Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) word "Goralos"?
Targum Yonasan and Yoma, 37a: To teach us that the two lots should be equal - not one of gold, the other, of silver, or one large, one small.
Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) words "Echad" both by "la'Hashem and by "la'Azazel"?
Yoma, 37a: To teach the Kohen Gadol to place only the relevant Goral on each goat, and not both Goralos on each of them. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 33.
Having written "Goralos", why does the Torah insert the word "Goral" both by "la'Hashem and by 'la'Azazel"
Yoma, 37b: To teach us that, as opposed to the Tzitz, on which the Name Havayah was written, the Goralos -one of which also contained the Name Havayah - did not need to be made of gold, but could be made of olive-wood, nut-wood or 'Eshke'ro'a (box-tree wood).
What is the definition of ''Azazel"?
Ramban #1 (citing the Sifra), Rashbam #1 and Yoma 67b #1: It means 'to the toughest mountain' 3 - in barren terrain 4 , like the Torah writes in Pasuk 22 "el Eretz 5 Gezeirah". 6
Ramban #2 (citing the Ibn Ezra - and Rosh #1): It means 'the goat goes'. 7
Rashbam #2: The ?Lamed? is superfluous, 8 and the word means ?to a location where goats graze?.
Moshav Zekenim #1 (citing Yoma, 67b #2): The word alludes to Uza and Aza'el, two angels that descended before the flood who caused the flood due their adulterous behavior 9 - which is why it atones for Arayos. 10
Moshav Zekenim #2 (citing a Midrash Agadah): It is an angel that used to prosecute against Yisrael on Yom Kipur. Hashem said, if you were among them, also you would sin! The angel descended, and was intimate with Na'amah. Hashem decreed that he never ascend, and each year we send a goat to him to recall the episode and silence all prosecutors - they see what happened to one who prosecuted against Yisrael!
Rosh #2 (in Pasuk 22): It refers to Ma?adim (Mars), one of the seven [Kochvei Leches] that serve this world that causes murder through the sword. The Sa'ir la'Az?azel is a bribe to deactivate it. 11
Targum Yonasan and Yoma 67b #3: It means ?a hard and tough location?.
Presumably this is synonymous with 'rocky'.
Rashi: As implied in Pasuk 22 .
R. Bachye equates answers #1 & #2.
Ramban: As a matter of fact, "la'Aza'zel is the acronym of 'le'Az Azal' - 'it goes to a tough place. Rosh - the Eiz (goat) Azal (goes, to a mountain). See Torah Temimah, note 39, DH 'u'Mah she'Ra'u'.
Yoma, 37a: In the desert, as in Pasuk 10. See also Torah Temimah, note 38.
Refer to 16:22:0.4:1-3. Hadar Zekenim: It is sent to a barren land, for the Aveiros that it carries cause that nothing will grow there.
Ramban and Rosh: The acronym of "Az (Eiz) Azal".
As in ?Beis Arb?el?, in Hoshe?a 10:14. See Rashbam for other similr examples.
Refer to Bereishis, 6:2:1:3.
See Torah Temimah, nmote 39.
What is the significance of the goat going out to the desert?
Ramban and R. Bachye #1 (in Pasuk #7, both citing Pirkei de?R. Eliezer): The goat represents Eisav, 1 2 who carries the sins of Yisrael out to his domain (the desert). In fact, the Sa'ir la'Az?azel is in the form of a bribe to Sama'el, 3 the angel of Eisav, to dissuade him from prosecuting Yisrael 4 on the day of judgment (It can be compared to someone throwing a bone to a dog to prevent it from biting him ? R. Bachye). 5
R. Bachye #2 (citing Pirkei d?R Eliezer): When Hashem expelled Sama?el with his retinue from his location in heaven to a location below the Sefiros, he formed a Mechitzah (a barrier) between the Sefiro and th e Korbanos ? preventing the Korbanos from reaching the Shem ha?Meyuchad. 6 It therefore became necessary to send him a bribe ? in the form of the Sa?ir la?Az?azel, to turn the prosecutor into a defense counsel. 7
Ramban: Since 'Eiz' is synonymous with 'Sa'ir' - and Eisav is called Se'ir. See Toldos, 27:11 & Bereishis 36:8 & 10.
R. Bachye: Eisav?s Mal?ach, Sama?el, alias the Yeitzer ha?Ra (and the Satan ), is also the angel of the destructive Mazal Ma?adim, whose power the goat is now going to curtail. Refer to 16:8:1:6. See R. Bachye ? citing Pirkei d?R. Eliezer - for more details.
Ramban and R. Bachye: Indeed, Pirkei d'R.Eliezer relates that, when Samael (who carried out all Yisrael's sins on the Sa'ir la'Az?azel) sees that Yisrael are without sin, he exclaims in amazement how special are Hashem's people and how they resemble the angels - inasmuch as, on Yom Kipur, they go barefooted, they do not eat and drink, they remain standing, they are at peace with each other and they do not sin - just like angels! And Haladosh-Baruch-Hu listens to the testimony of Yisrael?s prosecutor and atones for the Mikdash, the Mizbe?ach, the Kohanim and for the entire congregaton ? as the Torah will teach us in Pasuk 33.
See R. Bachye and R. Chavel?s footnotes note 17.
R. Bachye: It is also similar to the bird in the purificattion of the Metzora ceremony that was sent out to the field ? Refer to 14:7:21:2 ? and to the Eglah Arufah that was taken to an uncultivated valley ? See R. Chavel?s footnotes DH ?be?Nachal Eisan?.
This is actually an extention of answer #1.
See note 3 in answer #1.
What is the procedure of the lots?
Rashi and Targum Yonasan: Aharon places one of the goats on his right, the other, on his left; then he puts his hands into the box 1 (that is lying in front of him) and takes one lot in his right hand, and the other, in his left, 2 and places the one in his right hand, on the head of the goat on his right - and announces 'la'Shem Chatas'; and the one in his left hand, on the head of the goat on his left - and announces 'la'Azazel'.
What is the purpose of the lots?
Ramban #1 and R. Bachye #1 (in Pasuk #7): Had Aharon decided on his own which goat is for Hashem and which goat is for Az?azel, it would be akin to giving the former to Hashem, and the latter, to Az?azel. 1 But now that he drew lots, it is akin to giving both goats to Hashem, and it is Hashem who is sending it to Az?azel. 2 3
Ramban #2 and R. Bachye #2 (in Pasuk #7): ?Vehe?emid osam Lifnei Hashem? indicates that he is giving both goats to Hashem before the Goral, and ?ve?ha?Sa?ir asher Alah alav ha?Goral la?Az?azel? indicates that, after the Goral, he is giving also the Sa?ir la?Az?azel to Hashem (and he is only sending it out to Az?azel because that is the will of Hashem [the Owner] ? Ramban). 4
See Ramban DH ?ve?ha'Mashal?.
As indicated by the Pasuk in Mishlei, 16:33 ??be?Cheik Yutal es ha?Goral u?me?Hashem Kol Mishpato?.
R. Bachye: And by the same token, when Mano?ach gave the Mal?ach a Korban ? it was really to Hashem that he gave it, and it was due to the will of Hashem that the Mal?ach benefited from it. And so it is regarding the Korbanos that the Kohanim eat and benefit.
See answer #1 note 3.
Seforno: Particularly when it is done by His pious one - Aharon .
