Parashas Acharei Mos - Kedoshim : - Our Parsha this Shabbos is also a Double Portion of Acharei Mos and Kedoshim . The Haftorah is in Amos 9 : 7 - 15 , and links with a subject in the Parsha of how the way we treat HaShem and how we keep HaShem's Commandments , will very much affect our stay in our Holy Land Eretz Yisroel , That HaShem Gives us As A Gift , provided we keep it as HaShem Commands , thus keeping HaShem Ever Close . Acharei Mos Chapter 16 is usually read on Yom Kippur , for it includes the Holy Yom Kippur Service . HaShem Speaks To Moshe " Acharei Mos " - "After the death of " Aharon's two sons , about the Holiness of the Sanctuary , within the Curtain , near the Ark of the Covenant , and that Aharon should not enter there at other times , except Yom Kippur . This was A Most Holy Place , With HaShem's Shechinah and Malachim Present , and unlike Aharon's two sons who entered A Holy Place on their own wishes and decision , It Is Only HaShem , Who Can Give Permission to enter . Moshe was not bound by this , but Aharon and all others were . The Parsha describes the Yom Kippur Service , when Atonement is made . This very day was a day That HaShem Set For our Atonement , for it was after the Sin of the golden calf , the Chait Ha ' Eigel , that Moshe went up to HaShem ( going up all together , in total , for a period of three different occasions , for a period of 40 days each time ) , and it was on his last time up there , when Moshe left to go up on the 29th of Av , that after 40 days , on the 10th of Tishrei ,the Day of Yom Kippur , that Moshe finally attained for us Atonement and so , this day is set for Atonement . Preparations for The Yom Kippur Service began 7 days before for the Kohein Gadol , who would purify himself before , for the 7 days and on two of the days in between , would be sprinkled with the ashes of the Parah Aduma - The Red Heifer . Delegates would be sent to help him prepare , and instruct him in all that would be necessary . On the Night of Yom Kippur , the Kohein Gadol would not sleep , but he would stay up and study , and even had an attendant who would ensure that he stayed awake . During the Service throughout the day of Yom Kippur , the Kohein Gadol , would immerse himself in the spring water , five times and change his garments . When going into the Kodesh , he would remove his four garments of Gold ( as gold was used in the Chait Ha ' Eigel ) and wear only his other Garments of pure white , like the Malachim - Angels . Offerings were also done on This Holy Day , and This Day , as The Parsha mentions , is known for the lots placed on two goats , one for HaShem and the other " Azazel . " The goat for Azazel would be taken and sent with a designated person , that was to pass on within that year of doing this , and this goat was to be sent off a precipice . Only then , would the Kohein Gadol continue with the Service . The Law of the he-goat to Azazel is a Chok , a Law For Which HaShem Has Given no explanation . Our Rabbonim of Blessed Memory do teach us what may be a few reasons for this . None of them are a show to bribe a negative force , on our behalf for that Day . The word " Azazel " has a few derivations . One of them being , that the word " Azazel " can be broken up into the words ' Az ' which means ' goat ' and ' Azel , ' which means ' going , ' which is exactly what this procedure was , a goat that must go into the Wilderness . Also , the word " Azazel , " can also be broken up into the words ' Aziz ' - ' Strong ' and ' el ' - ' Mighty , ' for it was to a strong and mighty cliff and rock from which the goat had to be sent off from . Some of our Rabbis also assume that it referred to a specific cliff with this name . There is a deeper meaning within this word " Azazel . " This goes back to the time of Noach . Around that time , two Malachim Angels approached HaShem and questioned the morality of human beings . They asked HaShem why He Created humans , if they perform such acts of Immorality and Perversion . HaShem Told these two Angels , that it certainly is not easy to be a human being , with the pull of the Yetzer Horah and with the desires , human beings physically feel . These two Angels , asked HaShem To Send them down so they could prove that they could do better . HaShem Warned them that it is hard to be human and that they cannot understand the pull of physicality that a human has . They insisted and HaShem