Acharei Mot - Kedoshim 5786

The most striking element of the Yom Kippur service was the ritual of the two goats: identical in appearance, one chosen “for the Lord” and sacrificed, the other sent “to Azazel” after the High Priest confessed over it the sins of the people. This second goat, later known as the scapegoat, was driven into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the nation’s wrongdoing. The meaning of “Azazel” is debated—some interpret it as a rugged place, others as a term meaning “the goat that goes away”—but the deeper question is the purpose of this unusual ritual, since typically sins were confessed over the animal that was sacrificed, not the one released.

Maimonides explains that the ritual was symbolic, designed to make people feel as though their sins had been removed and cast far away, inspiring genuine repentance. Still, Yom Kippur involves more than standard atonement (kapparah); it also includes purification (taharah). Atonement addresses guilt—the inner awareness of wrongdoing—while purification addresses a sense of defilement or stain. These two processes, usually separate, are brought together on Yom Kippur to deal not only with individual failings but also with the collective moral state of the community.

This dual process reflects the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt relates to actions and can be repaired through confession and forgiveness, while shame attaches to the person and lingers even after forgiveness is granted. The scapegoat ritual addresses this deepe