A Tale of Two Goats
Two goats are taken on Yom Kippur. One is the saʼir la’Shem, whose blood is sprinkled by the holiest person, the Kohen Gadol; on the holiest day, Yom Kippur; in the holiest place, the Kodesh HaKodashim. Then there is the saʼir laʼAzazel, which is taken to a barren mountaintop and cast off to a violent demise. The Mishnah (Yoma 6:1) tells us that there is a mitzvah that these two goats be equal in appearance, height, value, and that they be bought at the same time. Only through a lottery is it determined which one will go where.
After the lottery, however, they have no similarity. The saʼir la’Shem must be ritually slaughtered and its blood collected and sprinkled, all by the Kohen Gadol, while the saʼir laʼAzazel can be thrown off the cliff by any Jewish man, even a non-Kohen in a state of ritual impurity.
Yet the pasuk says otherwise, that both of them constitute a korban chatas, a sin offering. Why does the Torah say this when it does not seem as if it is so?
Rav Dov Zev Weinberger (Shemen HaTov) suggests the following. If the first goat would not have become the saʼir laʼAzazel, the second one would not have become the sa'ir la'Shem, the true korban chatas. Since the second animal, the saʼir laʼAzazel, enables the other to become the saʼir la’Shem and the korban chatas, it itself is called a korban chatas. If you make something possible, if without you it could not happen, then to a certain extent, you acquire that something's status.
While not mentioned by Rav Weinberger, we find this principle in regard to hachzakas Torah, supporting Torah. While Yissachar was sitting in the beis midrash and learning, Zevulun gets credit for Yissachar's learning, which he enabled. Even more, he receives the more prominent emphasis: (Devorim 33:18) “Semach Zevulun beʼtzeisecha ve’Yissachar be'ohalecha — Rejoice, Zevulun, in your excursions, and Yissachar in your tents.” Rashi explains that Zevulun is mentioned first because he made Yissachar's learning possible.
Rav Weinberger uses this lesson to explain an apparent contradiction between two statements of Rabbi Akiva. In Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:18), we are taught, “Ve’ahavta le'rei'acha kamocha — You shall love your fellow as yourself,” upon which Rabbi Akiva famously commented, “Zeh klal gadol ba’Torah — This is a great rule in the Torah” (Rashi, based on Toras Kohanim 4:12).
Yet there is a famous argument in Bava Metzia (62a) regarding a case of two men traveling in the desert. One has a pitcher with enough water to allow only one of them to survive. If they share the water, both will die; if one drinks, he will reach civilization and his life will be saved. Ben Petura taught that it is better that both drink and die, rather than one witness the death of his companion. But Rabbi Akiva did not agree. Quoting another pasuk in Vayikra (25:36), “Ve’chai achicha imach — And let your brother live with you,” Rabbi Akiva stressed the end of the pasuk: “imach, with you,” meaning that your life takes precedence over that of your brother: “Chayecha kodmin.” Accordingly, Rabbi Akiva obligates the individual with the water to keep all of it for himself.
Doesn't this contradict Rabbi Akiva's statement in which he said that loving one's fellow as oneself is a great rule in the Torah?
The Chiddushei Harim, as cited by Rav Weinberger, explains that one's own life takes precedence when it comes to gashmiyus, material matters, and therefore the entire jug of water goes to its owner. But when dealing with ruchniyus, spiritual matters, we have to love our friend as ourselves, because then we, too, become elevated.
Much like the saʼir laʼAzazel earns the status of a korban chatas, when I facilitate your spiritual growth, even at the possible expense of my own growth, I acquire and take on the level that you achieve. As Rabbi Elazar said, “Gadol hameʼaseh yoser min haʼoseh — The one who causes others to do good is greater than the doer” (Bava Basra 9a). With your growth, I grow; what you become, I become.
In a beautiful diyuk [focus on the exact wording], the Shemen HaTov rereads the words of Rabbi Akiva cited above: “Zeh klal gadol ba'Torah.” When is this a great rule? When is it appropriate to treat others as you would treat yourself? “Ba’Torah,” only when it comes to Torah and matters of ruchniyus. By putting another individual first in matters related to Torah such as with Yissachar and Zevulun you suffer no loss and only stand to gain. As such, the “kamocha” and the “chayecha kodmin” are one and the same. You are not choosing between yourself and the other person, since you, too, become greater by making him great. But in matters of gashmiyus, the governing principle of “chayecha kodmin" remains.