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If one person kills another as a result of carelessness, the killer bears some responsibility for the death, because it wouldn’t have happened if not for negligence. During biblical times, when the Jews lived in the Land of Israel, the Torah instructed the nation to designate six Levitical cities to serve as cities of refuge. Unintentional killers would be sent there, and this exile would atone for them. They would not be released until the death of the High Priest. In the meantime, the Torah-infused atmosphere of these cities would lead the killers to repent and to realize how important it is to be extra-careful when it comes to human life. The mitzva to set up cities of refuge should serve as a model for us today. It should inspire us to set up a process of atonement for unintentional killers, including some sort of exile as well as an educational framework to help them internalize the severity of their sin.
