Service of the Kohen Gadol: Off The Cliff

When the agent of the Jews was sent to the mountains to throw the goat of Azazel off the cliff he would stop at a series of booths along the way to prevent him from breaking the laws of Techum Shabbat, the boundaries of the Shabbat. The booths allowed him to travel far beyond the precincts of Jerusalem. At each booth he was offered food and drink because he was traveling such a great distance. Part of the service of Yom Kippur, when the punishment for breaking the fast is death, included an offer of food and drink to one of the most important participants in the service. Part of the service was permission to break the rules, to rise above the system. This is exactly this level of Teshuva which can go against a negative commandment of the Torah.