Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

Summary
After the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, God tells Moses to inform Aaron that he can only come into the Holy of Holies once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month (Yom Kippur) On that day atonement will be made for all the sins of the Israelites. No work is to be done, they must afflict their souls. The High Priest must bring two male goats as offerings: one "for God" is offered in the Temple and its blood used in expiation; the other is "for Azazel" Aaron will confess all the sins of the Israelites over this goat which is sent away to wander in the wilderness. The Israelites are instructed that all meat is to be slaughtered in a ritual way by the Tent of Meeting, that they must not eat the blood nor eat an animal that has died either naturally or torn by wild beasts.
We are warned against copying the practices & cultures of foreign nations. Incest is defined & prohibited. Sexual relations during a woman's monthly cycle, bestiality & child sacrifice are prohibited. God reminds us that the Canaanites defiled themselves by adopting these practices, and anyone who defiles themselves like this will be subject to karet - cut off from their people.
In Kedoshim, the community are instructed in the laws of holiness, and are told to be holy. Among the Mitzvot: Prohibitions of idolatry; theft; false oaths; delaying payment to an employee; hating or cursing a fellow Jew; gossip; perversion of justice; putting a stumbling block before the blind; embarrassing; revenge; bearing a grudge; wearing a garment of wool & linen; harvesting a tree in its first 3 years; gluttony & intoxication; witchcraft; tattooing.
It includes the famous Mitzvah of "V’Ahavta L’Rayacha Kamocha" – Love your fellow as you love yourself.

