This sheet on Leviticus 16 was written by Chayva Lehrman for 929 and can also be found here
The word “scapegoat” first appeared in its modern usage in 1824, evolved from Tyndale’s coining of the term in 1530, “the goat sent into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement, symbolic bearer of the sins of the people.” Tyndale was, of course, translating from a much older source: Leviticus 16:
“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” (16:21).
Through the scapegoat, Aaron annually purges the Israelite community of its collective sin. More precisely, Aaron lays his hands - v’samach Aharon - on the head of the goat and channels the Israelites’ collective sin onto it, thus exploiting the contagious nature of impurity towards pure ends.
The same verb is used in the first Jewish leadership transition, from Moses to Joshua: “He laid his hands - vayismach et yadav - upon him and commissioned him—as the LORD had spoken through Moses” (Numbers 27:23).
This model and terminology are still used in modern rabbinical ordination (smicha), placing the caretakers of our community in a legacy of divine commission. This legacy is further emphasized in the opening line of Pirke Avot: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua and Joshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly.”
Transmission of Torah preserves a bit of the holiness given at Sinai.
What does it mean that both sin and holiness can be transmitted? That the transmission itself is a holy act. In the verses immediately following the scapegoat ritual, Aaron must carefully remove his clothes, bathe in water, and offer a burnt sacrifice. By doing so, he demarcates and crosses the boundary between the sacred smicha and the mundane.
As teachers of Torah, transmitters of the holiness of our tradition, may we also take steps to recognize and protect the holiness of this work.
“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” (16:21).
Through the scapegoat, Aaron annually purges the Israelite community of its collective sin. More precisely, Aaron lays his hands - v’samach Aharon - on the head of the goat and channels the Israelites’ collective sin onto it, thus exploiting the contagious nature of impurity towards pure ends.
The same verb is used in the first Jewish leadership transition, from Moses to Joshua: “He laid his hands - vayismach et yadav - upon him and commissioned him—as the LORD had spoken through Moses” (Numbers 27:23).
This model and terminology are still used in modern rabbinical ordination (smicha), placing the caretakers of our community in a legacy of divine commission. This legacy is further emphasized in the opening line of Pirke Avot: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua and Joshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly.”
Transmission of Torah preserves a bit of the holiness given at Sinai.
What does it mean that both sin and holiness can be transmitted? That the transmission itself is a holy act. In the verses immediately following the scapegoat ritual, Aaron must carefully remove his clothes, bathe in water, and offer a burnt sacrifice. By doing so, he demarcates and crosses the boundary between the sacred smicha and the mundane.
As teachers of Torah, transmitters of the holiness of our tradition, may we also take steps to recognize and protect the holiness of this work.
Chayva Lehrman is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York
929 is the number of chapters in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, the formative text of the Jewish heritage. It is also the name of a cutting-edge project dedicated to creating a global Jewish conversation anchored in the Hebrew Bible. 929 English invites Jews everywhere to read and study Tanakh, one chapter a day, Sunday through Thursday together with a website with creative readings and pluralistic interpretations, including audio and video, by a wide range of writers, artists, rabbis, educators, scholars, students and more. As an outgrowth of the web-based platform, 929 English also offers classes, pop-up lectures, events and across North America. We invite you to learn along with us and be part of our dynamic community.
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
