A killer went there, and the people of the city wanted to honor him. He has to tell them that he’s a killer and that he does not receive honor. He should push the honor away. If they tell him, “No, we still want to give you honor even though we know that you’re a killer,” he’s allowed to accept the honor from them. This is the matter, or the word, of the killer. This tells us that as long as the killer is open about what his status is, once he reveals it to them, he’s done his job. If the people of the town insist that they want to give him honor, he’s allowed to accept it from them.
We have a Machloket (dispute) now about whether the killer has to pay rent to the Leviyim (Levites) for living in the Ir Miklat (city of refuge). We’ve stated that there are 48 cities designated for the Leviyim to live in. Six of them specifically were the Arei Miklat (cities of refuge) designated as such. The other 42 are cities of the Leviyim, but they weren’t designated as an Ir Miklat. Technically, though those six were designated, the other 42 could also serve as an Ir Miklat if somebody goes there. The Machloket we’re going to have now is only about those other 42 cities. Everybody agrees that there’s no need to pay rent on the six cities of the Arei Miklat designated as such. Both opinions agree on this; the Machloket is only about the other 42 cities. Ma’alin hayu sakhar la-Leviyim, says Rabbi Yehuda, the killer would pay rent to the Leviyim for living in their homes in the Ir Miklat, according to Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says no, the killer would not have to pay any rent to the Leviyim, even in those other 42 cities. The Torah gives the killer the right to live in the Ir Miklat free of charge.
Eventually, after the killer is freed from the Ir Miklat when the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) dies, what happens to him? After he finishes his galut (exile) from the Ir Miklat, the killer returns to the position he had before he was sent there. If he was the Av Beit Din, the head judge of the court, he goes back to this position. He finished what he needed to do. He atoned for his aveirah (transgression), and therefore we bring him back to normal. We shouldn’t hold this against him for his entire life.
Rabbi Yehuda says no. Even though he did kapara (atonement), even though he did teshuvah (repentance) for whatever he did wrong, and even though it was by mistake, he did something that disqualifies him from having a public position of honor, so that he can live in the Ir Miklat. So he goes back to this position. He finished what he needed to do. He atoned for his aveirah, so, says Rabbi Yehuda, he does not return to his original position.