Acharei Mot-Kedoshim - Leviticus 16:1-20:27 - 5/9/25

This week we have a double Torah portion, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. Acharei Mot begins with a description of the rituals and sacrifices for what will become known as Yom Kippur. It includes a rather strange procedure, whereby the High Priest brings forth two goats. He draws lots to determine which goat will be sacrificed, and which goat will be designated for Azazel, to make atonement with it.   

The question is, who or what is Azazel, and what does it mean for a goat to be sent to Azazel ‘to make atonement with it’? In later Jewish texts in the Apocrypha (Jewish literature that didn’t make it into the Bible for whatever reasons) Azazel is sometimes a demonic figure and sometimes an angel that rebelled against God. The Torah does not explain, it assumes the reader knows who/what Azazel is. 

The Rabbis and later translators were embarrassed by this belief in demonology and what is most likely a remnant of pagan beliefs.  They came up with a variety of translations to get around this reality, either a ‘steep place’ or ‘dismissal’ or simply ‘the goat that departs’.

But even more than their embarrassment over these primitive beliefs, was the Rabbis’ discomfort with the idea that a person could simply transfer their sins to an animal or object, send it away, and thereby be forgiven for transgressions. Rather, the Rabbis emphasized that each person is responsible for making teshuvah – for returning to the right path. They laid out four steps toward atonement or teshuvah – admitting the fault, asking forgiveness, making restitution, and refraining from repeating the sin. 

They also were concerned, as were the Prophets, that people not make the mistake of thinking a ritual was sufficient to reach atonement. Ritual is necessary, but not sufficient, as the Prophets remind us. Fasting and beating the breast does not achieve atonement but deeds of charity and loving kindness, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, supporting the widow and orphan, freeing the captive, and treating the stranger among us the same as the citizen. These are necessary to be on the right path.

-Rabbi Bonnie Margulis