Sprinkling the Blood of the Bullock (continued)
The verse refers to small drops flung from the tip of the finger. As in the incense service, when the ark was not present the Kohen Gadol sprinkled in the direction of the place of the ark. He sprinkles with an upwards motion once...
Sprinkling the Blood of the Bullock (continued)
... followed by seven times down.
Afterwards he leaves the Holy of Holies (in the same manner we have discussed above), and places the vessel on a golden stand within the Sanctuary.
Slaughtering the Goat Designated "For HaShem"
Entering the Holy of Holies Again
Outside in the court, the goat which had been designated as "For HaShem" by the lottery is now brought to the Kohen Gadol. He slaughters the animal and gathers its blood into another mizrak vessel.
He then enters into the Holy of Holies for the third time, this time carrying the vessel with the blood of the goat. He enters into the chamber exactly as he did the previous times, and again walks to the same precise spot. Here, "between the poles," he sprinkles from the blood as before and then exits, placing this vessel on a second golden stand pre-positioned within the Sanctuary.
Sprinkling Against the Curtain
Now the Kohen Gadol does not leave the Sanctuary, but takes up the first mizrak, containing the blood of the bullock, from the first stand where he had originally placed it. Facing the curtains that separate between the Holy (where he now stands) and the Holy of Holies, he stands opposite that same spot that he has entered unto three times - "between the poles" of the ark.
This time, he dashes from the blood of the bullock outside the curtain but towards the same spot, in the same manner we have described. Next, he places this mizrak down on its stand, once again takes up the second vessel containing the blood of the sacrificial goat, and repeats his action against the curtain.
Mixing the Two Together
Finally, while still in the Sanctuary, the Kohen Gadol mixes the contents of both vessels together. He pours the mizrak containing the bullock's blood into that of the goat, and then pours from this full vessel back into the empty one (of the bullock) so that they will blend completely together. All this is on account of the verse (Lev. 16:18) "He shall then go out to the altar that is before G-d and make atonement on it. He shall take some of the bullock's blood and some of the goat's blood, and place the mixture on the horns of the altar all around." We shall now look at the portion of the service, referred to by this verse.
"The Altar That is Before G-d"
The Kohen Gadol has completed the sprinkling inside the Holy of Holies and within the Sanctuary. The Torah instructs us that he is now to sprinkle on the corners of "the altar that is before G-d" from the mixture of both vessels. This expression refers only to the golden incense altar within the Sanctuary, because of its proximity to the holy place - the outer altar that stands in the court is never referred to as being "before G-d." As to the Torah's instructions that he is now to "go out," this indicates that he is to go out from the place where he had been standing by the curtain, and serve on the outer side of the altar.
The Kohen Gadol walks around the incense altar and sprinkles on each of its four corners. Afterwards, he clears away some of the coals on top and exposes some of the gold surface of the altar. On this area, the "floor" of the small incense altar, he sprinkles an additional seven times, as per the verse (ibid. 19): "He shall sprinkle the blood on it seven times with his forefinger." Whatever was left in the mizrak when he concluded, he poured out onto the western side of the outer altar's foundation, in keeping with the instructions (ibid. 4:7): "He shall then spill out all the rest of the bull's blood at the base of the altar, which is in front of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting."
Dispatching the Scapegoat
Confessing For All of Israel
The Kohen Gadol now returns to the place where the scapegoat is waiting, opposite the gate through which it will be led off into the desert - the Eastern Gate.
Placing his two hands on the animal's head between its horns, the Kohen Gadol now offers his confession for the entire nation of Israel, as Scripture states (ibid. 20-21): "And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aharon shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the Children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat... "