The Mishnah on the High Priest’s Confession

3:8. He [the high priest] would come to his bullock. [ . . . ] And he would place his two hands upon it and make confession. And thus would he say:

Please, O God!¹

I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed, I have sinned before You—I and my household.

Please, O God!

Purge now the iniquities, the transgressions, and the sins that I have committed, transgressed, and sinned before You—I and my household, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant: For on this day atonement will be made for you, etc. (Leviticus 16:30).

And they [the other priests and people in the courtyard] responded after him:

“Praised be God; His glorious kingdom is eternal!” [ . . . ]

4:1. He [the high priest] shook the box and brought out the two lots, on one of which was written, “For God” and on the other of which was written, “For Azazel.”

The assistant was on his right side, and the head of the weekly Temple guard on his left side. If the lot for God came up in his right hand, the assistant would say to him, “My lord High Priest, raise up your right hand.” If the lot for God came up in his left hand, the head of the guard would say to him, “My lord High Priest, raise up your left hand.”

He put the lots on each of the two goats and said, “For God, a purification offering.” R. Ishmael says: He need not say “A purification offering,” rather [simply], “For God.” And they [the priests and people in the courtyard] respond after him, “Praised be God; His glorious kingdom is eternal!”

2. He tied a strip of crimson wool on the head of the goat that was to be sent forth and stood it opposite the gate by which it would depart, and [tied a strip of crimson wool] around the throat of the goat that was to be slaughtered [on the altar]. He would come to his bullock a second time and place his hands upon it and make a confession. And this he would say:

Please, O God!

I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed, I have sinned before You—I and my household and the sons of Aaron, Your holy people.

Please, O God!

Purge now the iniquities, the transgressions, and the sins that I have committed, transgressed, and sinned before You—I and my household and the sons of Aaron, Your holy people, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant: For on this day atonement will be made for you, etc. (Leviticus 16:30).

And they [the other priests and people in the courtyard] responded after him, “Praised be God; His glorious kingdom is eternal!” [ . . . ]

6:2. He would come to the goat that was to be sent forth and place his two hands upon it and make confession. And this he would say:

Please, O God!

Your people the household of Israel have committed iniquity, have transgressed, and have sinned before You.

Please, O God!

Purge now the iniquities, the transgressions, and the sins that Your people the household of Israel have committed, transgressed, and sinned before You, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant: For on this day atonement will be made for you, etc. (Leviticus 16:30).

And the priests and people who were standing in the courtyard, when they heard the proper name of God going forth from the mouth of the high priest, would prostrate themselves fully, falling on their faces, and say,

“Praised be God; His glorious kingdom is eternal!” [ . . . ]

7:1. The high priest came to read [from the Torah]. [ . . . ] The sexton [ḥazzan] of the synagogue would take the scroll of the Torah and give it to the head of the synagogue, and the head of the synagogue would give it to the assistant, and the assistant would give it to the high priest, who would stand and receive it and read [the portions beginning] After the death of [the two sons of Aaron] (Leviticus 16:1) and On the tenth day (Leviticus 23:26), then close the Torah scroll and hold it to his breast and say, “More than what I have read before you is written here.” And he would recite On the tenth day from the book of Numbers (29:7–11) by heart and recite eight blessings over it: for the Torah; for the Temple service; for thanksgiving; for the forgiveness of iniquity; for the Temple, as a separate blessing; for Israel, as a separate blessing; for the priests, as a separate blessing; and for the rest of the prayer.