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The
Abarbanel on the Yom Kippur Service
in the Beis Hamikdash
A Summary
Rendered into English
by Rabbi Elimelech Lepon
The Kohen Gadol was obligated to
do seven types of service on Yom Kippur. Following is a summary of the
service with all of its parts: the daily service (tamid), the
additional service (musaf),
and the special service for forgiveness and atonement for this day. They
are listed in order of importance.
SERVICE
1:
The burnt offerings (olos).
The Kohen Gadol
sacrificed his own offering and the offerings of the nation. The olos
numbered twelve: one bull of musaf, one ram of musaf, the ram of the
Kohen Gadol, two sheep
of the daily offering, and seven sheep of musaf. In the event
that Yom Kippur fell on Shabbos there would be
two additional sheep of the musaf of Shabbos,
bringing the number of olos to fourteen.
SERVICE
2:
The sin offerings (chata'os).
The Kohen Gadol would
offer three sin offerings: one bull of the Kohen Gadol, as it says, "With this [offering] should Aharon come to the sanctuary, a bull for a sin
offering..."; one goat of musaf that was eaten
by the kohanim the night after Yom Kippur; and
one more goat that was one of the two goats brought by the congregation,
the other being the scapegoat. This one's blood was sprinkled in the Holy
of Holies. These are the three sin offerings.
SERVICE
3:
The scapegoat (sair l'Azazel).
The goat that was sent out to Azazel, the
wilderness, was not slaughtered and sacrificed like its partner, whose
blood was brought for a sin offering into the Holy of Holies. Rather it was
sent alive into the wilderness.
SERVICE
4:
The incense (ketores).
The incense was brought into the Holy of Holies. As I have explained, the Kohen Gadol would enter this
holy place four times on Yom Kippur: once to burn the incense, a second
time to sprinkle the blood of the bull, a third time to sprinkle the blood
of the goat, and a fourth time in order to remove the shovel and the ladle
that were left behind in the Holy of Holies when he burnt the incense.
SERVICE
5:
Sprinkling the blood. The Kohen Gadol would sprinkle the blood inside the Holy of
Holies, in the hall in front of the paroches, and on the
gold altar.
SERVICE
6:
Changing of the priestly garments. The Kohen Gadol would change from the gold garments to the white
garments and from the white to the gold.
SERVICE
7:
Washing and immersing. On this day the Kohen Gadol would immerse himself five times and wash his
hands and feet ten times. Even though the washings and the changing of
garments are not really services, they still are preparations for the
services. Therefore I have included them in the list of services and deeds
done for this day, in order that we investigate them as well as the
sacrifices, burning of incense, and sprinkling of blood.
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