The Secret of Thirty Three – Acharei Mot
וְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם גּוֹרָלוֹת גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַה' וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל (ויקרא טז, ח).
The first part of Acharei Mot deals with the Avodah of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur.
One of the most interesting and central features of this Avodah are the two goats. One of goats is לה', sacrificed to HKB"H in the Mikdash. The second is לַעֲזָאזֵל and is sent out into the desert and cast off a cliff.
It is easy to understand the goat לה', in the Mikdash, but why do we have to send a second goat as an offering to עֲזָאזֵל? And what exactly is עֲזָאזֵל?
The Ibn Ezra on the above passuk says –
וְאִם יָכֹלְתָּ לְהָבִין הַסּוֹד שֶׁהוּא אַחַר מִלַּת עֲזָאזֵל תֵּדַע סוֹדוֹ וְסוֹד שְׁמוֹ כִּי יֵשׁ לוֹ חֲבֵרִים בַּמִּקְרָא וַאֲנִי אֲגַלֶּה לְךָ קְצָת הַסּוֹד בְּרֶמֶז בִּהְיוֹתְךָ בֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלֹשׁ תֵּדָעֶנּוּ.
This "cryptic" commentary of the Ibn Ezra is given in the form of a hint. Understanding the secret of עֲזָאזֵל has something to do with the number 33.
The Ramban on that passuk, quotes the Ibn Ezra and continues to say –
וַאֲנִי הָרָכִיל מְגַלֶּה סוֹדוֹ שֶׁכְּבָר גִּלּוּ אוֹתוֹ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל בִּמְקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים ...
The Ramban says "I will be the ' tattle tale' and reveal the secret", which in fact has already been revealed by Chazal in many other places. The Ramban continues to say that basically this second goat is a "bribe" to the angel ס"מ, the yetzer harah.
Am Yisrael need to bribe the ס"מ? What does this mean?
In order to understand what is going on here we need to backtrack a little in the parsha. In the first five psukkim the Torah tells us that the Kohen Gadol has to bring three sacrifices on Yom Kippur. The first is a פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר as a Chatat. The second is an אַיִל as an Olah. The third has to be taken, not directly by the Kohen Gadol, but the Kohen Gadol must take from Am Yisrael שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירֵי עִזִּים, also as a Chatat.
Chazal tell us that these three different animals refer to the three Avot.
The פַּר בֶּן בָּקָר refers to Avraham, as it says when the three angels visited him, וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח בֶּן בָּקָר רַךְ וָטוֹב וכו' (בראשית יח, ז). Avraham wanted to prepare three portions of calf tongue in mustard for the angels, but one of the calves ran away and Avraham chased after it and this is how he discovered Me'arat HaMachpeila.
The אַיִל refers to Yitzchak, as it says in the Akeida, ... וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ (בראשית כב, יג). The אַיִל was the korban in place of Yitzchak.
The שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירֵי עִזִּים refer to Yaakov, as we read when Rivka told her son Yaakov to dress up as Eisav and get the bracha from Yitzchak, לֶךְ נָא אֶל הַצֹּאן וְקַח לִי מִשָּׁם שְׁנֵי גְּדָיֵי עִזִּים וכו' (בראשית כז, ט). Chazal tell us that it was Pesach and one of the goats was the Korban Pesach and the other was a Korban Chagigah.
From this we see that the origin of the ceremony of the two goats in the Mikdash on Yom Kippur originated with Yaakov and this episode of the "stealing" of the blessing from Yitzchak.
The Ramban above, who speaks about a bribe for the ס"מ, says that the word שְׂעִיר is reminiscent of Eisav, who Yaakov describes as הֵן עֵשָׂו אָחִי אִישׁ שָׂעִר. According the Ramban, quoting the Midrash (Breishit Raba 65, 10), the שְׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל is a bribe to Eisav, a representative of the ס"מ.
Therefore, according to the shita of the Ramban, quoting Chazal, the two goats correspond to Yaakov (לה') and Eisav (לַעֲזָאזֵל). How exactly this correlates with the Midrash that says the two goats that Rivka prepared were a Korban Pesach and a Korban Chagigah, we will soon see.
In fact, the whole ceremony of the two goats on Yom Kippur is a fast action replay of the episode of Yaakov getting dressed up as Eisav and "stealing" the brachot. If we can understand exactly what is going on with the latter, we will understand the former.