Sent them down . Their names were Azael and Shemchazai ( shortened to Aza ) and when we put these two names together , one gets ' Azazel . ' These two Angels , when they did come down , realized how wrong they had been , for they were unable to contain or control themselves , with this experience of being in human bodies with human desires and appetites and so , ended up doing worse than the humans did , in sexual immorality and other sins . They could not contain themselves with human women and brought forth a whole race of Nephillim , The Fallen Ones . It was then , That HaShem Sent the Mabul , the Flood , for the depth to which man stooped , left no place for betterment . People at that time , took more than one wife , one for having children and others for their own personal pleasure . People exchanged wives and at that time , people also indulged in the horrific act of bestiality and other forbidden relationships , that HaShem , In this very Torah Portion , Warns us against . People also at that time , arranged marriage contracts between people and animals and also allowed different species to come together , something That HaShem Strictly Forbade . No wonder this particular event , would bring on a need for such an act of atoning for the World within the connection of these two Angelic beings that both make up the name Azazel , for the sin of sexual immorality is , according to Halacha , one of the three most serious sins , the other two being Idol Worship and Murder , the three sins that a Jew is to give up his life for , rather than commit them . There may also be a connection with this name Azazel , to Samael , the Angel of Eisav , the Angel who tempted Chava in Gan Eiden . This Angel Samael , insisted to HaShem , that it wants to Judge the Jewish people , as all other nations get judged . HaShem , Needing to be fair , Gave Samael the permission to Judge us only on Yom Kippur , for HaShem Knew this would be a day that all Jews , even those who do not correctly Keep all The Laws HaShem Tells us to keep , that this would be a Day , that all Jews would Remember Yom Kippur and try their best and Atone . So HaShem Knew that even on this day , Samael's negative intention would hold no power over HaShem's Beloved people . Samael , wanted some form of recompense and so , a he- goat is sent for this purpose as an offering to HaShem , that Samael can think is to do with him . As I said , Samael is the Angel of our greatest enemy Eisav Amalek and Eisav was to have the place mountain called Se'ir . This name has a deep reason , for the word ' Se'ir ' means ' hair ' for Eisav was born very hairy and so , this place was an indication of his hairy hard nature , which looks to gratifying his own physical appetites and his need for hunting and eating meat , one of them being the he-goat , where a ' Se'ir , ' also means ' he-goat ' ( let us remember the goat that Eisav was to bring to his Father , the goat that Yaakov brought to his Father and the goat that was dipped in blood by Yosef's brothers , that they brought to their Father Yaakov - how deeply Beautiful and Special , is The Holy Torah ) . Thus , the he-goat is sent off to Atone for the affects that those around us Jews attempt , to turn us away from Holy Judaism , and so , are we atoned . The goat , has been a representative symbol for Satanistic beliefs , for a long time , and so , this characteristic , comes from Eisav and his ilk around us , that perform the most despicable atrocities throughout history . The Torah Portion continues with the full Yom Kippur Service and that it is to be an Eternal Decree for us Jews . The Torah Portion then continues with the prohibition not to eat blood , for in all parts of the beheimah , it is their blood that is for atonement . That does not mean that blood is the only way to atone , as some of the heretical thinkers try to claim , for the verse directly says that in all parts of the animal , the part of blood is the part for atonement , ( never to be eaten ) , in connection with offerings and that there are other ways to atone , like at a time , when we do not have a Temple , HaShem , Many Times Teaches us that our lips substitute for bulls and rams . Thus Blood is not to be eaten , as some nations did in those days . Torah then Teaches us of the Forbidden Relationships , that we as His People and thus to be a Holy People , are not to engage in , as the Egyptians and