Don Isaac Abravanel, sometimes spelled Abarbanel (1437-1508) was a probing and penetrating Jewish thinker, as well as a prolific
Biblical commentator. The holy day of Yom Kippur is discussed in Leviticus 16. The day’s services in the
Tabernacle had been conducted exclusively by Aaron, the high priest. Centuries later, when King
Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, Yom Kippur services were officiated by Aaron’s descendants.
“And God spoke unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron,
when they drew near before God, and died…And it shall be a statute
forever unto you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month,
you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work. For on this
day shall atonement be made for you…”
As our chapter relates, the high priest had his hands full performing all the Yom Kippur rites, as
Abravanel lays out in a methodical and heady essay. See Abravanel’s World.
Note, Abravanel writes, how each task links the particular job to Aaron. To list three examples, we find:
“Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place”, “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats”, and
“And Aaron shall present…” Tractate Yoma (the Aramaic word referring to Yom Kippur) pertains to the
day of atonement. Abravanel quotes liberally from it in his groundbreaking essay.
Let us touch briefly on Abravanel’s opening remarks. The high priest was not permitted to sleep Yom
Kippur night. And since food tends to make a man sleepy, the high priest was given very little to eat the
day before Yom Kippur. That means, he was going into the 24-hour fast day, with its grueling work load,
practically on empty.
Abravanel points out more. On Yom Kippur day, the high priest performed his tasks while standing. At
the first crack of dawn, he submerged in a ritual bath. When he emerged from the purifying waters, he
donned the eight priestly garments, before washing his hands and feet.
And then Aaron got down to the business of procuring atonement for himself, his family, and brethren.
Consider the high priest’s crammed schedule, a study in perpetual motion until dusk.
He:
- Walked to the Temple’s spot designated for slaughtering the daily burnt offering, and did the ritual slaughtering
- Collected the animal’s blood, dashing some of it on the altar
- Entered the sanctuary to offer incense on the golden altar
- Trimmed the menorah’s lights, preparing them for the lighting
- Attended to the follow up activities associated with the morning burnt offering, including the
service for gift offering and wine libation
Beside the daily Temple chores, on Yom Kippur the high priest had additional tasks to do.
- The additional animal sacrifices took into account rites featuring the Yom Kippur bull and seven
sheep. If Yom Kippur fell on Sabbath, the high priest officiated with those accompanying
sacrifices (two sheep, the gift offerings, and wine libation).
In between certain tasks, the high priest again and again submerged in purifying waters, as well as
washed his hands and feet. Several times throughout the course of the day, he changed holy garments.
Some were donned for the daily routines; others worn for Yom Kippur activities.
Bible students, of course, should not lose sight of the high priest’s quintessential focus of Yom Kippur –
procuring atonement for the Hebrews. Thus, he confessed wrongdoing as he stood in contrition over the
sin offerings.
Torah protocol determined how to cast lots and choose which of the two goats was slaughtered in the
Temple, which one shunted off to a distant desert cliff (the high priest delegated that latter job to a
priestly colleague).
Yom Kippur’s workload, indeed, kept the high priest on the go for an entire day. “And this shall be an
everlasting statute unto you, to make atonement for the Children of Israel because of all their sins once
in the year.”
At the end of the day, divine promise came from Above: “For on this day shall atonement be made for
you, to cleanse you. From all your sins shall you be clean before God.”
