Yom Kippur Temple Service

It makes sense that the goat offered to G-d should be the best and the nicest, but why does the scapegoat need to be perfect?

Chp. 16 verses 8 - 17: Continues with the service of the high priest on Yom Kippor.

Chp. 16 verses 3 - 7: Continues with the Yom Kippur service. The sacrifices that the high priest brought for himself and his family. Then the clothing that he wore while officiating.

What a letdown it was for many of us to learn that being clean and sober was not the elixir of love that we sought. Recovery didn't suddenly make us so irresistibly charming and desirable...

The power of ritual is that it does not speak in abstractions – reason versus emotion, instinctual deferral rather than gratification

There is another difference, which explains why Judaism is overwhelmingly a guilt rather than a shame culture.

Why two identical animals whose fate, so different, was decided by the drawing of a lot? And who or what was Azazel?

And Aaron shall place lots upon the two he goats: one lot "For the L-rd," and the other lot, "For Azazel." And Aaron shall bring the he goat upon which the lot, "For the L-rd," came up, and designate it as a sin offering. And the he goat upon which the lo...

Artist Statement: The Kohen Gadol and the goats - part of the Yom Kippur Temple service.

The scapegoat has been a laughingstock, fodder for the scoffers, since time immemorial. Even the Talmud singles out the scapegoat – from amongst all the sacrifices – as a potential source of derision.