The Gemorah in Mesechta Megilah relates that when Hashem told Avrohom Avinu that korbanos will atone for sins, Avrohom asked, “How about when there is no Bais Hamikdosh and no karbanos?”
The Eibershter responded, “I enacted a regimen to recite orally the process of the offering of the korbanos. Reciting it will be considered as if the actual korban was offered and I will forgive the aveiros.”
Let us analyze closely the three korbanos that were brought on Yom Kippur by the Kohen Gadol. The par/bull and sair/goat were brought to atone for “Tumas mikdosh vikodoshav”- defilement of the Mikdosh through impurity. This includes atoning for one who may have eaten kodshim or entered the Bais Hamikdosh in a state of tumah. These aveiros did not have a designated individual korban and its atonement was only achieved via the Kohen Gadol’s two korbanos on Yom Kippur. Most of the action in the Bais Hamikdosh on Yom Kippur, including the Kohen Gadol’s hallowed entry into the Kodesh Hakodoshim, the frequent changing of his outfits from golden ones to the special white garments, the many immersions in the mikvah, the various sprinklings of the blood in several dedicated places, were for the sole purpose of attaining atonement for defiling the Bais Hamikdosh with tumah.
The third and final korban of the Kohen Gadol was the second sair/goat. This was laden with all the sins of the entire Jewish people and was cast over the cliff to Azazel, thus achieving atonement on behalf of the entire nation for all types of aveiros. Amongst these aveiros were those done purposely and those incurring the penalty of death.
If this goat was empowered to cast away all these serious aveiros, why could it not also include the aveiros of tumah in the Bais Hamikdosh? Why did that aveirah require its own dedicated korban?
Additionally, the Maharil points out that the amount of piyutim recited that are dedicated to the goat brought for the lone aveirah of tumah, is immensely disproportionate in comparison to the few words referring to the goat that atoned for all of the aveiros. The aveirah of tumah is virtually extinct today since we do not have the Bais Hamikdosh, whereas the other aveiros are relevant today and now! Avrohom Avinu was promised that recitation of the procedures of the korbanos would replace the actual korbanos and provide equal atonement. It would seem logical that the majority of piyutim should address the goat sent off the cliff, rather than the lone aveirah of tumah.
The Meshech Chochmah poses an additional, powerful question. The Gemorah in Mesechta Sukkah informs us that the seventy bull-offerings were brought on Sukkos to atone for the nations of the world. We are also told that the additional korbanos that were brought were to atone for the aveirah of tumah in the Bais Hamikdosh. We never find that the nations of the world had opportunity to bring tumah to the Bais Hamikdosh, so what is the need for this kaparah?
Rav Meir Simcha explains that the p’shat is that the Mikdosh in its very essence is referring to Klal Yisroel, as the possuk states, “Viosu li mikdosh vishochanti bisocham”. ‘Bisocham’ means ‘in them’- in the Jewish people. The main residence of the Shechina is inside the people themselves. If the Mikdosh is represented by the Yid, then tumas mikdosh is to defile a Yid. The nations of the world require atonement for tarnishing the Yidden with their devious actions and corrupt minds and philosophy.
In every aveirah that a person commits, aside from the transgression, a person’s neshamah becomes tainted to its core. Although the goat sent off the cliff achieves atonement for the actual transgression, the stain on the neshamah must be uprooted and removed. That is the specific function of the goat; to cleanse the soul from the stain on his neshamah. This is the purpose of the complex process at the hands of the Kohen Gadol. The neshamah, where the essence of the Yid lies, must undergo a thorough cleansing process. The goat flying off the cliff laden with all the aveiros of the entire Jewish people operates in tandem with the other goat that cleanses and purifies the core essence of a Yid.
Tumas Mikdosh is not a lone aveirah. It contaminates the soul at its deepest connection to Hashem. Reading the portion of the Avodas Yom Kippur in the Mussaf section of the Machzor is not merely paying lip-service. This recital is a deep cleaning of the neshamah, returning it to its purest form and reattaching to Hashem.
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