Divrei Acharei Mos
A Goat Sent Away
Of all the special
services in the Bais HaMikdash during Yom Kippur, certainly the most mysterious
is that of the Seir HaMishtalayach, the “scapegoat.” Two goats, equal in size,
appearance, and value, are made the objects of a two-ticket lottery. One is
awarded “to Hashem,” and the other, “to Azazel.” The one to Hashem is brought as
a chatos offering. The one to Azazel has a unique end. After the Kohen Gadol
confesses all of Klal Yisroel’s sins upon it, it is led into the desert and
pushed off a cliff, and the rocks below rapidly tear it into pieces. Why, on the
one day that we as a nation beg for Hashem’s mercy, do we commit such an act of
cruelty?
Even more unusual than the method of sacrifice is the result. At the moment of the goat’s violent demise, a scarlet thread set up in the Bais HaMikdash would miraculously turn white, proclaiming to Klal Yisroel that their sins had been forgiven. Which sins? Says the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 1:2): Practically all of them. If a Jew had done teshuva for any sin, no matter how terrible, the goat’s death atoned for it. Even if he had not done teshuva, as long as that sin was not a false oath and did not involve kares or misoh as punishments, he came out of Yom Kippur cleansed of that sin.
How does one goat accomplish such a turnabout? After all, the complex ceremony of a chatos offering could only atone for one sin of one person, yet here, potentially that goat could wipe out millions of sins for all Klal Yisroel. Among them would be such serious transgressions such as eating pig, speaking loshon hara, committing bitul Torah – all completely forgiven, without an iota of teshuva!?!
And just who is Azazel?
Says HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l, one approach might be found in the Zohar (3:Emor:87b), which some read before the tekios of Rosh HaShanah. Granted that we don’t understand the full meaning of this passage, but it does offer us a sparkling glimpse into the sheer depth of events which are familiar to us.
In essence, the Zohar finds symbolic meaning in Parshios Toldos and Vayishlach. On Rosh HaShanah, the Midas HaDin rules. It is symbolized by Yitzchok, whose eyes are “dimmed from seeing.” He therefore sends for his son Esav, the Prosecutor, and orders him, “Go out to the field and hunt game for me,” i.e. bring me all the sins of Klal Yisroel. When Rivka, the Midas HaRachamim, hears Yitzchok speaking to Esav, she warns Yaakov – Klal Yisroel – who then responds with prayers and supplications – “the voice is the voice of Yaakov.” In place of Esav, Yaakov then comes close to Yitzchok, and Yitzchok eats; that is, the Midas HaDin is brought the many mitzvos of Klal Yisroel, instead of their sins. Yitzchok smells “the smell of Yaakov’s clothes,” i.e. he takes note of the prayers of Klal Yisroel. Hashem then k’vi’yachol allows his anger to cool, the sins are scattered, He rejoices with us, and we leave Rosh HaShanah, triumphant in happiness.
However, when Esav hears that he has been outfoxed, he hates Yaakov, to the point of bringing terrible accusations upon him. Therefore, Yaakov repents during the Aseres Yimei Teshuva. When Yom Kippur arrives, and Yaakov sees Esav coming with ‘four hundred men” -- with his accusations -- he is greatly afraid. Therefore, he increases his prayers, those of Yom Kippur, and puts into action a new strategy: “I will appease him [Esav] with the tribute that precedes me, and afterwards I will face him.” And what is first on the list of animals that Yaakov sends? Goats. When Esav receives the gifts, he reverses himself completely, declaring, “Let us go – I will proceed alongside you.” Yaakov politely refuses, Esav leaves on “that day, on his way to Seir,” and Hashem forgives Klal Yisroel for all their sins. Yaakov then celebrates his victory over Esav. How do we rejoice? “Yaakov journeyed to Succos and built himself a house, and for his livestock he made shelters; he therefore called the name of the place Succos.” Likewise, we build our succos and dwell in them, joyous and secure in our closeness with Hashem. Here ends the Zohar.
Immediately, one question comes to mind. One overriding theme of the gedolei mussar is that we should never make any compromises with the Yetzer Hara. Rather, we should push him away. How then can we bribe Esav with a goat?
