High Priest and the Torah

And the congregation shall deliver the killer. From here we learn that whether a person has killed intentionally or unintentionally, they are all brought to the cities of refuge, and the court sends and brings them from there. Whoever is deserving of death is executed, and whoever is not deserving of death is acquitted. And whoever is deserving of exile is returned to their place, as it is said: "And the congregation shall return him." "Until the death of the High Priest." It was taught in a beraita: "In all cases, if one intentionally kills a person, he is executed; if he unintentionally kills, he is exiled. And if he violates a positive commandment or a negative commandment, it is as if he violated them all." That he is executed for intentional murder is obvious; the need for exile for unintentional killing is necessary to teach us. The Gemara asks: According to the first explanation, since it is written "until the death of the High Priest," say that anyone who has a mitigating factor of returning [to his city of refuge] is not subject to exile, but it is not necessary to teach us that if one kills a High Priest or a ruler, he is never released from there. The Gemara responds: It teaches us that halakha. And say this also: According to the second explanation, the phrase "to flee there" teaches that every murderer, even a ruler, is included in its literal meaning. And if he violates a positive commandment, isn't it obvious that if he didn't violate it, he is like an ordinary person? The Gemara explains: That is what it is saying—if he violates it, he is like an ordinary person. This is obvious! The Gemara responds: It is necessary to teach us that we only adjudicate cases of a High Priest before the Supreme Sanhedrin, as it is written: "They shall bring all the great matters to you," which indicates that the matters of a great person are adjudicated only by a Supreme Sanhedrin. The Gemara suggests: Say this also: Who is it written about? It is written about a great matter. One who was anointed with the anointing oil, one who was distinguished by his garments, and one who surpassed his contemporaries in wisdom—these factors determine the return of the murderer [to the city of refuge]. Rabbi Yehuda says: Even a high-ranking military commander returns the murderer [to the city of refuge]. From where are these matters derived? As we learned, it is stated: "Until the death of the High Priest." And it is written: "For in the city of refuge he shall remain until the death of the High Priest." Rabbi Yehuda has an alternative derivation: It is written in another verse: "He shall dwell in his own city until the death of the High Priest." And the term "the great" mentioned in these verses refers only to the High Priest. "Until the death of the High Priest." Therefore, the deaths of the priests provide them with sustenance and clothing, so that they will not pray for the deaths of their children. The reason for this is that they do not pray for it, as it is said: "A baseless curse shall not come." That elder said to Ravah: I heard that they were supposed to seek mercy for their generation, but they did not. And there are those who say that the reason is so that they will pray for their children not to die. The reason for this is that they do pray for it, as opposed to not praying for it. What could they have done differently? Here they say: They have committed many sins and transgressions. There, they say: They have established false witnesses and caused a decree. That elder said, etc. For that man who was bitten by a lion from afar, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi did not respond to him for three days.