ויקרא ט״ז

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן בְּקָרְבָתָ֥ם לִפְנֵי־יְהוָ֖ה וַיָּמֻֽתוּ׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִיךָ֒ וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א בְכָל־עֵת֙ אֶל־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃ (ג) בְּזֹ֛את יָבֹ֥א אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ בְּפַ֧ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר לְחַטָּ֖את וְאַ֥יִל לְעֹלָֽה׃ (ד) כְּתֹֽנֶת־בַּ֨ד קֹ֜דֶשׁ יִלְבָּ֗שׁ וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־בַד֮ יִהְי֣וּ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ֒ וּבְאַבְנֵ֥ט בַּד֙ יַחְגֹּ֔ר וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת בַּ֖ד יִצְנֹ֑ף בִּגְדֵי־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וּלְבֵשָֽׁם׃ (ה) וּמֵאֵ֗ת עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִקַּ֛ח שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַ֥יִל אֶחָ֖ד לְעֹלָֽה׃ (ו) וְהִקְרִ֧יב אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ (ז) וְלָקַ֖ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י הַשְּׂעִירִ֑ם וְהֶעֱמִ֤יד אֹתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ח) וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גּוֹרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃ (ט) וְהִקְרִ֤יב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָלָ֥ה עָלָ֛יו הַגּוֹרָ֖ל לַיהוָ֑ה וְעָשָׂ֖הוּ חַטָּֽאת׃ (י) וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יָֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃ (יא) וְהִקְרִ֨יב אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־פַּ֤ר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּֽעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֑וֹ וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַֽחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְלָקַ֣ח מְלֹֽא־הַ֠מַּחְתָּה גַּֽחֲלֵי־אֵ֞שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּמְלֹ֣א חָפְנָ֔יו קְטֹ֥רֶת סַמִּ֖ים דַּקָּ֑ה וְהֵבִ֖יא מִבֵּ֥ית לַפָּרֹֽכֶת׃ (יג) וְנָתַ֧ן אֶֽת־הַקְּטֹ֛רֶת עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְכִסָּ֣ה ׀ עֲנַ֣ן הַקְּטֹ֗רֶת אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָעֵד֖וּת וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃ (יד) וְלָקַח֙ מִדַּ֣ם הַפָּ֔ר וְהִזָּ֧ה בְאֶצְבָּע֛וֹ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת קֵ֑דְמָה וְלִפְנֵ֣י הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת יַזֶּ֧ה שֶֽׁבַע־פְּעָמִ֛ים מִן־הַדָּ֖ם בְּאֶצְבָּעֽוֹ׃ (טו) וְשָׁחַ֞ט אֶת־שְׂעִ֤יר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָעָ֔ם וְהֵבִיא֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ אֶל־מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת וְעָשָׂ֣ה אֶת־דָּמ֗וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ לְדַ֣ם הַפָּ֔ר וְהִזָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת וְלִפְנֵ֥י הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃ (טז) וְכִפֶּ֣ר עַל־הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְכֵ֤ן יַעֲשֶׂה֙ לְאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד הַשֹּׁכֵ֣ן אִתָּ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָֽם׃ (יז) וְכָל־אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִהְיֶ֣ה ׀ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבֹא֛וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֤ר בַּעֲדוֹ֙ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֔וֹ וּבְעַ֖ד כָּל־קְהַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (יח) וְיָצָ֗א אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו וְלָקַ֞ח מִדַּ֤ם הַפָּר֙ וּמִדַּ֣ם הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְנָתַ֛ן עַל־קַרְנ֥וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃ (יט) וְהִזָּ֨ה עָלָ֧יו מִן־הַדָּ֛ם בְּאֶצְבָּע֖וֹ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְטִהֲר֣וֹ וְקִדְּשׁ֔וֹ מִטֻּמְאֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כ) וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר אֶת־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְהִקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי׃ (כא) וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י ידו [יָדָ֗יו] עַ֨ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה עָלָ֗יו אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֺנֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־כָּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְנָתַ֤ן אֹתָם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשִׁלַּ֛ח בְּיַד־אִ֥ישׁ עִתִּ֖י הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃ (כב) וְנָשָׂ֨א הַשָּׂעִ֥יר עָלָ֛יו אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ גְּזֵרָ֑ה וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֖יר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (כג) וּבָ֤א אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וּפָשַׁט֙ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֣י הַבָּ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבַ֖שׁ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃ (כד) וְרָחַ֨ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֤וֹ בַמַּ֙יִם֙ בְּמָק֣וֹם קָד֔וֹשׁ וְלָבַ֖שׁ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֑יו וְיָצָ֗א וְעָשָׂ֤ה אֶת־עֹֽלָתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־עֹלַ֣ת הָעָ֔ם וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד הָעָֽם׃ (כה) וְאֵ֛ת חֵ֥לֶב הַֽחַטָּ֖את יַקְטִ֥יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ (כו) וְהַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֤חַ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִיר֙ לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יְכַבֵּ֣ס בְּגָדָ֔יו וְרָחַ֥ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן יָב֥וֹא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (כז) וְאֵת֩ פַּ֨ר הַֽחַטָּ֜את וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שְׂעִ֣יר הַֽחַטָּ֗את אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוּבָ֤א אֶת־דָּמָם֙ לְכַפֵּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֔דֶשׁ יוֹצִ֖יא אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וְשָׂרְפ֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ אֶת־עֹרֹתָ֥ם וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרָ֖ם וְאֶת־פִּרְשָֽׁם׃ (כח) וְהַשֹּׂרֵ֣ף אֹתָ֔ם יְכַבֵּ֣ס בְּגָדָ֔יו וְרָחַ֥ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן יָב֥וֹא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (כט) וְהָיְתָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִי בֶּֽעָשׂ֨וֹר לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ תְּעַנּ֣וּ אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֗ם וְכָל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ הָֽאֶזְרָ֔ח וְהַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃ (ל) כִּֽי־בַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה יְכַפֵּ֥ר עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְטַהֵ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם מִכֹּל֙ חַטֹּ֣אתֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תִּטְהָֽרוּ׃ (לא) שַׁבַּ֨ת שַׁבָּת֥וֹן הִיא֙ לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֖ת עוֹלָֽם׃ (לב) וְכִפֶּ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֲשֶׁר־יִמְשַׁ֣ח אֹת֗וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר יְמַלֵּא֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ לְכַהֵ֖ן תַּ֣חַת אָבִ֑יו וְלָבַ֛שׁ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֥י הַבָּ֖ד בִּגְדֵ֥י הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ (לג) וְכִפֶּר֙ אֶת־מִקְדַּ֣שׁ הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־אֹ֧הֶל מוֹעֵ֛ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ יְכַפֵּ֑ר וְעַ֧ל הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וְעַל־כָּל־עַ֥ם הַקָּהָ֖ל יְכַפֵּֽר׃ (לד) וְהָֽיְתָה־זֹּ֨את לָכֶ֜ם לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֗ם לְכַפֵּ֞ר עַל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִכָּל־חַטֹּאתָ֔ם אַחַ֖ת בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ)

