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Title of Slides:

Introduction: Background and Explanation of Slides

Slide 1: Outline of the Yom Kippur Avodah

Slide 2: Selected Beis Hamikdash Structures

Slide 3: Overview of Avodah primarily following the 2nd Tevillah

Slide 4: Par: Offering of Kohen Gadol’s bull as a Kurban Chattos

Slide 5: Ketores: offering of incense in Kodesh Kodoshim

Slide 6: Saeir L’Hashem: Communal goat as a Kurban Chattos

Slide 7: Saeir L’Azazel: Goat cast off cliff in desert

Yom Kippur Avodah: Explanation for Slides 1-7

Slide 1: Outline of the Avodah(service) performed by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) throughout the day of Yom Kippur. The Avodah was divided into 5 phases; for each phase, the Kohen Gadol performed Tevillah (immersion) and donned the Priestly garments prior to performing the service. The Avodah following the 1st, 3rd and 5th immersions, was performed while wearing the 8 garments (also known as Bigedei Zahav, clothes containing gold) regularly worn by the Kohen Gadol (throughout the year). The Avodah following the 2nd and 4th immersions, was performed while wearing the 4 white garments (Bigdei Lavan) specially designated for Yom Kippur. Immediately after donning the garments, and immediately prior to their removal, the Kohen Gadol washed his hands and feet from a laver (Kiddush Yadayim V’Raglayim). Thus, during the course of the Avodah on Yom Kippur, Tevillah was performed 5 times and Kiddush Yadayim V’Raglayim was performed 10 times.

Slide 2: Location of selected structures within the Beis Hamikdash (Temple), relevant to the following discussion of the Yom Kippur Avodah*. The Avodah was performed in the following 3 locations: 1) in the Ezras Kohanim (Court of the Priests) where the outer Mizbeach (Altar) resided; 2) the outer (eastern) section of the Heichal (Sanctuary) where the inner Mizbeachresided; 3) the Kodesh Kodoshim (Holy of Holies, western section of Heichal) where the Aron(Ark of the Covenant) resided.

*Please note that the diagram of the Beis Hamikdash is not drawn to scale. For more comprehensive and dimensionally accurate diagrams, please refer to References 2 & 3, or to Mishnayos Middos (in commentaries of Rambam, Tiferes Yisroel or R’ Pinchas Kahati).

Summary of Slides 3-7: These slides describe the Yom Kippur Avodah primarily occurring after the 2nd Tevillah, while the Kohen Gadol was garbed with the 4 white garments unique to Yom Kippur. Three animals were utilized during this phase of the Avodah: one Par (bull) and two Saeirim(goats). The bull and one of the goats (Saeir L’Hashem) were each offered as a Kurban Chattos (sin offering), and their blood was applied in the Kodesh Kodoshim and the Hecihal. The other goat (Saeir L’Azazel) was cast off a mountain in the Judean desert. In addition to the animals, Ketores (incense) was offered in the Kodesh Kodoshim.

The following are Avodah steps delineated by the diagrams:

1. The Kohen Gadol recited Viddui (confession) while placing his hands on the bull in the Ezras Kohanim (slide 3, top center, and slide 4, step 1a).
2. The Kohen Gadol then performed the Gorul (lottery) to select the 2 goats as Saeir L’Hashem and Saeir L’Azazel respectively (slide 3, upper left corner).
3. The Kohen Gadol again recited Viddui while placing his hands on the bull (slide 3, center, and slide 4, step 1b).
4. The Kohen Gadol slaughtered the bull(slide 4, Shechita, step 2) and received the blood in a vessel. He transferred the vessel to another Kohen who stirred it (to prevent coagulation).
5. The Kohen Gadol harvested ashes from the outer Mizbeach with a shovel (slide 5, step 1). He received a shovel of Ketores incense, transferred the Ketores to a long-handled spoon (slide 5, step 2) and entered the Kodesh Kodoshim with the coals and Ketores(slide 5, step 3). The Kohen Gadol applied the Ketoresonto the coals, in front of the Aron, filling the entire Heichal with smoke. (The Kohen Gadol retrieved the shovel and spoon after the 4th Tevillah (slide 5, step 4)).
6. The Kohen Gadol returned to the Ezras Kohanim to take the vessel of blood (from the bull), and re-entered the Kodesh Kodoshim where he applied the blood 8 times (once upward, 7 times downward) with his forefinger, in front of the Aron (slide 3, bottom left and slide 4, Zerikah, step 3a). He exited the Kodesh Kodoshim and placed the vessel on a golden stand in the Heichal (see slide 2, for location of golden stands).
7. The Kohen Gadol returned to the Ezras Kohanim and slaughtered the goat which was designated as Saeir L’Hashem (slide 6, Shechita, step 2). He received the blood in a vessel and re-entered the Kodesh Kodoshim where he applied the blood in the same manner as done earlier with the blood of the bull (slide 3, bottom left and slide 6, Zerikah, step 3a). He exited the Kodesh Kodoshim and placed the vessel on another golden stand in the Heichal.
8. The Kohen Gadol retrieved the vessel containing the blood of the bull and applied the blood on the Paroches (curtain) 8 times (slide 3, bottom center and slide 4, Zerikah, step 3b). He then repeated the same steps with the blood of the goat (slide 3, bottom center and slide 6, Zerikah, step 3b).
9. The Kohen Gadol mixed the blood of the bull and goat in a single vessel and applied their blood on the inner Mizbeach, (in the Heichal, slide 3, center and slides 4 & 6, Zerikah, step 3c). Blood was applied on the 4 corners and 7 times on the surface. The remainder of the blood was poured on the western base of the outer Mizbeach.
10. The Kohen Gadol recited Viddui while leaning on the head of the goat which was designated as Saeir L’Azazel (slide 7, step 1). The goat was taken to a mountainous cliff in a desert outside Yerushalayim and thrown off (slide 7, step 2).
11. The Kohen Gadol removed the innards from the bull and goat (i.e. the Par and Saeir L’Hashem, slides 4 & 6, step 4). The remainders of the 2 animals were removed and burnt outside Yerushalayim. The retained innards were offered on the outer Mizbeach after the 3rd Tevillah (also see slide 3, top center).

References:

1. Mishnayos Yoma, Chapters 3-7.
2. Diagram of Beis Hamikdash was adapted from the drawing of R’ Yhonason Ben Yoseph, located at the end of Mesechta Middos in volume 19 of the Talmud Bavli.
3. The Yom Kippur Avodah, author: Menachem Moshe Oppen. CIS Publishers, Lakewood, NJ, 1995.
4. The Holy Temple of Jerusalem, author: Chaim Richman. The Temple Institute, Carta, Jerusalem, 1997.

Slides

Slide 1: Outline of the Yom Kippur Avodah

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Slide 2: Selected Beis Hamikdash Structures

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Slide 3: Overview of Avodah primarily following the 2nd Tevillah (immersion)

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Slide 4: Par: Offering of Kohen Gadol’s bull as a Kurban Chattos

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Slide 5: Ketores: offering of incense in Kodesh Kodoshim (Holy of Holies)

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Slide 6: Saeir L’Hashem: Offering of communal goat as a Kurban Chattos

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Slide 7: Saeir L’Azazel: Goat cast off cliff in desert

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