"He that kills a person accidentally... shall remain [exiled in the "city of refuge"] until the death of the High Priest" (Numbers 35:11, 25). Why is the High Priest to blame? ... Said a venerable old scholar: I heard an explanation at one of the seasonal lectures of Raba, that he failed to pray for his generation. As was the case of that fellow who was devoured by a lion some three parasangs from Rabbi Joshua ben Levi's town, and Elijah the Prophet refused to visit Rabbi Joshua on that account for three days...
Talmud, Makot 11a