Why was it necessary for Yaakov to play charades? Why couldn't he have simply said to Yitzchak "I know you sent Eisav to hunt and intended to give him the blessing, but Rivka has seen in a prophecy that the blessing should be given to me – Yaakov!" Why not tell the truth? Why the whole masquerade? which the Mefarshim say that Yaakov did unwillingly. Yaakov would not don Eisav's clothes himself, Rivka had to dress him וַתִּקַּח רִבְקָה אֶת בִּגְדֵי עֵשָׂו בְּנָהּ הַגָּדֹל הַחֲמֻדֹת אֲשֶׁר אִתָּהּ בַּבָּיִת וַתַּלְבֵּשׁ אֶת יַעֲקֹב בְּנָהּ הַקָּטָן (בראשית כז, טו). How old was her "small" son? Sixty-three years old! The Mefarshim say that Yaakov performed his mother's wishes with a bowed head and was weeping as he did so!
It was critical that Yitzchak's blessing be given to Yaakov "disguised as Eisav" and not simply to plain Yaakov "as himself".
When Yaakov approached Yitzchak, the passuk says וַיִּגַּשׁ וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ וכו' (בראשית כז, כז) and the Yalkut Shimoni on that passuk says "don't read it as בְּגָדָיו but בּוֹגְדָיו" and it continues to tell the story of יוֹסֵף מְשִׁיתָא and יָקוּם אִישׁ צְרוֹרוֹת (Breishit Raba 65, 22), two Jewish traitors who in the end did tshuva and died Al Kiddush Hashem.
The Midrash tells the story of Yosef Meshita, a Jew as far removed from Yiddishkeit as anyone could possibly be. When the Greeks/Romans (it is a machloket which) ransacked the Mikdash, they were afraid to enter the Heichal for fear they might perish, so they looked for a patsy to bring out the treasures for them. Yosef Meshita was chosen, probably because he was devoid of morals and had no qualms about entering the Heichal and looting it. However, prior to entering the Heichal, he made a deal with the invaders that the first artifact he found belonged to him and they could have the rest.
Yosef Meshita brazenly went into the Heichal and came out carrying the Menorah and started strapping it onto his donkey. The goyim said to him "What are you doing?" to which he replied "It is as we agreed, the first treasure that I saw belongs to me and I am taking the Menorah!" "What are you going to do with such a big Menorah?" they asked "Such a candelabra is not suited to a regular home, but more to the hall of a king. We want the Menorah, you can have something else!"
"But we agreed, and a deal is a deal" retorted Yosef Meshita. "Look, there is no way you are leaving with this Menorah" the goyim said to him. "Instead, we will offer you something far better. All the taxes that we will collect in Israel in the next three years are yours. Take some of that money and commission someone to make you a similar Menorah and you will still have money over to spare".
Yosef Meshita was not prepared to budge. "If you will not honor your deal that we originally made, then it is unlikely that you will honor this other deal. I want the Menorah!"
"No way Jose" they said "Go back in and bring out all the other treasures!"
Yosef Meshita said "Is it not enough that I have angered the Creator once, you want me to do it again?" and refused.
They strapped him to a carpenter's table and cut him apart limb from limb. Each time he cried "Woe is me that I have angered my Creator" and his spirit departed and went to Gan Eden.
(BTW, sefer Meir Panim brings this story as a proof to resolve the machloket [Yoma 51b] whether there were 10 Menorot and 10 Shulchanot only in the 1st Beit Hamikdash, or also in the 2nd. If there were 10 Menorot in the 2nd Mikdash, the goyim would not have begrudged Yosef Meshita one of them. Which means there must only have been one).
The Midrash continues to tell the story of Yakum Ish Tzrorot, who was the nephew of ר' יוֹסֵי בֶּן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה, mentioned in Pirkei Avot (1, 4). Yakum Ish Tzrorot strayed from the path and converted to Hellinism. The Greeks used him as a propaganda tool – "The nephew of such a great Rabbi, and he has adopted our faith!" They rewarded him with an important position and a magnificent horse to ride on.
The Greeks sentenced R' Yosi ben Yoezer to death and led him by a horse to the gallows.
Yakum Ish Tzroror was gloating "Look uncle, how serving your G-d helped you. Look at my magnificent horse and look at the miserable nag leading you to your death". R' Yosi replied "If HKB"H rewards those who defy him, He will surely give greater rewards to those who follow Him!" Yakum leered "Uncle, is there anyone who served G-d more than you? And look at the result, in a few minutes you will be dead". R' Yosi replied "If this is how HKB"H punishes those He loves, imagine what He will do to those that have rebelled against Him".