Leviticus 16

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the LORD. (2) The LORD said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come at will into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over the cover. (3) Thus only shall Aaron enter the Shrine: with a bull of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.— (4) He shall be dressed in a sacral linen tunic, with linen breeches next to his flesh, and be girt with a linen sash, and he shall wear a linen turban. They are sacral vestments; he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.— (5) And from the Israelite community he shall take two he-goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (6) Aaron is to offer his own bull of sin offering, to make expiation for himself and for his household. (7) Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before the LORD at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; (8) and he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for the LORD and the other marked for Azazel. (9) Aaron shall bring forward the goat designated by lot for the LORD, which he is to offer as a sin offering; (10) while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before the LORD, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel. (11) Aaron shall then offer his bull of sin offering, to make expiation for himself and his household. He shall slaughter his bull of sin offering, (12) and he shall take a panful of glowing coals scooped from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense, and bring this behind the curtain. (13) He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud from the incense screens the cover that is over [the Ark of] the Pact, lest he die. (14) He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger over the cover on the east side; and in front of the cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. (15) He shall then slaughter the people’s goat of sin offering, bring its blood behind the curtain, and do with its blood as he has done with the blood of the bull: he shall sprinkle it over the cover and in front of the cover. (16) Thus he shall purge the Shrine of the uncleanness and transgression of the Israelites, whatever their sins; and he shall do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleanness. (17) When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, nobody else shall be in the Tent of Meeting until he comes out. When he has made expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel, (18) he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and purge it: he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the goat and apply it to each of the horns of the altar; (19) and the rest of the blood he shall sprinkle on it with his finger seven times. Thus he shall cleanse it of the uncleanness of the Israelites and consecrate it. (20) When he has finished purging the Shrine, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, the live goat shall be brought forward. (21) Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated man. (22) Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness. (23) And Aaron shall go into the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen vestments that he put on when he entered the Shrine, and leave them there. (24) He shall bathe his body in water in the holy precinct and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making expiation for himself and for the people. (25) The fat of the sin offering he shall turn into smoke on the altar. (26) He who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may reenter the camp. (27) The bull of sin offering and the goat of sin offering whose blood was brought in to purge the Shrine shall be taken outside the camp; and their hides, flesh, and dung shall be consumed in fire. (28) He who burned them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may re-enter the camp. (29) And this shall be to you a law for all time: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall practice self-denial; and you shall do no manner of work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. (30) For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the LORD. (31) It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; it is a law for all time. (32) The priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as priest in place of his father shall make expiation. He shall put on the linen vestments, the sacral vestments. (33) He shall purge the innermost Shrine; he shall purge the Tent of Meeting and the altar; and he shall make expiation for the priests and for all the people of the congregation. (34) This shall be to you a law for all time: to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year. And Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.

Question 1: Why are the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, which took place in chapter10, mentioned here as a prelude to the service of Yom Kippur?

This parashah describes the ceremonial procedure of the first Yom Kippur in the mishkan . Although we think of Yom Kippur as a yearly day of atonement, in the Torah, Yom Kippur is framed as a reaction to a very specific incident, the sin and death of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s eldest sons. The death of Nadav and Avihu is not only tragic, but also mystifying. Why is God so enraged by their offering of a strange fire? Why does the fact that it was not requested make it so loathed? Were they not trying to come close to God? Is this not a gift?! The death of Nadav and Avihu is also deeply personal for us. We want to feel that we can be religiously creative, that we can bring God more than what God asks. When Nadav and Avihu die as a result of this attitude, it is terrifying because we identify with them. Nadav
and Avihu are us. Not only that, but we identify them with the most religious version of ourselves, who we are when we want to meet God with genuine enthusiasm. (Dena Weiss commentary on the parasha for Hadar 5779)

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba taught that Aaron's sons died on the first of Nisan, but Leviticus 16:1 mentions their death in connection with the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Hiyya explained that this teaches that as the Day of Atonement effects atonement, so the death of the righteous effects atonement. We know that the Day of Atonement effects atonement from 16:30 which says, "For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you." And we learn that the death of the righteous effects atonement from 2 Sam 21:14 which says, "And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son," and then says, "After that God was entreated for the land." (Leviticus Rabbah 20:12. 5th C Israel)

Chapter 16 of Leviticus, the first section of Acharei Mot - describes the avodat Yom Ha-kippurim, the ritual service performed in the Temple on Yom Kippur and forms the basis for what is known as the avoda section of the Yom Kippur prayer service, which we recite to commemorate the sacrificial rituals performed on the Day of
Atonement when the Temple stood.
Numerous different sacrifices were offered on Yom Kippur. In addition to the two daily tamid offerings, which the Torah described earlier, in Parashat Tetzaveh (Shemot 29:38-42; see also Bamidbar 28:1-8), the day of Yom Kippur required the offering of a musaf (literally, "additional") sacrifice, as did all the festivals (see Bamidbar 28:9-29:39, especially 29:7-11). Parashat Acharei- Mot, however, discusses only the special atonement ritual of Yom Kippur, which has no parallel on any other day of the year. This ritual consisted of four sacrifices: two offerings brought by the kohen gadol himself for his personal atonement, and two other animal sacrifices brought on behalf of the entire nation. The nation's offering consisted of two he-goats, one of which was slaughtered in general accordance with standard sacrificial procedures (though with several unique features), whereas the other was sent away into the wilderness, signifying the "banishment" of the nation's sins.

