וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול אשר משח אותו בשמן הקדש
What did the Kohen Gadol, High Priest, do to deserve such a “relationship” with the unintentional murderer? It is almost as if the Kohen Gadol shares punitively with the rotzeiach b’shogeig. Rashi explains that the Kohen Gadol serves as the nation’s spiritual leader. As such, he has a responsibility to pray for his people – pray that no one sustains a fatal accident at the hands of another Jew. Apparently, he either did not pray, or he did not pray with sufficient intensity. In any event, a man was killed unintentionally. The Kohen Gadol must assume some of this responsibility….