R' Yosi's words struck Yakum Ish Tzrorot's core like the venom of a snake and he did tshuva, by killing himself with all four kinds of death penalty of a Beit Din - סְקִילָה, שְׂרֵפָה, הֶרֶג, וְחֶנֶק. He erected a wooden beam for a gallows, around which he spread piles of wood. On the wood he built a stone wall, and in the center, he embedded a sword in the stones. He set fire to the wood and hung himself on the noose (חֶנֶק). The fire burnt the noose and he fell onto the sword below (הֶרֶג). The stones collapsed onto him (סְקִילָה) and he was burned by the fire (שְׂרֵפָה).
As they executed R' Yosi, he saw Yakum's neshama ascending to Gan Eden and he said "Yakum has entered Gan Eden before me!"
When Yitzchak blessed Yaakov, dressed as Eisav, he smelt his clothes and they were like the smell of Gan Eden. The Yalkut Shimoni above says, don't read it as "clothes בְּגָדָיו", but rather as "traitors בּוֹגְדָיו".
Yitzchak saw with Ruach HaKodesh, that later in history there are going to be some Jews who rebel against HKB"H – traitors! And despite that Yitzchak blesses Yaakov.
It was vital that Yaakov receive the blessing in that way. If Yaakov would have entered Yitzchak's tent as … Yaakov, with no pretense, then Yitzchak's blessing would have been only for Yaakov – as Yaakov. In other words, the blessing would only apply to Yaakov's descendants who behaved like Yaakov and were loyal to HKB"H and the Torah. However, since Yaakov received the blessing dressed up in Eisav's clothing, the blessing applied both to Yaakov's descendants who were like Yaakov, but also to those who from the outside looked like Eisav. It applied to all future Jews who from the outside looked like sinners, but inside, their true essence was still Yaakov. All it needed was some trigger to bring out the dormant spark. Like Yosef Meshita and Yakum Ish Tzrorot.
It was Pesach. Rivka prepared two goats for Yitzchak to eat. One was a Korban Chagiga – brought to celebrate the רֶגֶל. The Chagiga is a korban brought when Am Yisrael go up to Yerushalayim on the 3 festivals, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, to celebrate the chag.
The second goat was a Korban Pesach. Why did HKB"H command us in Egypt to bring a Korban Pesach? It was a test of allegiance. Am Yisrael in Egypt all served avoda zara. HKB"H said to them "You want to be redeemed? You have to pick sides! Take the symbol of Egypt's avoda zara and slaughter it in front of the Egyptians".
Picture the following scene. A group of 200 Breslav Chassidim board a 747 Jumbo and fly to Mecca. They go to the Kaaba, the central stone building, around which millions of Arabs circle. They open their back packs and whip out a copy of the Quran and a picture of Mohammed, douse them with lighter fluid and set them ablaze with a cigarette lighter in front of the millions of pilgrims. What do you think is going to happen to these Chassidim?
This is what HKB"H demanded from Am Yisrael in Egypt! It was an act of seeming suicide. Total faith, a total renouncing of avoda zara. It was the "entry ticket" to the Geulah. Only those who passed the test were redeemed. The second goat was a renouncing of avoda zara.
The Ibn Ezra gives a cryptic hint. If you want to understand the essence of the שְׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל, the secret is the number 33. The Ramban says "I'll tell you the secret". If you skip 33 psukim forward (from (ויקרא טז, ח, you get to the following passuk - וְלֹא יִזְבְּחוּ עוֹד אֶת זִבְחֵיהֶם לַשְּׂעִירִם אֲשֶׁר הֵם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם וכו' (ויקרא יז, ז). This perek discusses the prohibition of שְׁחוּטֵי חוּץ, that you are only permitted to bring a korban in the Mikdash and not anywhere else. Which שְּׂעִירִם is this passuk referring to? Those שְּׂעִירִם that Am Yisrael used to serve avoda zara!
Am Yisrael serving avoda zara? Certainly! We did it in Egypt and we continued to do it afterwards as well. This is the case of Yaakov dressed up as Eisav! From the outside, it looks like any other idol worshipper, externally they are indistinguishable. This is what the שַׂר of Egypt said as HKB"H split the Red Sea הַלָּלוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְהַלָּלוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. Why are you splitting the sea for the Jews and drowning the Egyptians? They are the same!
They are not the same. Jews who sin, from the outside look like sinners, but inside, at their core, lies a pure neshama, that just requires the appropriate spark to bring it out. By receiving Yitzchak's blessing dressed as Eisav, Yaakov, at Rivka's bidding, was saving untold multitudes of Jews from oblivion because of their sin. All the בּוֹגְדִים who rebel against HKB"H, throughout the ages – it is still possible to save them, because inside they are pure. It just takes the right trigger.
In Yitzchak and Rivka's home there were two "goats".
