by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com During the season of COVID, we can find inspiration in some of the meforshim on the use of the goats in Yom Kippur.  The goats play a central, yet little understood, role in the avodah of Yom Kippur (no longer performed, but part of the Tefilos).  The chicken plays a role in the Ashkenazic practice of Kapparos immediately before Yom Kippur– also a little understood ritual. What is behind these diverse practices? The two male goats -se’irim of Yom Kippur are identical in numerous ways. The Mishna in Yuma (6:1) has them similar in appearance, height and value.  They are both purchased and presented together.  Lots are chosen at random. The first goat is offered as a “chatas” – a national sin-offering. The second goat has a different destiny.  The Kohen Gadol performs a “vidui” (confession) of all of the sins of Klal Yisroel.  It is then escorted out some nine miles into the desert by a designated individual who pushes it off a cliff of the mountain of Azazel.  It falls to its death. THE RAMBAN’S EXPLANATION In explaining this ritual, the Ramban cites a Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah (65:10) that the goat thrown off the cliff is to nullify the angelic representative of Aisav or Edom – who would normally act as a prosecutor against Klal Yisroel. The Ramban further cites a Pirkei D’Rabi Eliezer (chapter 46) that has this angelic representative acting as a defense lawyer before Hashem. THE RAMBAM’S EXPLANATION The Rambam in his Moreh Nevuchim (3:66) offers a different explanation. The function of the “scapegoat” (appropriately named) is presented as follows: “The goat that was sent into the wilderness served as an atonement for all serious sins more than any other chatas that is brought. As it thus seemed to carry off all sins, it was not accepted as an ordinary sacrifice to be slaughtered, burnt, or even brought near the Sanctuary; it was removed as far as possible, and sent forth into a waste, uncultivated, uninhabited land.. There is no doubt that sins cannot be carried like a burden, and taken off the shoulder of one being to be laid on that of another being. Rather, these ceremonies are of a symbolic character, and serve to impress men with a certain idea, and to induce them to repent; as if to say, we have freed ourselves of our previous deeds, have cast them behind our backs, and removed them as far as possible from us.” A THIRD EXPLANATION What follows is a third explanation  – first presented by Rav Tuvia Ben Avrohom HaLevi a 16th century student of the Arizal’s son in law, Rav Shlomo Sagis.  He also lived in Tzfas and his explanation can be found in the sefer Chain Tov on Vayikrah first published in Venice in shin samech hay.  The explanation was further elaborated upon in a Sefer called “M’ain Refoel” – published in Yerushalayim some fifty years ago.  There are many parallels between the Yom Kippur Avodah and Mechiras Yoseph: the goats, “the ish iti,” the dipping of the blood, etc. Essentially, the entire procedure is a means of achieving atonement for the sin of mechiras Yoseph.  This sin – is paradigmatic of an overarching problem that prevents the geulah – the redemption – […]

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