Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Exodus 21:13/ספורנו על שמות כ״א:י״ג

אוְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ. שֶׁלֹּא פָּשַׁע לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר גּוֹרֵם זֶה, אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּגַלְגְּלִין חוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי חַיָּב, כְּאָמְרוֹ "וְגַם רָשָׁע לְיוֹם רָעָה" (משלי טז:ד).
1והאלוקים אנה לידו, this was not a death caused intentionally by the killer, but we know that there operates a principle in this world known as מגלגלין חובה על ידי חייב, “G’d arranges matters so that the guilty party being punished will be punished by someone himself guilty of something else.” This is what Solomon referred to in Proverbs 16,4 וגם רשע ליום רעה, “even the wicked for the day of evil.” [to the question if everything has a purpose in this world, what is the function of the wicked? Solomon answers that the wicked is used by G’d to administer punishment to those who deserve it. Ed.]
בוְשַׂמְתִּי לְךָ מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יָנוּס. לְכַפֵּר עֲוֹנוֹ בְּגָלוּתוֹ.
2ושמתי לך מקום אשר ינוס, to atone for his guilt by being exiled from his home.