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