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Rashi on Numbers 35:13/רש"י על במדבר ל״ה:י״ג

אשש ערי מקלט. מַגִּיד שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהִבְדִּיל מֹשֶׁה בְּחַיָּיו שָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, לֹא הָיוּ קוֹלְטוֹת עַד שֶׁנִּבְחֲרוּ שָׁלֹשׁ שֶׁנָּתַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן (ספרי; מכות ט'):
1שש ערי מקלט [AND AS TO THE CITIES WHICH YOU SHALL GIVE] SIX CITIES OF REFUGE (THERE SHALL BE FOR YOU] — This tells us that although Moses during his life-time set aside three cities on that side of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 4:41), they did not provide refuge until the three had been chosen which Joshua assigned in the land of Canaan on the west side of the Jordan (Sifrei Bamidbar 160:2; Makkot 9b).