Zichronos book cover Zichronos is in print! Order your copy on Amazon
YOM KIPPUR

The Lottery of the Two Yom Kippur Goats

The Lottery of the Two Yom Kippur Goats

Part of Yom Kippur · 2:30

A short piece introducing the Yom Kippur goat lottery and the wooden box used to hold the lots.

Audio Transcript
Introduction to the Yom Kippur Goat Lottery

We're holding here. New perek. Talking about avodah in the Beis Hamikdash on Yom Kippur. One of the things they did was they made a goral on the two goats, which one is a korban, which one goes to Azazel. So the lashon is: 讟专祝 讘拽诇驻讬. 拽诇驻讬 is like a kli in which they had the two dice or whatever we call it. Lottery box. What is it? Lottery box. Lottery box, yeah. It was a kli in which they had the lottery. 讜讛注诇讛 砖谞讬 讙讜专诇讜转, and he would take out two 讙讜专诇讜转, the two of the lottery. 讗讞讚 讻转讜讘 注诇讬讜 诇讛壮, one said 诇讛壮, one said 诇注讝讗讝诇. That's the Mishnah. So the Gemara asked: 诇诪讛 诇讬 讟专祝 讘拽诇驻讬? Why did we have to have this box? Why didn't you have just two things, and you pick one of them, and whichever comes out to the right and the left? 讻讬 讛讬讻讬 讚诇讗 - so the Gemara answers: 讻讬 讛讬讻讬 讚诇讗 谞讬讻讜讬谉 讜谞讬砖拽讜诇. Because if you can touch it, you might feel the weight, and you might you want they wanted to make the right one should always be 诇讛壮, because that's a good siman. So maybe he'll feel the difference. Like this, when they're laying there, you can't feel the difference, so then you take out whichever one comes out, otherwise he will be mechaven.

Rava Explains the Wooden Nature of the Lot Box

讗诪专 专讘讗, Rava said: 拽诇驻讬 砖诇 注抓 讛讬转讛. This 拽诇驻讬, this box, was made of wood. Who picked it out? Kohen. Kohen gadol or any kohen? Yeah, probably kohen gadol. No, the kohen gadol. What was the lot the the lot made of? What was it? Anyone know? Maybe paper? I don't know. It was made of wood. 讜砖诇 讞讜诇 讛讬转讛, it was not kodesh. See, all the kelim in the Beis Hamikdash, the kli sharet were all kodesh. This was not this was not not, no kodesh. 讜讗讬谞讛 诪讞讝拽转 讗诇讗 砖转讬 讬讚讬诐. Only it could only you could only put two hands in, it was not big enough, not bigger than that. 诪转拽讬祝 诇讛 专讘讬谞讗, so Ravina asked: 讘砖诇诪讗 讗讬谞讛 诪讞讝拽转 讗诇讗 砖转讬 讬讚讬诐, 诪讬诇讗 when you tell me that only it was enough for two hands, we know why, for the same reason: 讻讬 讛讬讻讬 讚诇讗 谞讬讻讜讬谉 讜谞讬砖拽讜诇. If you could fit more, you could do the same thing, you could feel around, you go around, you feel around, you could take out the right one you want. In order not to do that, so it's very tight, so whatever you picked out, that's what it is. 讗诇讗 砖诇 讞讜诇, why was it 砖诇 讞讜诇? 转拽讚砖讬讛, why don't you make it kodesh? So the Gemara says: 讗诐 讻谉 讛讜讬讗 诇讬讛 讻诇讬 砖专转 砖诇 注抓. The moment you make it kodesh, it becomes a keli of the Beit HaMikdash, a 讻诇讬 砖专转. 讜讻诇讬 砖专转 砖诇 注抓 诇讗 注讘讚讬谞谉, there's no such thing as a 讻诇讬 砖专转 of wood. It's made of metal, gold, silver, not made of of wood. So the Gemara says: 讜谞注讘讚讬讛 讚讻住祝, make it of silver! 谞注讘讚讬讛 讚讝讛讘, make it of gold! So the Gemara

NOW PLAYING Choose a shiur to begin Rabbi Yehuda Leib Schapiro
0:00
0:00