34Vehaytah zot lakhem lechukat olam lekhaper al bnei Yisra'el mikol chatotam achat bashanah vaya'as ka'asher tzivah Adonai et Moshe
{פ}׃
In this aliyah we complete the order of the Yom Kippur service, the outer, public, and profound part of the atonement of the entire nation.
Burning of the Chatat
“Ve’et par hachatat ve’et se’ir hachatat… yotzi el michutz lamachaneh vesarfu va’esh” (And the bull of the chatat and the goat of the chatat… shall be taken outside the camp and burned with fire).
After the blood has been used, the flesh, hide, and dung remain, impure and requiring burning. The one who burns them, like the one who releases the goat to Azazel, requires special purification, hinting that this work too is sacred.
An Eternal Statute
“Vehaytah lakhem lechukat olam… be’asor lachodesh te’anu et nafshoteikhem” (And it shall be for you an eternal statute… on the tenth of the month you shall afflict your souls).
These verses are the heart of the mitzvot of Yom Kippur: fasting (afflicting the soul), abstaining from all work, and heavenly atonement. The words “Lifnei Adonai titharu” (Before Hashem you shall be purified) are a powerful declaration: on this day one can truly become pure.
An Eternal Renewal
“Vekhiper hakohen… achat bashanah” (And the priest shall atone… once a year).
Each year anew, the same order, the same intention, the same forgiveness. Whether it is Aharon, or his son, or a priest in another generation, the essence remains: atonement for the people, comprehensive forgiveness, a symbol of teshuvah that erases.
A Closing Thought
Yom Kippur is not only the erasing of sins. It is a moment when the entire people gathers into a single movement, out of responsibility, teshuvah, rectification, and aspiration to be sanctified.
Even though the priest performs the actions, all of us are sanctified together with him.