במדבר כ״ט:ז׳-י״א

(ז) וּבֶעָשׂוֹר֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י הַזֶּ֗ה מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כָּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ (ח) וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם עֹלָ֤ה לַֽיהוָה֙ רֵ֣יחַ נִיחֹ֔חַ פַּ֧ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר אֶחָ֖ד אַ֣יִל אֶחָ֑ד כְּבָשִׂ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָה֙ שִׁבְעָ֔ה תְּמִימִ֖ם יִהְי֥וּ לָכֶֽם׃ (ט) וּמִנְחָתָ֔ם סֹ֖לֶת בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה עֶשְׂרֹנִים֙ לַפָּ֔ר שְׁנֵי֙ עֶשְׂרֹנִ֔ים לָאַ֖יִל הָאֶחָֽד׃ (י) עִשָּׂרוֹן֙ עִשָּׂר֔וֹן לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ הָאֶחָ֑ד לְשִׁבְעַ֖ת הַכְּבָשִֽׂים׃ (יא) שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד חַטָּ֑את מִלְּבַ֞ד חַטַּ֤את הַכִּפֻּרִים֙ וְעֹלַ֣ת הַתָּמִ֔יד וּמִנְחָתָ֖הּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃ (פ)

Numbers 29:7-11

(7) On the tenth day of the same seventh month you shall observe a sacred occasion when you shall practice self-denial. You shall do no work. (8) You shall present to the LORD a burnt offering of pleasing odor: one bull of the herd, one ram, seven yearling lambs; see that they are without blemish. (9) The meal offering with them—of choice flour with oil mixed in—shall be: three-tenths of a measure for a bull, two-tenths for the one ram, (10) one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. (11) And there shall be one goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of expiation and the regular burnt offering with its meal offering, each with its libation.

Rabbi Levi says: Eight sections were said on the day that the Tabernacle was erected, on the first of Nisan. They are: The section of the priests (Leviticus 21:1–22:26); the section of the Levites (Numbers 8:5–26); the section of the impure (Leviticus 13:1– 14:57); the section of the sending away of the impure (Numbers 5:1–4); the section beginning with the words “After the death” (Leviticus, chapter 16);the section dealing with priests who have become intoxicated with wine (Leviticus 10:8–11); the section of the lamps (Numbers 8:1–7); and the section of the red heifer (Numbers, chapter 19), as all of these sections are necessary for service in the Tabernacle. (BT Gittin 60a-b)

A detailed description of the ritual in the Second Temple is found in the Mishnah in the general description of the *avodah of the Day of Atonement: the high priest cast lots – upon one the word L-YHWH ("For the Lord") was written and upon the other La-ʿAzazel ("For Azazel"). Afterward he drew lots and on the head of the goat chosen for Azazel he bound a thread of crimson wool and stood the animal opposite the gate through which it would ultimately be taken (Yoma 4:1–2). After the high priest had performed several other rituals he returned to the goat, placed his hands on it and confessed: "O God, Thy people, the house of Israel, has sinned and transgressed before Thee…." He then handed the goat over to the person who was going to take it, called Iʾsh ʿItti (Lev. 16:21), i.e., the man who had been prepared for that time (et). Although any Jew was qualified to fulfill this function, the high priests did not allow non-priests to do it (Yoma 6:3). When the Iʾsh ʿItti reached the cliff, he pushed the goat over it backward and it hardly reached the halfway mark in its descent before it was completely dismembered (Yoma 6:2–6).

Question 2 Is the ritual in Chapter 16 done in order to purify the sanctuary or to purify the people of Israel? How and why would we decide?

Another interesting religious connection has been made in the area of purification or elimination rituals. Ida Zatelli argues that two parallel texts found at Ebla, which, as part of a coronation ritual, mention the use of a goat that is sent to the wilderness to purify a mausoleum, connect to the biblical ritual of the goat that was sent to ’Azazel, which was incorporated into the temple ritual on yom hakkipurim. Zatelli argues that the Ebla ritual stands as a precursor in the Syro-Palestinian religious milieu to the biblical one, which may also include Hurro-Hittite aspects of sacrificial blood sprinkling. However, she takes pains to point out that she has “not the slightest intention to establish a preferential link between Ebla and the Bible. [She] think[s] one may simply say that certain cultural factors and certain traditions covered a wider area than many had thought.”[1]

(From David DanzigEbla and the Bible: A Case Study in Comparative Semitics and Literature)

[1] Ida Zatelli, “The Origin of the Biblical Scapegoat Ritual: The Evidence of Two Eblaite Texts,” Vetus Testamentum, 48:2 (April, 1998), 263.

