Lucy Azazel dvar

We're talking about the goat demon ritual which involves Azazel, and we're trying to figure out what Azazel is. Could be a demon or a place or something else?
This is for part 1.

ויקרא ט״ז

(ה) וּמֵאֵ֗ת עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִקַּ֛ח שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַ֥יִל אֶחָ֖ד לְעֹלָֽה׃ (ו) וְהִקְרִ֧יב אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ (ז) וְלָקַ֖ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י הַשְּׂעִירִ֑ם וְהֶעֱמִ֤יד אֹתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י ה' פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ח) וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גֹּרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַה' וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃ (ט) וְהִקְרִ֤יב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָלָ֥ה עָלָ֛יו הַגּוֹרָ֖ל לַה' וְעָשָׂ֖הוּ חַטָּֽאת׃ (י) וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יׇֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י ה' לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃

(כ) וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר אֶת־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְהִקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי׃ (כא) וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗ו עַ֣ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה עָלָ֗יו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־כׇּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכׇל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְנָתַ֤ן אֹתָם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשִׁלַּ֛ח בְּיַד־אִ֥ישׁ עִתִּ֖י הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃ (כב) וְנָשָׂ֨א הַשָּׂעִ֥יר עָלָ֛יו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ גְּזֵרָ֑ה וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֖יר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (כג) וּבָ֤א אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וּפָשַׁט֙ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֣י הַבָּ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבַ֖שׁ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃ (כד) וְרָחַ֨ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֤וֹ בַמַּ֙יִם֙ בְּמָק֣וֹם קָד֔וֹשׁ וְלָבַ֖שׁ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֑יו וְיָצָ֗א וְעָשָׂ֤ה אֶת־עֹֽלָתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־עֹלַ֣ת הָעָ֔ם וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד הָעָֽם׃ (כה) וְאֵ֛ת חֵ֥לֶב הַֽחַטָּ֖את יַקְטִ֥יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ (כו) וְהַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֤חַ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִיר֙ לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יְכַבֵּ֣ס בְּגָדָ֔יו וְרָחַ֥ץ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן יָב֥וֹא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

Leviticus 16

(5) And from the Israelite community he shall take two he-goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (6) Aaron is to offer his own bull of sin offering, to make expiation for himself and for his household. (7) Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before ה' at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; (8) and he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for ה' and the other marked for Azazel. (9) Aaron shall bring forward the goat designated by lot for ה', which he is to offer as a sin offering; (10) while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before ה', to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.

(20) When he has finished purging the Shrine, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, the live goat shall be brought forward. (21) Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated agent. (22) Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness. (23) And Aaron shall go into the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen vestments that he put on when he entered the Shrine, and leave them there. (24) He shall bathe his body in water in the holy precinct and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making expiation for himself and for the people. (25) The fat of the sin offering he shall turn into smoke on the altar. (26) The one who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash those clothes and bathe the body in water—and after that may reenter the camp.

ויקרא י״ז:ז׳

(ז) וְלֹא־יִזְבְּח֥וּ עוֹד֙ אֶת־זִבְחֵיהֶ֔ם לַשְּׂעִירִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם תִּֽהְיֶה־זֹּ֥את לָהֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃

Leviticus 17:7

(7) and that they may offer their sacrifices no more to the goat-demons after whom they stray. This shall be to them a law for all time, throughout the ages.

All this commentary below is for part 2.

אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״ז:ז׳:א׳

לשעירים. הם השדים ונקראו כן בעבור שישתער הגוף הרואה אותם והקרוב בעבור שיראו אותם המשוגעים כדמות שעירים ומלת עוד תורה שכן היו ישראל עושין במצרים:

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 17:7:1

UNTO THE SATYRS. Se’irim (satyrs) are the demons. They are so called because the body of one who sees them “storms.” However, it appears that they are so called because the insane see them in the form of goats (se’irim). The word “more” teaches that the Israelites did so in Egypt.

Ibn Ezra said the Se'irim came from the word for "storm", because the people who believed they saw goat demons acted mad like they had a storm in them. The verse also says they shouldn't do this any more, which means that they used to do it back in Egypt.

ויקרא י״ח:ג׳

(ג) כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֧ה אֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶֽרֶץ־כְּנַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶתְכֶ֥ם שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א תֵלֵֽכוּ׃

Leviticus 18:3

(3) You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws.