Answers Rav Pincus: Something else is going on. Esav and his descendants have an overwhelming taste for violence – Yitzchok blessed Esav with “You will live by your sword.” For example, HaRav Sholom Meir Wallach shlit”a brings a maaseh from HaRav Chaim Brisker zt”l who was discussing Ivan the Terrible, the first Czar of Russia, who was reputed to be so bloodthirsty that he began every meal by watching his servants murder a person, right in front of him. “Really, they’re all like that,” said Rav Chaim, “but the only difference is that Ivan had the wherewithal to do it, and they do not.” We do not have to look far to see that “there is nothing new beneath the sun.” (Koheles 1:9)
Klal Yisroel, however, thrives upon spirituality – one hundred eighty degrees opposite of Esav. When we are in a state of purity, violence for its own sake revolts us.
Now the order of service can be understood. The two goats symbolize the two pathways. The blood of the goat to Hashem is sprinkled upon the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies, the apex of spirituality. The goat to Azazel is destroyed in an unusually cruel manner. When we get the spirituality that we want, and Esav gets the blood that he craves, the world is in a state of harmony: there is no rivalry, there is no prosecution -- and there is no bribery.
However, should we attempt to take Esav’s portion, by allowing his coldly vicious world into ours, then Esav has legitimate claims that he can bring to Hashem, saying, “Not only has Klal Yisroel neglected their own portion, they have even taken what my father Yitzchok promised me!” Therefore, today, when we have no Yom Kippur service, our pathway to accomplishing its unique effects must involve searching and ferreting out all aspects of Esav’s ugly world from our lives.
Why do we take two kosher animals and not, say, a goat for us and a pig for Esav? Answers Rav Pincus, the main area where we must strive to separate from Esav is not simple issur v’heter. Rather, Esav’s most insidious influence comes in the “gray areas,” where we must make ourselves kedoshim, as opposed to “boors within the permission of the Torah,” as the Ramban says it.
Who was Azazel? The Yalkut Shimoni (Breishis 44) brings a maaseh. When the Dor HaMabul forgot about Hashem and worshipped idols, two malachim, Shamchazai and Azael, k’v’yachol reminded Hashem that they had warned Him not to create humanity. “If we went down there, we would not sin,” they claimed. Hashem let them go down, and they became the worst sinners in the world, the “sons of the rulers [who] saw that the daughters of man were good, and they took themselves wives from whomever they chose.” (Breishis 6:2) Their children became those giants who committed murder, adultery, and robbery and so helped seal the doom of that generation. (Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer 22)
What happened to these literally fallen angels? Shamchazai eventually did teshuva, “hanging himself, feet above head, between heaven and earth,” where he stays to this day. Azael, however, never repented, and he has kept on as a destructive force, tempting people to sin. Therefore, says the Yalkut, the goat is for Azazel [a variation of Azael] that he should bear the sins of Klal Yisroel that he has brought about.
What was the two malachim’s mistake? Says Rav Pincus: they did not know their place. (Avos 6:6) Instead of staying in heaven, where they belonged, they saw earth as a greener pasture, and failed. Shamchazai’s chosen place of teshuva, “between heaven and earth,” illustrates his acceptance of his mistake. Likewise, when Klal Yisroel sees its destiny not in “the voice of Yaakov” but in “the hands of Esav,” we are in mortal danger.
Therefore, middah-k’neged middah, when we do not succeed in ridding our own world of Esav, he can prosecute us. How many times have we been made a “scapegoat” by those very nations that we have most sought to imitate?
The Rabbi without a Beard
as told by Rav Shalom Meir Wallach
While HaRav Tzvi Hirsch
zt”l, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Yeshiva of Kreestshov, certainly was well-versed in
the mitzvoh proscribing shaving the peyos hazakan (which appears in this week’s
parsha), he could never practice it, for his face had not even a whisker upon
it. In fact, he looked very young, and if the citizens had not been familiar
with his erudition in learning, they might not have given him the honor that he
deserved.
One day, however, a woman arrived from another city. She had a question so difficult that her own rav had sent her to Rav Hirsch. When she entered the city, she had no idea where to go. Then, she spotted Rav Hirsch, who was standing by the road. She approached him and innocently asked him, “Excuse me, little boy, can you please tell me where the Rabbi lives?” Thinking quickly, he gave her directions, then quickly took a different route home and sat in his chair.
Soon, she arrived at his house and was allowed to enter. When she came in, she saw that the “little boy” whom she had treated as a child, was in fact the Rosh HaYeshiva himself. She felt so bad that she had not honored him properly that she fainted on the spot!
As everyone came to revive her, Rav Hirsch cried out, “Ribono Shel Olam! Because of my appearance, a lady from Yisroel fainted?!”
That very night, a miracle happened. Overnight, Rav Hirsch’s face became graced with a full beard!