Is the elaborate service described in our chapter designed to enable a man to enter into the awesome Presence of God in the place where this Presence is most palpable and most powerful, or is it rather designed to purge the holiest place on earth from defilement and iniquity (or, rather, defilement resulting from iniquity)? Both possibilities are rooted in the text, and indeed we may suggest that the different understandings suggested by the commentators stem from tension located within the verses. Aharon is told that he may not enter "any time" into the Holy of Holies, but the Torah continues by elaborating, not upon the time he may enter, but rather the procedure by means of which he may enter. Only at the end of a lengthy ritual passage does the Torah return to discuss when he may enter: "And this shall be for you an eternal statute - in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month you shall afflict your souls... For on this day he shall atone for you to purify you..." (16:29-30). But this identification of a special time of year for this procedure is mentioned only in the context of the "eternal statute" - does it apply to Aharon as well (Avraham Walfisch)

ספר היובלים ל״ד:י״ב-כ״ה

(יב) וימצאם בארץ דותן ויארבו לו ויתנכלו אותו להמיתו:

(יג) ויהי בהנחמם על מחשבתם וימכרוהו לאורחות ישמעאלים:

(יד) ויורידו אותו מצרימה וימכרוהו לפוטיפר סריס פרעה שר הטבחים כהן און:

(טו) וישחטו בני יעקב שעיר עזים ויטבלו את כותנת יוסף בדמו וישלחו אותה אל יעקב בעשירי לחודש השביעי:

(טז) ויביאו אותה אליו ויאחזהו השבץ בהתאבלו על מותו ויאמר חיה רעה אכלה את יוסף:

(יז) וכל אנשי ביתו היו איתו ביום ההוא ותתפעם רוחם ויתאבלו עימו כל היום:

(יח) ויקומו בניו וביתו לנחמו וימאן להתנחם על בנו:

(יט) וביום ההוא שמעה בלהה כי אבד יוסף ותמת באבלה עליו בהיותה בקרפטיפה:

(כ) וגם דינה בתו מתה אחרי אבוד יוסף האבל המשולש הזה קרה את ישראל בחודש אחד:

(כא) ויקברו את בלהה לעומת קבורת רחל וגם את דינה בתו קברו שמה:

(כב) ויתאבל על יוסף שנה אחת ולא הסיר מעליו את האבל ויאמר כי ארד אל יוסף אבל שאולה:

(כג) לכן נועד בקרב בני ישראל להתאבל ביום העשירי לחודש השביעי ביום אשר הגיע שמע אבל יוסף אל יעקב אביו:

(כד) לבקש בו כפרה בשעיר עזים בעשור לחודש השביעי אחת בשנה על חטאתם כי הפכו את רחמי אביהם לאבל על יוסף בנו:

(כה) וביום הזה נועד להם להתאבל בו על חטאתיהם ועל כל פשעיהם ועל עוונותם להטהר ביום הזה אחת בשנה:

Book of Jubilees 34:12-25

(12) and he found them in the land of Dothan. And they dealt treacherously with him, and formed a plot against him to slay him, (13) but changing their minds, they sold him to Ishmaelite merchants, (14) and they brought him down into Egypt, and they sold him to Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief of the cooks, priest of the city of ’Êlêw.

(15) And the sons of Jacob slaughtered a kid, and dipped the coat of Joseph in the blood, and sent (it) to Jacob their father on the tenth of the seventh month. (16) And he mourned all that night, for they had brought it to him in the evening, and he became feverish with mourning for his death, and he said: "An evil beast hath devoured Joseph"; (17) and all the members of his house [mourned with him that day, and they] were grieving and mourning with him all that day. (18) And his sons and his daughter rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted for his son. (19) And on that day Bilhah heard that Joseph had perished, and she died mourning him, and she was living in Qafrâtêf

(20) and Dinah also, his daughter, died after Joseph had perished. And there came these three mournings upon Israel in one month. (21) And they buried Bilhah over against the tomb of Rachel, and Dinah also, his daughter, they buried there.

(22) And he mourned for Joseph one year, and did not cease, for he said "Let me go down to the grave mourning for my son." (23) For this reason it is ordained for the children of Israel that they should afflict themselves on the tenth of the seventh month--on the day that the news which made him weep for Joseph came to Jacob his father (24) --that they should make atonement for themselves thereon with a young goat on the tenth of the seventh month, once a year, for their sins; for they had grieved the affection of their father regarding Joseph his son. (25) And this day hath been ordained that they should grieve thereon for their sins, and for all their transgressions and for all their errors, so that they might cleanse themselves on that day once a year.

