During the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Kohen Gadol would offer a special series of sacrifices on Yom Kippur to bring atonement for the people. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Yom Kippur service was a pair of goats, which were sacrificed in two very different ways. The Kohen Gadol would cast lots, picking out of a box two pieces of wood, one of which bore the inscription "L'Hashem" ("for G-d"), and the other "La'azazel." He would then place one piece of wood on each goat, determining their fates. The goat designated "L'Hashem" was sacrificed, and its blood was sprinkled in the Kodesh Ha'kodashim – the inner chamber of the Bet Ha'mikdash, where nobody was allowed to enter, except the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. The other goat, which was designated "La'azazel," was brought several miles outside Jerusalem into the desert, where it was thrown from a cliff.

What is the meaning behind these two goats? Why were two separate goats needed for atonement, and why was one goat "sacrificed" by being killed in the desert?

One answer might be that the two goats correspond to the two basic categories of Misvot in the Torah – our obligations toward Hashem ("Ben Adam La'Makom"), and our obligations to our fellow man ("Ben Adam La'habero"). One goat atoned for sins committed against the Almighty, whereas the other atoned for interpersonal offenses. Indeed, the Talmud teaches that the two goats were to be precisely identical to one another – alluding to the fact that these two areas of Torah are of equal importance. One cannot be considered a devoted Torah Jew if he observes only the ritual laws, between man and G-d, without concern for other people, or if he is kind and generous toward others but neglects his obligations to Hashem. Both elements are equally vital components of Torah life.

The Sa'ir L'Hashem – the goat sacrificed in the Bet Ha'mikdash – clearly corresponds to the area of "Ben Adam La'Makom." Its blood is brought into the Kodesh Ha'kodashim, where no people are present, and the Kohen Gadol stands alone with Hashem. This chamber represents a person's relationship to Hashem, and so this sacrifice atones for sins committed against the Almighty.

The second goat, which was brought out into the desert, atones for the wrongs committed against other people. The explanation might be that this unusual sacrifice alludes to the first incident of fraternal strife among the Jewish Nation – the story of Yosef and his brothers. It was in the desert where the brothers threw Yosef into a pit, essentially casting him from the family ("Ha'bor Ha'zeh Asher Ba'midbar" – Bereshit 37:22). Throwing the goat off the cliff perhaps symbolizes the casting of Yosef into the pit, the first sin "Ben Adam La'habero" that our nation committed, which forms the origin and basis of all subsequent interpersonal offenses.

This association between the Sa'ir La'azazel and the story of Yosef might explain another aspect of the Yom Kippur service. Before the goat was sent out to the desert, a piece of red string was taken and cut into two pieces – one which was then placed between the goat's horns, while the other was hung in the Bet Ha'mikdash. After the goat was thrown off the cliff, the piece of string in the Bet Ha'mikdash would miraculously turn white, symbolizing G-d's forgiveness of the people's sins. The Gemara comments that this string was to have a very specific value – precisely two silver coins. Not coincidentally, the Gemara elsewhere teaches that Yosef's brothers grew jealous, to the point where they sold him as a slave, because of the special garment that their father made for him, which contained two silver coins' worth of material more than the garments he made for them. The string that was attached to the horns of the "Sair La'azazel" thus reminds us of the pettiness that leads to jealousy and hostility, and can ultimately tear apart families and relationships.

As part of our repentance on Yom Kippur, we are called upon to examine our conduct in both areas of religious life. Alongside our efforts to improve our service of Hashem, we must also consider the way we treat the people around us, in our family, in our school, yeshiva or workplace, in our community, and wherever we interact with other people. Honesty, humility, respect, courtesy, patience and courteousness are no less crucial a part of Torah life than prayer, Torah study, Shabbat, Sisit and Tefillin. It is through the combination of "Ben Adam La'Makom" and "Ben Adam La'habero" that we live complete Torah lives and become worthy of Hashem's unlimited blessings.

More lectures from Rabbi Eli Mansour

The Two Yom Kippur Goats

Beki'im BaHalacha - Asher Yasar: An Eminent Blessing - Halachot 20-24 and Berkat Asher Yasar Bekavanah Day 28

Yom Kippur: Lighting Candles (Including when the holiday falls out on Shabbat)

Halachot of Habdala When Yom Kippur Falls on Shabbat

Beki'im BaHalacha - Asher Yasar: An Eminent Blessing - Halachot 17-19 and Berkat Asher Yasar Bekavanah Day 27

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