Canaanites indulged in . Among these , is mentioned the Law not to pass our children through to molech , which was a ritual where a child was passed between two flames in front of the assyrian idol that had a calf's face with outstretched hands and 7 compartments in its heated stomach , where the child was put into the 7th compartment . It is interesting to note that the this idol called molech , was like an egyptian form of baal , from where the term ' baal-zebub ' came from , and that in islam , they have an angel called ' maalik ' which is their angel of hellfire and that their angel called malakbel , from the ancient canaanite religion , was at the time , the idol messenger of baal , the idol . No wonder they used fire on children at the time ,if the belief was of hellfire . HaShem Then Cautions us not to follow , in any way shape or form , the abominations of the nations , who did all these depravities , and so did Israel , the Land , The Place of HaShem's Special Closeness , did disgorge them from the Holy Land , a Land that will never tolerate any form of depravity , secularism or immorality or idol worship of any nation . It must be a Land of Milk And Honey , Of Torah and Sweet Holiness , For HaShem . Thus is the Haftorah linked . In this last line and paragraph of this Parsha , is a Strong Warning , that we Jews are not in any way , to take on the beliefs and ways of anyone else around us , for only Torah Laws And The Teachings From HaShem To Moshe and our Sages , Are True . Such an ending in words , is a sweet connection to the start of the following Sedra Kedoshim , which starts out near its beginning saying , " Kedoshim Tiheyu Ki Kadosh Ani HaShem Elokeichem " - " You shall be Holy , For Holy Am I , HaShem , your G-D . " To be separate from other people and from foreign ways , and to be Holy to G-D , Is The Pathway of the Jew . For this , Every Commandment , that HaShem Ever Gave and Gives us , is to lead us to be Holy , As HaShem Is Holy . This Parsha of Kedoshim , starts out with HaShem's Holy Laws to Lead us to " Kedoshim " - " Holiness . " HaShem Reminds us to honor our Mother and Father , of Sabbath Observance and not to turn to idols . HaShem Then Talks of Piggul - Rejected Offerings , Gifts to the poor , being Honest in our dealings with others , not to be a gossip - monger and tale - bearer ( Rechilus - The Midrash Says - Rabbi M Weissman ) among our people , not to stand by , while our fellow's blood is shed , not to bear a grudge against one of our fellow Jews , to Love our fellow Jew as ourselves , for , as HaShem's Torah Says , " I Am HaShem . " This Acknowledgement of " I Am HaShem , " is also to remind us That HaShem's Love And Light Is Within us all , and how we treat others , is thus how we treat HaShem - so be good to others , as this is being good to HaShem , and Keep HaShem's Commandments . HaShem Then Reminds us of the Law of Kilayim , Forbidden Mixtures , not to mix species , the Shifchah Charufah - the designated Maidservant , the time needed to wait after planting before partaking , not to indulge in sorcery , of picking specific times due to omens , not to round off the edge of our scalp or beard , not to make cuts or gashes when in mourning and not to tattoo ourselves ( an act that was done by idolworshipers ) . The Law of not mixing wool and linen in a garment ( Shaatnez ) , goes back to Kayin and Hevel ( Cain and Abel ) , where Kayin brought the flax linen , while Hevel , brought the woolen sheep as an offering . These two men both had opposing views of how to treat HaShem , and so , we don't mix such views , and such fibers . The only time these fibers can come together is in a holy Garment like Tzitzis , and in the Bigdei Kehuna , the Priestly Garment ( The Midrash Says - Rabbi M Weissman ) , where the Holiness of this Garment , brings Sholom - Peace . Then HaShem's Torah Reminds us to Keep HaShem's Sabbaths . We are Commanded not to turn to the sorcery of the Ov or Yid'onim , ways of fortune-telling , but to remain faithful to HaShem and trust Him Wholeheartedly . We are to rise in the presence of an old person ( the sweet golden heart of our people , who can teach us much holiness and wisdom and experience and morals ) and to honor the presence of a Torah Sage . We are to be good to the Proselyte , the Convert to Judaism , and treat them justly , and love them like ourselves , for we too were aliens in Egypt . We are not