Yaakov was one, pure in and out. Eisav was the second. On the outside Eisav looked like a tzaddik. He deceived Yitzchak with his mouth צַיִד בְּפִיו. He would ask questions like "How does one take ma'aser from salt?, from straw?" Yitzchak's big thing was taking ma'aser. When he heard Eisav asking these questions, he thought "Wow! what a tzaddik, he is even machmir to take ma'aser from stuff that is not חַיָּב".
There were two charades taking place here. One was a once-off occurrence – Yaakov dressing up as Eisav, for a brief moment only, done with sadness and weeping. The second charade was an ongoing thing, a daily repetition, year after year – Eisav "dressing up" as Yaakov, pretending to be a tzaddik, when deep inside he was totally rotten, done with brazenness.
In order to combat Eisav's charade, Yaakov needed to also perform a charade. To save his future descendants from the clutches of Eisav, Yaakov needed to temporary dress up like Eisav to save future sinners in Am Yisrael that would be ensnared by Eisav and his master the ס"מ.
On Yom Kippur we bring two goats. One goat is Yaakov – לה'. The second is Eisav – לַעֲזָאזֵל.
The goat for Eisav is a "bribe" to silence the ס"מ. It is a charade! The goat that is selected לַעֲזָאזֵל sees the goat selected לה' being slaughtered and offered as a korban in the Azara. The goat לַעֲזָאזֵל breathes a sigh of relief "Whew, that was close. Look at my poor brother and look at me! The poor sap is splattered all over the Azara and me … I have just been given a first-class ticket for a vacation - all expenses paid, touring all over the country, taking in the sights, eating gourmet food in 5-star hotels along the way. This is the life!"
Meanwhile, the Kohen Gadol is doing כַּפָּרָה for Am Yisrael, while the ס"מ is being distracted by the charade. Instead of the ס"מ hollering, kicking and screaming every step of the way, while the Kohen Gadol begs HKB"H to forgive Am Yisrael (including all the sinners in Am Yisrael), the ס"מ is too busy admiring the view, munching on caviar and getting an even suntan – until it is too late. At the last minute, just as he thinks that the vacation will last forever, he is flung off a cliff and sent to smithereens! By then it is too late.
Eisav, complacent in the knowledge that his deception was working so well on Yitzchak, took his time hunting. He took a lunch break, enjoyed an afternoon nap and then nonchalantly sauntered into the tent "Wake up dad, I have brought you lunch!" Meanwhile, it was already game over. Yitzchak had already eaten the Afikomen and was not allowed to eat anything else after - he could not eat Eisav's food and bless him, even if he wanted to.
Rivka's charade worked. It woke Yitzchak up to who was really deserving of the blessing, the "goat" who smelled like Gan Eden, even though that at various points in the future it would appear that there was no connection between them and Gan Eden at all.
This charade saved Yaakov and his descendants from the evil plan of Eisav, back then and for ever more. It set in place the mechanism to ensure our survival, despite the myriad attempts throughout history to eradicate us. This is the secret of the 33.
The importance of this principle goes far beyond the single day of Yom Kippur. R' Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev understood this principle, that even though from the outside a Jew might appear to be like Eisav, it is just an outer shell, that when peeled away reveals a pure neshama, all it needs is a trigger.
Before October 7th we had a lot of Jews who looked like Eisav, Jews who have been ensnared by Eisav, that at first glance appear indistinguishable to the goyim. Even after October 7th we still do, but there is a major difference. Before October 7th we were willing to go to war with our own fellow Jews and now, we realize the folly of such a path. How did it change? All it took was a trigger, a hard, painful trigger, that opened up our eyes. It was the first in a series of triggers that are yet to come. Not everyone has woken up yet, but they will.
Just prior to the Geulah, HKB"H will send Eliyahu Hanavi to get us all to do tshuva, giving each of us the necessary trigger to peel away the outer shell of Eisav and expose the true spark and neshama of Yaakov that lies at the heart of every one of us. Meanwhile HKB"H is playing charades with the ס"מ. The forces of the ס"מ in the world right now are gloating, it seems that everything is going their way. Meanwhile HKB"H is orchestrating things to redeem us and when our enemies wake up, it will be too late and they will crash and burn.
Am Yisrael, take heart. Everything is not as it seems. Even when things seem bleak, it is just a charade before the curtain closes on the final act of the forces of Eisav and the ס"מ in this world. Backstage, the real show is just waiting to begin and what a show it will be, בבי"א. All HKB"H requires from us is a leap of faith, to unequivocally discard all the avoda zara and choose sides.
Why is it called עֲזָאזֵל? There are many reasons given in Chazal, but I believe that it refers to this leap of faith.
עֲזָאזֵל in gematria is אֶחָד אֱ-לֹקֵינוּ, הִנְנִי and אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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