פרקי דרבי אליעזר מ״ו:ח׳-ט׳

(ח) אמר סמאל לפני הקב"ה רבון כל העולמים על כל העכומ"ז נתת לי רשות ועל ישראל אין אתה נותן לי רשות, אמר לו הרי יש לך רשות עליהם ביום הכפורים אם יש להם חטא, ואם לאו אין לך רשות עליהם, לפיכך נותנין לו שוחד ביום הכפורים שלא לבטל את ישראל שלא לבטל קרבן של ישראל, שנאמר "גורל אחד לה' וגורל אחד לעזאזל".

(ט) גורלו של הקב"ה קרבן עולה וגורלו של עזאזל שעיר חטאת, וכל עונותיהם של ישראל עליו, שנאמר "ונשא השעיר עליו את כל עונותם", ראה סמאל שלא נמצא בהם חטא ביום הכפורים אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם יש לך עם אחד בארץ כמלאכי השרת בשמים:
מה מלאכי השרת אין להם קפיצין כך ישראל עומדים על רגליהם ביום הכפורים.
מה מלאכי ישראל אין להם אכילה ושתיה כך ישראל אין להם אכילה ושתיה ביום הכפורים.
מה מלאכי השרת נקיים מכל חטא כך ישראל נקיים מכל חטא ביום הכפורים.
מה מלאכי השרת שלום מתווך ביניהם כך ישראל שלום מתווך ביניהם ביום הכפורים. והקב"ה שומע עתירותן של ישראל מן הקטיגור שלהם ומכפר על המזבח ועל הכהנים ועל כל עם הקהל למגדול ועד קטן, שנאמר "וכפר את מקדש הקדש".

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 46:8-9

(8) Sammael said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the universe ! Thou hast given me power over all the nations of the world, but over Israel Thou hast not given me power. He answered him, saying: Behold, thou hast power over them on the Day of Atonement if they have any sin, but if not, thou hast no power over them. Therefore they gave him a present on the Day of Atonement, in order that they should not bring their offering, as it is said, "One lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel" (Lev. 16:8).

(9) The lot for the Holy One, blessed be He, was the offering of a burnt offering, and the lot for Azazel was the goat as a sin offering, for all the iniquities of Israel were upon it, as it is said, "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities" (Lev. 16:22). Sammael saw that sin was not to be found among them on the Day of Atonement. He said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the universe ! Thou hast one people like the ministering angels who are in heaven. Just as the ministering angels || have bare feet, so have the Israelites bare feet on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels have neither food nor drink, so the Israelites have neither food nor drink on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels have no joints, in like wise the Israelites stand upon their feet. Just as the ministering angels have peace obtaining amongst them, so the Israelites have peace obtaining amongst them on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels are innocent of all sin on the Day of Atonement, so are the Israelites innocent of all sin on the Day of Atonement. The Holy One, blessed be He, hears the prayers of Israel rather than (the charges brought by) their accuser, and He makes atonement for the altar, and for the sanctuary, and for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation both great and small, as it is said, "And he shall make atonement for the holy place" (Lev. 16:16).

This shall be an eternal law for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must fast and not do any work … This is because on this day you shall have all your sins atoned [yechaper], so that you will be cleansed [le-taher]. Before God you will be cleansed of all your sins. (Lev. 16:29-30)
Two quite distinct processes were involved on Yom Kippur. First there was kapparah, atonement. This is the normal function of a sin offering. Second, there was teharah, purification, something normally done in a different context altogether, namely the removal of tumah, ritual defilement, which could arise from a number of different causes, among them contact with a dead body, skin disease, or nocturnal discharge. Atonement has to do with guilt. Purification has to do with contamination or pollution. These are usually[3] two separate worlds. On Yom Kippur they were brought together. Why?
We owe to anthropologists like Ruth Benedict[4] the distinction between shame cultures and guilt cultures.
Shame is a social phenomenon. It is what we feel when our wrongdoing is exposed to others. It may even be something we feel when we merely imagine other people knowing or seeing what we have done. Shame is the feeling of being found out, and our first instinct is to hide. That is what Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. They were ashamed of their nakedness and they hid.
Guilt is a personal phenomenon. It has nothing to do with what others might say if they knew what we have done, and everything to do with what we say to ourselves. Guilt is the voice of conscience, and it is inescapable. You may be able to avoid shame by hiding or not being found out, but you cannot avoid guilt. Guilt is self-knowledge.
There is another difference, which explains why Judaism is overwhelmingly a guilt rather than a shame culture. Shame attaches to the person. Guilt attaches to the act. It is almost impossible to remove shame once you have been publicly disgraced. It is like an indelible stain on your skin. Shakespeare has Lady Macbeth say, after her crime, “Will these hands ne’er be clean?” In shame cultures, wrongdoers tend either to go into exile, where no one knows their past, or to commit suicide. Playwrights have them die. (Jonathan Sacks)