to commit a perversion of Justice , in measures of length , weight and volume , and we are to have correct scales , weights and dry measures and correct liquid measures and in Holiness , HaShem Says , as Often Appears after each Law here , " I Am HaShem Your G-D , Who Brought you out from the Land of Egypt . You Shall Observe My Decrees and all My Ordinances , and you shall perform them - I Am HaShem . " HaShem Then Again Warns us against offering to molech , And Reiterates the Arayos - Forbidden Relationships , with more detail on the punishments for these sins , ending with reminding us to keep HaShem's Decrees and Ordinances , and then the Land of Israel will not disgorge us ( a link to the Haftorah ) , for we are not to follow the practices of those that were there at other times , That Were Disgorged , and we are to remain Holy As HaShem Is Holy , Who Has Separated us Jews from other people . We are to Keep Israel as a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey ( a reference to Torah ) and not ever to follow the ways of other people and their traditions and beliefs . We are to keep Kosher and keep away from that which is unclean . We are not to follow the sorcery of the Ov or of Yid'oni , a crime that deserves death by stoning . The Parsha leaves us with a beautiful Statement , that , " You shall be holy for Me , for I HaShem Am Holy And I Have Separated you from the peoples to be Mine . " How much more clear can it be . This is as clear a show Of HaShem's Love For His Jewish people , for as HaShem Says , We Jewish people are His - using the word " Mine " that shows such personal Love and Sweet Closeness That HaShem Feels for us Jews . As this Parasha of Kedoshim and the Parsha of Acharei Mos show , we are to be holy and to be at one with HaShem Always . HaShem Gave us A Holy Yom Kippur to Atone for our transgressions and we are to keep HaShem's Holy Laws , for we are to be Holy to HaShem Always , keeping separate and Kosher , away and far from that which is Forbidden and not Commanded By HaShem , to be a Jewish People , separate from other people , keeping Holy , As HaShem Is Holy . This is not a means for us to be arrogant at all , Chas Ve Shalom . We are not to go around being arrogant . HaShem Has Chosen us for a very special task , a task we ourselves chose through Avraham , that he himself chose HaShem and realized the truth of HaShem's Oneness , and so , as he did , so are we to do , to be a Light unto the Nations , to teach them the Truth of the Oneness of G-D and to teach the way to follow Him , and Him Only , in Truth . We must start with ourselves , just as the Kohein Gadol starts with his own Offering , to cleanse and purify himself , before others , in following HaShem's Very Holy Laws and Keeping HaShem's Very Holy Days and being ever so humble and quick to correct ourselves and Keep HaShem's Holy Day of Atonement , Yom Kippur , the Day HaShem Forgave us . Torah Is A Light , That guides for us through this stormy sea of Physicality , like the lighthouse that guides a ship back home , so is The Holy Torah , The Only Way to get to The Light Of HaShem . Torah Is our Lighthouse , that Steers us home to HaShem , Into His Loving Arms . We are to be a Holy people , to HaShem . We are to keep our Gift That Is Given By HaShem , A Gift That HaShem Gave us In So Much Love , The Gift Of Israel , to be a Holy Land , where we follow HaShem's Torah , As HaShem Asks of us . We are in every way and at every moment , to emulate HaShem , in all that we do and in all that we are . HaShem's Spark Is Within us all and every action we do , must be a representative Of The Goodness of HaShem Always . We are HaShem's Representatives and so , must act accordingly , to be Holy , As HaShem Is Holy . Let us all Love HaShem as we should love Him , and show HaShem how much we do love Him , by doing everything HaShem Asks of us and being everything that HaShem Wants of us to be , for HaShem Has Given us His Beautiful Holy Torah Of Light , for with HaShem's Love , HaShem and His Holy Torah Will Carry us Home . Our home is with HaShem . May we all always emulate HaShem and Rest Securely and Safely in HaShem's Tender Loving Care . I wish HaShem With Deepest And Most Eternal Love , A Sweet , Beautiful And Special Shabbos Kodesh With Deepest Eternal Love , and to all my fellow Jews and to all of Creation , a Sweet , Beautiful and Special Shabbos Kodesh with love .