- Galus ends when the Kohen Gadol dies, שהיה להן לבקש רחמים על דורן ולא בקשו
The next Mishnah states that one who killed בשוגג returns home when the Kohen Gadol dies, whether a משוח בשמן המשחה – one anointed with the anointing oil, a מרובה בגדים – one invested with a Kohen Gadol’s increased clothing (without anointment), or one who left his role of Kohen Gadol (i.e., a temporary replacement). Rebbe Yehudah says even the death of the משוח מלחמה – Kohen Gadol anointed for battle returns the killer. Therefore, the mothers of the Kohanim Gedolim would provide food and clothing to the exiles, כדי שלא יתפללו על בניהם שימותו – so they should not pray that their sons should die. This implies that if the exiles would pray for the Kohen Gadol’s death, he would die. Although a passuk says that a קללת חנם – undeserved curse will not come, Rava explained that this is not undeserved: שהיה להן לבקש רחמים על דורן ולא בקשו – because [the Kohanim Gedolim] should have beseeched Hashem for mercy for their generation to prevent such tragedies, and they did not. In another version, the Mishnah says the mothers provided for the exiles so they should pray their sons should not die, implying that without their prayers, the Kohanim Gedolim would die, and the same explanation is given.
- קללת חכם אפילו בחנם היא באה
Rav said: קללת חכם אפי' בחנם היא באה – the curse of a sage, even undeserved, will come to pass. This is derived from אחיתופל: when Dovid was digging the foundations for the Beis Hamikdash, the waters of the deep began to rise and threatened to flood the world. Dovid asked if he may write Hashem’s Name on a shard and throw it into the water to stop it, since the Name may be erased. No one answered, and he declared: כל היודע דבר זה ואינו אומרו יחנק בגרונו – whoever knows [the answer] and does not say it, should strangle in his throat! Achitofel made a kal vachomer: if Hashem allows His Name to be erased to make peace between a husband and wife (regarding a sotah), certainly it may be erased to save the entire world! He told Dovid, who successfully stopped the flood. Still, we find that Achitofel eventually strangled himself. Rebbe Abahu said: קללת חכם אפילו על תנאי היא באה – the curse of a sage, even made conditionally, will come to pass even without the condition being fulfilled. This is derived from Eli, who cursed Shmuel if he would not reveal his entire prophecy, and although he did, the curse was fulfilled.
- If the Kohen Gadol dies before or after the killer’s גמר דין
The next Mishnah states: משנגמר דינו מת כהן גדול – if the Kohen Gadol dies after the killer’s verdict was completed, הרי זה אינו גולה – he is not exiled at all, because the Kohen Gadol’s death prevents his exile. If the Kohen Gadol died, and another was appointed before his sentencing, his exile would end when the second Kohen Gadil dies. If he was sentenced when there was no Kohen Gadol, or one who mistakenly kills the Kohen Gadol, or a Kohen Gadol who kills, אינו יוצא משם לעולם – he does not leave [the עיר מקלט] ever, since there was no Kohen Gadol at the time. The Mishnah proceeds to teach that a killer cannot leave the עיר מקלט for any reason, and is even buried there.
Abaye explains that a killer avoids galus altogether if the Kohen Gadol dies beforehand, based on a kal vachomer: if one who was already exiled goes out when the Kohen Gadol dies, then certainly his death should prevent him from going at all! The Gemara asks that perhaps the actual exile is necessary to obtain כפרה, and answers: מידי גלות קא מכפרא – is it the exile which atones? מיתת כהן הוא דמכפרא – It is the Kohen Gadol’s death which atones!
