Before us is Mishnah 8 in the second chapter of Maseches Makkos. The Mishnah opens with the words "kayotzei bo" - meaning: in a similar manner. In some versions of the Mishnah these words do not appear, because they do not fit smoothly into the flow of the topics. Two explanations have been offered for their appearance here:
The expression appears in Maseches Sheviis, and there "kayotzei bo" fits beautifully into the context, and from there it carried over to here as well.
It refers back to the verse "zeh devar haRotzeach" mentioned earlier in Mishnah 5, from which we learned that the murderer must speak on his own behalf to the blood avenger. Here comes an additional teaching derived from that very same verse.
The text of the Mishnah:
"Kayotzei bo, rotzeach shegalah l'ir miklato, veratzu anshei ha'ir lechabdo, yomar lahem: rotzeach ani. Amru lo: af al pi chein, yekabel meihen, shene'emar: v'zeh devar haRotzeach".
"Rotzeach shegalah l'ir miklato" - one who killed unintentionally and goes into exile to the city of refuge designated for him.
"Veratzu anshei ha'ir lechabdo" - the residents of that city wish to show him honor.
"Yomar lahem: rotzeach ani" - he must respond and say: I am a murderer, and it is not fitting that you honor me.
"Amru lo: af al pi chein" - if they answered him that nevertheless they wish to honor him.
"Yekabel meihen" - he may accept the honor from them.
"Shene'emar: v'zeh devar haRotzeach" - this is the statement of the murderer, and from here we learn that a single refusal is enough for him. Once he has refused one time, even though he is a murderer, he may accept the honor.
A dispute concerning payment of rent to the Levites:
Rabbi Yehudah: "Ma'alim hayu sachar laLeviim" - a murderer staying in a city of the Levites must pay the Levites rent for his use of the place.
Rabbi Meir: "Lo hayu ma'alim lahen sachar" - the murderer does not pay rent to the Levites.
Returning to a position of authority after the death of the Kohen Gadol:
Rabbi Meir: when he leaves the city of refuge after the death of the Kohen Gadol, "chozer lisrarah shehayah bah" - if he had previously held an important public office, he returns to that office.
Rabbi Yehudah: "lo hayah chozer lisrarah shehayah bah" - he does not return to the public office he had held previously.
In summary: in this Mishnah we learned that a murderer who goes into exile to his city of refuge is obligated to announce about himself "I am a murderer," and one refusal is enough for him - for if the people of the city insisted on their wish to honor him, he accepts it from them. We also examined two disputes between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Meir: concerning payment of rent to the Levites, and concerning the murderer's return to the position of authority he had held, after the death of the Kohen Gadol.