Maimonides advances a symbolic approach to the se'ir ha-mishtalei'ach ritual. Clearly, the goat itself does not transport anybody's transgressions into the desert; the animal itself does not effect atonement, a power vested in only the Almighty. Rather, the image of a goat loaded with the "cargo" of the nation's sins and being driven into a wasteland conveys a critical message relevant to the theme of repentance, which of course lies at the heart of the Yom Kippur
experience. Maimonides writes:
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. But 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 from us as far as possible.
The goat's exile away from Jerusalem and into the uninhabited desert symbolizes the "banishment" of one's sins from his being.
In order to properly understand the significance of this message, compare this passage with Maimonides' description of teshuva (repentance) in his Code (Hilkhot Teshuva, 2:2): "What is repentance? It is that the sinner abandons his sin and removes it from his thought and resolves in his heart never to commit it again,...."Among the means of repentance is that the penitent constantly cries to God with tears and supplications, performs charity according to his ability, and distances himself greatly from the matter with regard to which he sinned." Teshuva thus entails much more than acknowledgment and verbal confession of guilt. It requires "abandoning" and "distancing" oneself from the act committed...... Herein, according to Maimonides, lies the critical message of the sa'ir ha-mishtalei'ach. This goat is not a "scapegoat" at all; this ceremony must not be mistaken for a mechanical guilt-transfer system. Quite to the contrary, it specifically expresses the grueling demands of the teshuva process and underscores the thorough internal transformation required of the penitent. If anything, the banishment of the goat impresses upon Benei Yisrael the need for comprehensive introspection and firm resolve to undergo a fundamental change of character. Not only must sins be never repeated; they must be driven as far away from one's mind as possible. (David Silverberg)

What is the significance of the simultaneous selection of two goats? This question becomes even more intriguing in light of the Mishnaic dictate (Yoma 6:1) that the goats chosen should be as similar as possible in stature, appearance and in cost.
Why are lots drawn to determine the fate of each goat? Why not simply designate without resorting to a ceremony of chance?
Are the sins of the people truly transferred to the “head of the goat,” as the text seems to indicate? Does the animal really become a scapegoat for our sins? Such an idea seems completely antithetical to Jewish Law and its prohibition of superstitious practice… To suggest that the Teshuva process can somehow be short-circuited through a magical act of transference of sins seems to fly in the face of all we believe. (Shmuel Goldin, Unlocking the Torah Text: Vayikra

AZAZEL (Heb. עֲזָאזֵל), name of the place or the "power" to which one of the goats in the Temple service of the Day of Atonement was sent. There is a great deal of confusion regarding the exact meaning of the word. The name appears in Leviticus (16:8–10): "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for the Lord, and offer him for a sin-offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before the Lord, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness."
The goat which was dispatched to Azazel was not a sacrifice since it was not slaughtered. From the actual verses themselves it is not even certain whether the goat was killed; thus it seems that the two goats can be compared to the two birds used in the purification ritual of the leper. Just as there one of the birds is set free to fly over the field (Lev. 14:4–7), so here too the goat of Azazel was sent into the wilderness. The goat was dispatched in order to carry the sins of Israel into the wilderness, i.e., to cleanse the people of their sins. This is also the reason why the ritual took place on the Day of Atonement. (Jewish Encyclopedia: Shmuel Ahituv contrib.)

In Babylonia, it was customary on the festival of Akītu (the New Year) to give a goat as a substitute for a human being (pūḫ) to Ereshkigal (the goddess of the abyss). In an Akkadian magical inscription from the city of Assur which deals with the cure for a man who is unable to eat and drink, it is prescribed that a goat should be tied to his bed and that thus the sickness will pass to the goat. On the following morning, the goat is to be taken to the desert and decapitated. Its flesh is then cooked and put in a pit together with honey and oil, perhaps as an offering to the demons. During plagues, the Hittites used to send a goat into enemy territory in order that it should carry the plague there. On the head of the goat they would bind a crown made of colored wool, comparable perhaps to the thread of crimson wool which was tied to the head of the goat in the Second Temple period (Yoma 4:2). In the Hellenistic world there were also "scapegoat" rituals, but they had the custom to take a man as "scapegoat" and not an animal. In some places these rituals were performed in times of trouble, in others at fixed appointed times of the year. Shmuel Ahituv Jewish Enc.