And that verse, from chapter 18, clearly explains that they're not supposed to do any sacrifices or worship like did in Egypt or like the nations they're going to conquer in the Holy Land.

So...WHY are they supposed to do this ritual with the scapegoat? What does it mean? And who is it for?

רש"י על ויקרא ט״ז:ח׳:א׳

ונתן אהרן על שני השעירם גרלות. מַעֲמִיד אֶחָד לְיָמִין וְאֶחָד לִשְׂמֹאל, וְנוֹתֵן שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו בַּקַּלְפִּי, וְנוֹטֵל גּוֹרָל בְּיָמִין וַחֲבֵרוֹ בִּשְׂמֹאל וְנוֹתֵן עֲלֵיהֶם, אֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "לַשֵּׁם" הוּא לַשֵּׁם, וְאֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ "לַעֲזָאזֵל" מִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ לַעֲזָאזֵל (יומא ל"ט):

Rashi on Leviticus 16:8:1

‎‎‎‎‏ השעירים גרלות‎שני ‎על ‎‎ אהרן ‎ונתן AND AARON SHALL CAST LOTS UPON THE TWO GOATS — He places one goat at his right and the other at his left. He then puts both his hands into an urn and takes one lot in his right hand and the other in his left. These he places upon them (the goats; i.e. one upon each of them). The goat upon which there fell that lot bearing the inscription 'לה, "For the Lord" was destined for the Lord, and that upon which there fell that lot bearing the inscription "For Azazel" was afterwards sent forth to the Azazel (Yoma 39a).

Rashi quotes Talmud Yoma saying here's how the Kohen Gadol did the choosing: he stuck his hand in an urn that had in it 2 pieces of paper, one saying G-d and one saying Azazel. He put both hands in the urn at once, grabbed a paper in each hand, took out his hands, and put a hand on each goat, etc.

רש"י על ויקרא ט״ז:ח׳:ב׳

עזאזל. הוּא הַר עַז וְקָשֶׁה, צוּק גָּבוֹהַּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֶרֶץ גְזֵרָה — חֲתוּכָה:

Rashi on Leviticus 16:8:2

עזאזל AZAZEL — (The word is taken to be a compound of עזז "to be strong" and אל "mighty"). It was a precipitous and flinty rock — a towering peak, for it is said (v. 22) "[and the goat shall bear upon it their iniquities into] an גזר) "ארץ גזרה means to cut) — into a craggy land (Yoma 67b).

Rashi gives his definition for Azazel: it's a compound word from the word for "strong" and the word for "mighty". But he says this isn't a being or person but a towering peak. And when it says later to take the goat to an eretz g'zeira, and "gezer" comes from a root meaning to cut off, Rashi says that means that the place is supposed to be sharp and craggy. Most people say the eretz g'zeira means it's supposed to be cut off or isolated - far away - but Rashi says it was supposed to be a mountain with sharp cliffs along the sides. Rashi's right because, once they were in Jerusalem and doing Temple service, they would actually take the goat to a rocky, towering peak.

יומא ס״ז ב:ז׳

תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: ״עֲזָאזֵל״ — שֶׁמְּכַפֵּר עַל מַעֲשֵׂה עוּזָּא וְעַזָּאֵל.

Yoma 67b:7

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Azazel is so called because it atones for the actions of Uzza and Azael. These are the names of “sons of God” who sinned with “daughters of men” (Genesis 6:2) and thereby caused the world to sin during the generation of the Flood.

Another direction:
Later in Yoma, Rabbi Yishmael says Azazel refers to 2 angels, Uzza and Aza'el, who sinned and were banished from Heaven before the Great Flood. Bringing the goat as an offering on behalf of Uzza and Aza'el means we're atoning for their sins. They sinned by being the ones that fell to earth and married human women and had children who became the demigod heroes.

בראשית ו׳:ד׳

הַנְּפִלִ֞ים הָי֣וּ בָאָ֘רֶץ֮ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֜אוּ בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹקִים֙ אֶל־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הֵ֧מָּה הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעוֹלָ֖ם אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם׃ {פ}

Genesis 6:4

It was then, and later too, that the Nephilim appeared on earth—when divine beings cohabited with the human women, who bore them offspring. Such were the heroes of old, the men of renown.

And above is the part of Gen 6 that mentions this.
Below this is stuff from Ramban that we'll probably pick from but not the whole thing.

