Midrash sur Les Proverbes 26:2

(Fol. 11) "Therefore would the mothers of the priests," etc., "they shall not pray," but what if they should, would it then bring about that he die? Does not the passage read (Pr. 26, 2) As the wandering sparrow, as the flying swallow, so the curse that is causeless shall not come home? Whereupon a senior scholar replied: "I understand from the lecture of Raba [the reason of our case] because the priest should have prayed for mercy that no accident might happen in their generation, and he failed to do so [hence the responsibility]." According to others [the Mishnah] says: "They [the manslayers] should pray for their children that they should not die." Does it indeed depend upon their [the manslayers'] prayer; but if they do not pray then their children would die. What could they have done [to prevent the crime]? In Babylon it was said [concerning this affair]: "Tobias sinned and Ziggud was punished." In Palestine it was said: "Shechem wants to marry [Dinah], and Mabgi (his subjects must submit to circumcision." A senior scholar, however, explained: "I understand this from the lecture of Raba [it is] because the priests should have prayed for mercy that no accident might happen in their generation." As it happened with one whom a lion had consumed a distance of three [Persian] miles from R. Joshua b. Levi's dwelling, and Elijah did not talk to him for three days.