Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur
Recently the holiday (Heb. Moedim) of Atonements was observed (Heb. Yom Hakippurim - note the plural). The name is related to the purpose of the ritual performed by the priest on the 10th day of the 7th month (Lev 23:27). This was the end of the sanctuary rituals (see Lev 16; 23: 26-32; Nu 29: 7-11), and therefore one of the most solemn days on the Israelite calendar. But to understand the end we need to understand its beginning and the process of the sanctuary's rituals during the year.
According to the book of Leviticus, any day of the year, the worshiper of the God of Israel could offer his sacrifice in the sanctuary for forgiveness and cleansing from impurities (Heb. Tum'ot), sins (Heb. Chatat), transgressions (Heb. Peshayim), and iniquities (Heb. Avonot). Impurities, sins, and transgressions were thus transferred to the holy place through offerings. These actions contaminated the house of God (Lev 16:16). The irony of the ritual was that Israel's most sacred place, where God (The Holy One of Israel) would manifest His presence, served as a spiritual dump, or recycling center. The sanctuary served as a sponge that sucked and accumulated the dirt of God's people. The first lesson I want to point out from this ritual is that the God of Israel wants to bond and live with his children even if they are dirty (Exodus 25:8).
The rituals of the Israelite sanctuary were pedagogical
God taught that “he took upon Himself the iniquities of us all” to eventually destroy it for good
Once a year, however, it was a day for divine cleaning. The Day of Atonement(s) was a type of reckoning. The cleansing of the sanctuary was not just for God but involved all Israel. The dirt of humanity created a separation between the Holy One of Israel (God) and the Israelites (Isa 59:1-2). To maintain a healthy relationship, or to preserve God's presence in Israel, it was necessary to remove the barrier, sin, and impurity. This was done on the day of expiation (Heb. kipper). The transference process initiated by the daily sacrifices (Heb. Tamid) ended on that day. At the end of an elaborate ritual, dirt was removed from the sanctuary and the camp and the repentant could remain before God for being cleansed (Lev 16:30), meanwhile the rebels would be purged along with sin (Lev 23:29 - death penalty, Heb. karet).
The elaborate ritual is described in Lev 16, which curiously begins with the reminder of the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10). In this previous episode of the book of Leviticus, the priests sons of Aaron, entered the sanctuary bringing incense that was not allowed, thus transgressing divine orders. For that reason, they are exterminated. God then reminds Aaron that "he would not enter as he desires into the most holy place" (Lev 16:2). Although God lived in the filthy camp of the Israelites, there was a certain tolerance and concern to be taken in the relationship with human beings. Holiness was parsed:
(a) Spatially: most holy, holy, courtyard, camp, outside the camp
(b) Bodily: high priests, priests, Levites, pure, impure Israelites
(c) Temporally: (Day of Atonement, moedim, every day - tamid)
Only someone that met a minimum level of purity could enter the sanctuary courtyard (Lev 11-15). Only priests could enter the holy place, in a state of purity and after washing (Lev 1-10), and only the high priest could enter the most holy place once a year (Lev 16). On that day he offered a sacrifice for the sins of himself, his family, and all Israel (v.6,11,15). Then he sprinkled the animals' blood on the altars and the ark of the covenant, purging them (Heb. kiper) of the dirt accumulated there during the year (v.12-15, 18-20). Finally, the high priest placed his hands on the goat belonging to Azazel (v.8,10,26 - Heb. lazazel), which was sent to the desert carrying the sins of the Israelites outside the camp (v.22). Thus, sins were removed/expiated/purged, and Israel became pure and holy again. In commemoration of this deliverance, the Israelites celebrated for 8 days, in the days of Tabernacles (Heb. sukkot). We will talk about this in an upcoming text.
The Day of Atonement also marked the new year as the sanctuary rituals returned to normal (tamid) after the 10th day of the 7th month. The transition to a new year is also evident in the description of the year of Jubilee. According to Leviticus 25:9, the Jubilee was proclaimed in the Day of Atonement(s). It was the new year for all Israelites as the slaves were freed, the land returned to its original owners, debts were forgiven. It was a fresh start. Interestingly, the rabbis after the Judaism of the Second Temple (post-exilic) period would transfer the new year to the 1st day of that month, to the day of the trumpets (see previous text). Meanwhile, Daniel 8 and the Israelites of Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls, e.g. 11Q13), interpreted the Day of Atonement and the Jubilee eschatologically, as a symbol or type of the end-time when God would terminate evil on earth.
According to Christian tradition, the interpretation of this ritual is performed in Jesus and his incarnation, where he becomes flesh and dwells among sinners (John 1:14; Luke 4:18-21), receiving the sins confessed about him (2 Cor 5:21). The atonement is performed first at his death and resurrection and in continuity in the sanctuary of heaven by the Messiah-priest, Jesus (Hebrews 3: 1-3, 4: 14-16, 8: 1-2, 9: 11-14).