רמב"ן על ויקרא ט״ז:ח׳:א׳

ומפורש מזה בפרקי רבי אליעזר הגדול (פרק מו) לפיכך היו נותנין לו לסמאל שוחד ביום הכפורים שלא לבטל את קרבנם שנאמר גורל אחד לה' וגורל אחד לעזאזל גורלו של הקב"ה לקרבן עולה וגורלו של עזאזל שעיר החטאת וכל עונותיהם של ישראל עליו שנאמר ונשא השעיר עליו ראה סמאל שלא נמצא בהם חטא ביום הכפורים אמר לפני הקב"ה רבון כל העולמים יש לך עם אחד בארץ כמלאכי השרת שבשמים מה מלאכי השרת יחפי רגל כך הן ישראל יחפי רגל ביום הכפורים מה מלאכי השרת אין בהם אכילה ושתיה כך ישראל אין בהם אכילה ושתיה ביום הכפורים מה מלאכי השרת אין להם קפיצה כך ישראל עומדין על רגליהם ביום הכפורים מה מלאכי השרת שלום מתווך ביניהם כך הן ישראל שלום מתווך ביניהם ביום הכפורים מה מלאכי השרת נקיים מכל חטא כך הן ישראל נקיים מכל חטא ביום הכפורים והקדוש ברוך הוא שומע עדותן של ישראל מן הקטיגור שלהם ומכפר על המזבח ועל המקדש ועל הכהנים ועל כל עם הקהל שנאמר (ויקרא ט״ז:ל״ג) וכפר את מקדש הקדש וגו' ע"כ אגדה זו

וזה טעם הגורלות כי אילו היה הכהן מקדיש אותם בפה לה' ולעזאזל היה כעובד אליו ונודר לשמו אבל היה מעמיד אותם לפני ה' פתח אהל מועד (ויקרא ט״ז:ז׳) כי שניהם מתנה לה' והוא נתן מהם לעבדו החלק אשר יבא לו מאת השם הוא הפיל להם גורל וידו חלק להם כענין שנאמר (משלי טז לג) בחיק יוטל את הגורל ומה' כל משפטו וגם אחרי הגורל היה מעמידו לפני ה' לומר שהוא שלו ואין אנחנו מכוונים בשילוחו אלא לרצון לשם

Ramban on Leviticus 16:8:1

It is explained more clearly in the pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer: “The reason why they would give Sammael (Satan) a conciliatory gift on the Day of Atonement, was so that he should not annul [the effect of] their offerings, as it is said, one lot for the Eternal, and the other lot for Azazel, the lot of the Holy One, blessed by He, to be a burnt-offering, and the lot of Azazel to be ‘the goat of sin,’ bearing upon it all the iniquities of Israel, as it is said, And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities.

When Sammael saw that he could find no sin on the Day of Atonement amongst them [Bnei Israel], he said to the Holy One, blessed by He: ‘Master of all worlds! You have one people on earth who are comparable to the ministering angels in the heavens. Just as the ministering angels are barefooted, so are the Israelites barefooted [i.e., do not wear leather shoes] on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels do not eat or drink, so is there no eating or drinking in Israel on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels have no joints [in their feet, and therefore cannot sit or lie down], so do the Israelites stand on their feet on the Day of Atonement. Just as there is peace in the midst of the ministering angels, so do the Israelites bring peace among themselves on the Day of Atonement. Just as the ministering angels are free from all sin, so are the Israelites free from all sin on the Day of Atonement.’ And the Holy One, blessed be He, hears the testimony concerning Israel from their prosecutor, and He atones for the altar and for the Sanctuary, and for the priests and for all the people of the assembly, as it is said, And he shall make atonement for the most holy place etc.” Thus far is the language of this agadah in which the Rabbis have informed us of his name [i.e., Sammael] and the nature of his deeds.

...This then is the reason [for having someone] who casts the lots [on the two goats]. If the priest were to dedicate them merely, by word of mouth [without casting the lots], saying, “one for the Eternal” and “one for Azazel,” that would be like worshipping [Azazel] or taking a vow in its name. Rather, the priest set the two goats before the Eternal at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for both of them were a gift to G-d, and he gave to His servant that portion which came to him from G-d.

Ramban says that the second goat was about, the people were so afraid that their sins on Yom Kippur wouldn't really get taken away - that the ceremony wouldn't really do anything - that they used 2 goats instead of one. More than that, they believed they needed to please Satan or something like that. So they didn't just say some blessing or something over the 2nd goat, but they actually took the second goat to Azazel [or far away and told everyone they did].