135. The Holy Nation gives to him what is needed for him, NAMELY a goat (Heb. seir). This is the secret of "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy (Heb. sa'ir) man" (Beresheet 27:11), AS HE IS AN ASPECT OF THE OTHER SIDE. IT CONTAINS MALE AND FEMALE CHARACTERISTICS, and just as in the side of holiness there is male and female, so too in the side of defilement there exist a male and female. A popular saying goes like this: Throw a bone to a dog and he will lick the dust off your feet; HERE ALSO, WE GIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE A GOAT AND HE IS CONVERTED TO BE A DEFENDER.

136. They ask ben Zoma: Is it permissible FOR US to emasculate a dog? He replies, "Neither shall you do thus in your land" (Vayikra 22:24). THE MEANING IS, you shall not do thus to anything in your land, EVEN TO A DOG, for as the world needs one thing, it needs another, MEANING THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD THAT IS NOT NEEDED. Therefore, we learned that "and, behold, it was very good" (Beresheet 1:31) refers to the Angel of Death that he should not be blotted from the world, BECAUSE the world needs him. Even though it is written about him, THE ANGEL OF DEATH, "Yea, the dogs are greedy, they never have enough..." (Yeshayah 56:11). IT IS NOT GOOD that they should become extinct from the world. Everything is needed, BOTH good and bad.

137. Hence, we need on this day to throw a bone to the dog, MEANING THE GOAT OF AZAZEL. While he is dragging THE BONE, people may enter the palace of the King and no one dares to stop them, FOR THE ACCUSER IS PREOCCUPIED WITH HIS GIFT. Afterwards, he will still be wagging his tail, MEANING HE WILL BECOME A DEFENDER.