פּירוש אויף ויקרא 16:8

“One for Azazel” [16:8]. Two goats were brought as sacrifices on Yom Kippur, one for the Holy One; the second one was sent into the wilderness alive. The Midrash says. They sent one of them alive to the evil Samael as a bribe. He is an evil angel who speaks evil against Israel. Therefore, he was given a bribe on Yom Kippur, a sacrifice, so that he should not speak evil about us. When the angel Samael sees that Israel, on Yom Kippur, have regret for their sins and repent. He comes to the Holy One and says, what a good nation you have on the earth. They are like the angels. How are the angels? They go barefoot, without shoes, just like Israel who go barefoot on Yom Kippur. How are the angels? They do not eat and drink. So too are Israel on Yom Kippur. How are the angels? They have no knees and they always stand. So too are Israel, on Yom Kippur they also stand on their feet all day. How are the angels? There is peace among them. So too are Israel on Yom Kippur. How are the angels? They have no sins. So too are Israel on Yom Kippur. When the Holy One hears from the evil Samael that he speaks only good about Israel, then the Holy One forgives the sins of Israel. Therefore, the angel is called Samael; he is the poison of death for the people. Samael’s nature is that his eyes can be blinded by bribes. The verse says, “bribes blind” [Deuteronomy, 16:18]. This means, the bribe blinds him. Aaron took two goats, putting one at his right hand and one at his left hand. He wrote two notes; on one was written, for God, and on the other was written, for Azazel. He put the two notes in a vessel, mixed them, and took out one and put it on a goat. Then he took out the other note and placed it on the other goat. Then the notes were read. The one that was written for God remained as a sacrifice for the Holy One and the one that was written for Azazel remained for Azazel. Even though we send the sacrifice to Azazel, but in any event our intention is for the Hoy One. It is like a parable. Once someone was asked to give a minister a present, expecting that he would intercede with the king. The present is like it comes from the Holy One Himself. He had commanded that the goat be given to Azazel. Even when the lot fell on the right side for Azazel, one was not supposed to change it, though one wanted to take the goat from the right side for the Holy One. This shows that the Holy One foregoes the honor due him and He commanded to give a sacrifice to Azazel.⁸Bahya, Leviticus, 16:7.

‎‎‎‎‏ 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).

“One lot for the Lord, and one lot for Azazel.” It appears that these two goats are very similar to the two young goats that Jacob prepared for Isaac: he made one of them into a delicacy as the material [physical world] desires, and this is the portion of Samael, who was given a bribe so that Jacob would receive blessings through his portion from the second goat, which he made as a Passover [offering] to the Lord, as it says in the Midrash (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32) that on that very day, it was the first day of Passover. Isaac said, “My son, the storehouses of dew are opened today,” etc. Similarly, for future generations with these two goats, Samael is given his portion so that Jacob would receive his portion from the lot that is for the Lord. And thus the Midrash connects them (Genesis Rabbah 65:14), saying, “Good young goats. They are good for you, as through them you will receive the blessings, and good for your children, as through them they are atoned for on Yom Kippur.”