יחזקאל מ״ה:ט״ז-כ׳

(טז) כֹּ֚ל הָעָ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ יִהְי֖וּ אֶל־הַתְּרוּמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את לַנָּשִׂ֖יא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (יז) וְעַֽל־הַנָּשִׂ֣יא יִהְיֶ֗ה הָעוֹל֣וֹת וְהַמִּנְחָה֮ וְהַנֵּסֶךְ֒ בַּחַגִּ֤ים וּבֶחֳדָשִׁים֙ וּבַשַּׁבָּת֔וֹת בְּכָֽל־מוֹעֲדֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֽוּא־יַעֲשֶׂ֞ה אֶת־הַחַטָּ֣את וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֗ה וְאֶת־הָֽעוֹלָה֙ וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָמִ֔ים לְכַפֵּ֖ר בְּעַ֥ד בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס) (יח) כֹּה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ תִּקַּ֥ח פַּר־בֶּן־בָּקָ֖ר תָּמִ֑ים וְחִטֵּאתָ֖ אֶת־הַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃ (יט) וְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֜ן מִדַּ֣ם הַחַטָּ֗את וְנָתַן֙ אֶל־מְזוּזַ֣ת הַבַּ֔יִת וְאֶל־אַרְבַּ֛ע פִּנּ֥וֹת הָעֲזָרָ֖ה לַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְעַ֨ל־מְזוּזַ֔ת שַׁ֖עַר הֶחָצֵ֥ר הַפְּנִימִֽית׃ (כ) וְכֵ֤ן תַּֽעֲשֶׂה֙ בְּשִׁבְעָ֣ה בַחֹ֔דֶשׁ מֵאִ֥ישׁ שֹׁגֶ֖ה וּמִפֶּ֑תִי וְכִפַּרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַבָּֽיִת׃

Ezekiel 45:16-20

(16) In this contribution, the entire population must join with the prince in Israel. (17) But the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the libations on festivals, new moons, sabbaths—all fixed occasions—of the House of Israel shall be the obligation of the prince; he shall provide the sin offerings, the meal offerings, the burnt offerings, and the offerings of well-being, to make expiation for the House of Israel. (18) Thus said the Lord GOD: On the first day of the first month, you shall take a bull of the herd without blemish, and you shall cleanse the Sanctuary. (19) The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and apply it to the doorposts of the Temple, to the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and to the doorposts of the gate of the inner court. (20) You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month to purge the Temple from uncleanness caused by unwitting or ignorant persons.

Another liturgical element unique to Yom Kippur is the recital of a detailed description of the high priest’s temple service on that day. The high priest read the prescription for the service from the Torah as part of his service in the temple. However, prior to the amoraic period, we have no evidence that a detailed description of this ceremony, as performed in the Second Temple period, was part of the synagogue service. The evidence that such a custom existed in the times of the amora’im is a halakhic discussion on the order of Yom Kippur service in the temple, the Bavli reports two cases in which prayer leaders recounted the details of Yom Kippur service as conducted in the temple in a particular order, and amora’im who were present commented on this order (Yoma 36b; 56b).
This recounting of the temple service probably predated the earliest available evidence for its existence. This recounting may have taken place even when the temple existed among people who were not able to visually observe the day’s temple service. However, Philo’s description of the day’s activities does not include it. Ismar Elbogen reckons that the original account of the temple service used for this purpose was based on tractate Yoma of the Mishnah. The implication of this is that the present custom must have begun some time after the redaction of the Mishnah. However, the description of the temple service in tractate Yoma is considered one of the earliest mishnahs, perhaps dating to before the destruction of the temple....
Nevertheless, we have evidence that already in the Second Temple period there were Jews who spent Yom Kippur in prayer. At the beginning of the 1st century CE, Philo, writing about Yom Kippur, informs us .“that every one is at this time occupied in prayers and supplications . . . . They all devote their entire leisure to nothing else from morning till evening, except to supplicatory prayers by which they endeavour to gain the favour of God, entreating pardon for their sins and hoping for his mercy.” (De specialibus legibus 2:196). Philo explains that this is one of the
reasons that the holiness of Yom Kippur exceeds that of the Sabbath, such that the Torah calls it .“Shabbat Shabbaton.” or .“day of complete rest.” (Lev 23:32; Philo, ibid., 2:194).
Rabbinic sources also characterize Yom Kippur as a day that the Jews spend inside their synagogues. Abba Saul, a mid-second-century tanna, testifed that people would remain awake all night, in commemoration of the practice of the high priest and his entourage in the temple (b. Yoma 19b;
(Joseph Tabory the history of the liturgy of yom kippur)