the avodah of the nasi vs the avodah of the eved

Rashi comments on the korban of a nasi/melech ⁠אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָשִׂ֖יא יֶֽחֱטָ֑א (4:22) that לשון אשרי, אשרי הדור שהנשיא שלו נותן לב להביא כפרה על שגגתו, קל וחומר שמתחרט על זדונותיו.  It's a wonderful thing when leaders own up to their mistakes.  Yet earlier in that same perek, in discussing the korban of the kohen gadol, Rashi comments on  אִ֣ם הַכֹּ⁠הֵ֧ן הַמָּ⁠שִׁ֛יחַ יֶחֱטָ֖א לְ⁠אַשְׁמַ֣ת הָעָ֑ם (4:3) that כשכהן גדול חוטא, אשמת העם היא, שזה שהםב תלוים בו להתפלל בעדם ולכפר עליהם, נעשה מקולקל, it's the people's fault if their leaders mess up.  Why by the nasi/melech is it "ashrei" when the leaders fess up, and no blame is assigned to anyone but themselves, but by the kohen it is "ashmas ha'am," a terrible thing and the fault of the people?  Two leaders, yet two very different reactions!

The gemara in Brachos 34b relates as follows:

 

ת"ר מעשה שחלה בנו של ר"ג שגר שני ת"ח אצל רבי חנינא בן דוסא לבקש עליו רחמים כיון שראה אותם עלה לעלייה ובקש עליו רחמים בירידתו אמר להם לכו שחלצתו חמה אמרו לו וכי נביא אתה אמר להן לא נביא אנכי ולא בן נביא אנכי אלא כך מקובלני אם שגורה תפלתי בפי יודע אני שהוא מקובל ואם לאו יודע אני שהוא מטורף ישבו וכתבו וכוונו אותה שעה וכשבאו אצל ר"ג אמר להן העבודה לא חסרתם ולא הותרתם אלא כך היה מעשה באותה שעה חלצתו חמה ושאל לנו מים לשתות ושוב מעשה ברבי חנינא בן דוסא שהלך ללמוד תורה אצל ר' יוחנן בן זכאי וחלה בנו של ריב"ז אמר לו חנינא בני בקש עליו רחמים ויחיה הניח ראשו בין ברכיו ובקש עליו רחמים וחיה אמר רבי יוחנן בן זכאי אלמלי הטיח בן זכאי את ראשו בין ברכיו כל היום כולו לא היו משגיחים עליו אמרה לו אשתו וכי חנינא גדול ממך אמר לה לאו אלא הוא דומה כעבד לפני המלך ואני דומה כשר לפני המלך:

 

What is it that made R' Chanina's prayers more efficacious that those of R' Yochanen ben Zakai?  What is the meaning of the answer to Rabbanit ben Zakai's question  אמרה לו אשתו וכי חנינא גדול ממך? 

 

While a sar, a nasi, a member of the cabinet, has access to the king to discuss heady and weighty matters, there are always protocols to be followed.  Cabinet meetings are scheduled, there is an agenda drawn up, there are official minutes and records; because important matters are at stake, nothing is just done off the cuff. 

 

The palace janitor does not need to make an appointment to enter the king's office.  He has no protocol to follow as to when he can or cannot enter.  He goes where he wants, when he wants, doing his job as needed, privy to the most private discussions, able to enter the most private chambers as needed.  True, he does not get to weigh in on lofty matters of state like the sar or cabinet member, but he also suffers no restrictions on his access.

 

We look up to the sar as above us, not one of us.  The palace janitor, on the other hand, is just like you and me. 

 

Rav Kook, R' Tzadok (Pri Tzadik in P' Eikev) and others explain that R' Yb"Z's avodah was through limud haTorah.  That's the sar, the nasi, the member of the cabinet.  He was engaged in contemplating and opining on lofty things.  However, his access to the King was governed by strict protocol.  R' Chanina was the palace janitor.  He didn't need to follow protocol, he didn't need to make appointments to see the king. 

 

When Rav Chanina prayed הניח ראשו בין ברכיו. R' Yochanan ben Zakai's head was in the clouds working on the great problems that need addressing.  R' Chanina's head was down here on earth and his prayer came from the heart.

 

When Aharon and Miriam spoke against Moshe, Hashem came to them and said  וּמַדּ֙⁠וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְ⁠רֵאתֶ֔ם לְ⁠דַבֵּ֖⁠ר בְּ⁠עַבְדִּ֥י בְ⁠מֹשֶֽׁה׃.  The Chofetz Chaim (al haTorah) comments on the use of the double description -- בְּ⁠עַבְדִּ֥י בְ⁠מֹשֶֽׁה -- that Moshe's greatness was that he shared both qualities.  He was Moshe Rabeinu, the greatest teacher of Torah who ever lived, but he was also ְ⁠עַבְדִּ֥י, just like a simple servant of Hashem. 

 

R' Yosef Yehuda Leib Sorotzkin says that this is the difference between the nasi and the kohen gadol.  Because of his importance, when the nasi admits mistake, it is a real a blow to his ego and pride. It carries weight.  Therefore, אשרי הדור שהנשיא שלו נותן לב להביא כפרה על שגגתו.  It has nothing to do with the people because he lives in a world apart from them.

 

The kohen gadol, on the other hand, was a like the palace servant.  He was a man of the people.  The kohen's job was to be the oheiv shalom v'rodef shalom and be makareiv others and to daven for the nation.  The gemara in Makkos writes that a murderer b'shogeg had to stay in the ir miklat until the death of the k'g because the k'g is at fault for not davening better.  When you're just a regular Joe in the palace, if you make a mistake, it reflects on all the other regular Joes who are just like you and whom you represent.