And no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he comes to effect atonement in the Holy, until he comes out. And he shall effect atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. -Lev. 16:17
Parsha Acharei Mot includes a detailed description of the service of the High Priest in the Temple on Yom Kippur. It is the only day of the year the High Priest enters the innermost chamber of the sanctuary, known as the Holy of Holies. While offering the Yom Kippur sacrifices, the High Priest would “confess” on behalf of the entire Jewish people, and in this way effect atonement for the sins of the past year.
But why does it say “atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel”? Why not just say, “atonement for everyone”? Rabbi Dovid Manson compares this to the safety instructions given at the beginning of every airline flight. “Secure your mask before assisting others.” Before we can fix anybody else, we need to fix ourselves. Rabbi Manson points out that the word “forgiveness” is only mentioned once. When the Kohen Gadol atones and gains forgiveness for himself, it will effect his family and his congregation.To help others improve their character traits, we must first work on improving our own!
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