במדבר, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י״א

Yom Kippur stands apart as a day entirely dedicated to final forgiveness, marked by a complex sequence of public offerings. Among these is an additional goat, offered in the outer courtyard, which serves a distinct purpose separate from both the daily sacrifices and the unique inner service of the day [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Interestingly, the instruction for this specific goat omits any explicit mention of its role in providing atonement, a departure from the pattern seen on other holidays. This omission highlights the very nature of Yom Kippur itself. The entire day is focused on final forgiveness, with all general sins already addressed by the day's primary, specialized offerings [קיצור בעל הטורים, חזקוני, העמק דבר]. The specific function of this outer goat is highly targeted: it atones for situations where a person knowingly entered the Sanctuary or consumed holy items while impure, functioning much like the goat offered inside the Holy of Holies [תורה תמימה, העמק דבר]. Yet, the overarching forgiveness of the day is not automatic. It requires a person to be consciously aware that it is Yom Kippur and to actively intend for the day to bring them atonement [תורה תמימה].

The sequence of these rituals is exact. A clear distinction is made between this outer goat and the primary sin offering whose blood is sprinkled deep within the Holy of Holies. This establishes a strict chronological order, teaching that the inner service must be completed before the outer additional goat is offered [רש״י, רלב״ג, תורה תמימה]. When detailing these primary offerings, the High Priest's bull is notably absent. This is because the focus here is strictly on sacrifices funded by the public treasury, while the bull is purchased from the High Priest's personal resources [חזקוני]. However, another perspective suggests that the instructions are broad enough to encompass both the High Priest's personal bull and goat alongside the public ones [הדר זקנים]. Furthermore, the ram presented here as a burnt offering is identified as the exact same ram brought on behalf of the people during the main Yom Kippur service [רלב״ג].

Finally, alongside these rituals, the daily burnt offering, its grain offering, and the accompanying drink offerings are required. A plural requirement for drink offerings presents a puzzle, as the daily offering is singular and sin offerings do not require drink offerings at all. The primary approach among commentators is that this plural requirement points backward, referring to the additional burnt offerings. The meaning is that alongside the standard daily offering, the people must bring these additional sacrifices complete with their proper drink offerings [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, מזרחי, גור אריה, דברי דוד]. While [שד״ל] agrees with this logical reading, he notes it conflicts with the traditional phrasing pauses in the biblical text. Taking a different approach, [חזקוני] maintains that the plural reference simply includes both the wine libations of Yom Kippur and those of the daily offering.