Rav Soloveitchik on the Avoda of Yom Kippur

https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Yoma.3.10?lang=bi

Ben Katin made twelve spigots for the laver, for there had been before only two. He also made a mechanism for the laver, in order that its water should not become unfit by remaining overnight. King Munbaz had the handles of all the vessels used on Yom Kippur made of gold. His mother Helena made a golden candelabrum over the opening of the Temple sanctuary. She also made a golden tablet, on which the portion concerning the suspected adulteress was inscribed. Nicanor's gates were the subject of miracles. And they were all mentioned in praise.

And these they mentioned to their shame: Those of the House of Garmu did not want to teach anything about the preparation of the showbread. Those of the House of Avtinas did not want to teach anything about the preparation of the incense. Hugros ben Levi knew a chapter [concerning] the song but did not want to teach it. Ben Kamtzar did not want teach anyone his art of writing [the name of God]. Concerning the former [mentioned in the previous Mishnah] it is said: “The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing” (Proverbs 10:7); concerning the others it is said: “But the name of the wicked shall rot”.
He shook the urn and brought up the two lots. On one was inscribed: “For Hashem,” and on the other: “For Azazel.” The deputy High Priest was at his right hand, the head of the [ministering] family at his left. If the lot “For Hashem” came up in his right hand, the deputy high priest would say to him: “My master, High Priest, raise your right hand!” And if the lot “for Hashem” came up in his left hand, the head of the [ministering] family would say: “My master, High Priest, raise your left hand!” Then he placed them on the two goats and said: “A sin-offering for Hashem!” Rabbi Ishmael said: he did not need to say, “a sin-offering”, but just “for Hashem." And they answered after him: “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever!”
He bound a thread of crimson wool on the head of the goat which was to be sent away, and he placed it at the gate where it was to be sent away, and for the goat that was to be slaughtered [he placed a thread of crimson wool on its neck] at the place of the slaughtering. He came to his bull a second time, laid his two hands upon it and made confession. And thus he would say: “Please, ‘Hashem’! I have done wrong, I have transgressed, I have sinned before You, I and my house and the sons of Aaron, Your holy people. Please, ‘Hashem’! Forgive the wrongdoings, the transgressions, the sins which I have committed and transgressed and sinned before You, I and my house and the sons of Aaron, Your holy people, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant: “For on this day shall atonement be made for you," etc. [to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the Lord”] (Leviticus 16:30). And they answered after him: “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever!”
He slaughtered it [the bull] and received its blood in a bowl, and he gave it to the one who stirs it up on the fourth terrace within the sanctuary so that it should not congeal. He took the coal-pan and went up to the top of the altar, cleared the coals to both sides, took out coals from the glowing middle [of the fire on the altar], came down and placed it [the coal-pan] on the fourth terrace in the Temple courtyard.

On other days he would take out [the coals] with a silver coal-pan, and empty it into one of gold, but this day he took them out with a golden coal-pan and in it he brought them [into the Heikhal]. On other days he would take them up with a coal-pan containing four kavin, and empty it into one containing three kavin, but this day he took them out with one containing three kavin, and in it he brought them in. Rabbi Yosi says: on other days he would take them out with a coal-pan containing one se’ah [six kavin], and empty it into one containing three kavin, this day he took them out with one containing three kavin, and in it he brought them in. On other days the pan was heavy, on this day it was light. On other days its handle was short, on this day it was long. On other days it was of yellowish gold, on this day, of reddish gold, the words of Rabbi Menachem. On other days he would offer half a p'ras in the morning and half a p'ras in the afternoon, today he adds also the two handfuls [of incense]. On other days [the incense] was finely ground, but today it was the most finely ground possible.
On other days the priests would go up on the east side of the ramp and come down on the west side, but on this day the High Priest goes up in the middle and comes down in the middle. Rabbi Yehudah says: the High Priest always goes up in the middle and comes down in the middle. On other days the high priest washed his hands and feet from the laver, but on this day from a golden ladle. Rabbi Yehudah says: the High Priest always sanctifies his hands and feet from a golden ladle.

On other days there were four wood-piles there [on the altar], but on this day five, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosi says: on other days three, but on this day four. Rabbi Yehudah says: on other days two, but on this day three.
They brought out to him the ladle and the coal-pan, and he took two hands full [of incense] and put it into the ladle: a large [high priest] according to his size, a small one according to his size, and thus was its measure. He took the coal-pan in his right hand and the ladle in his left hand. He walked through the Heikhal [sanctuary] until he came to the place between the two curtains which separated the Holy from the Holy of Holies; between them was [a space of] one cubit. Rabbi Yose says: there was but one curtain, as it is said: “And the curtain shall serve you as a partition between the Holy and the Holy of Holies” (Exodus 26:33). The outer curtain was looped on the south side and the inner curtain on the north side. He walked along between them until he reached the north side. When he reached the north side he turned around to the south and went on along the curtain, to his left, until he reached the Ark. When he reached the Ark he put the coal-pan between the two poles. He heaped up the incense upon the coals and the whole house became full with smoke. He came out by the way he entered and in the outer house he uttered a short prayer. He did not make the prayer long so as not to frighten Israel.
After the Ark was taken away, there was a stone there, from the days of the earlier prophets, called Shtiyah, three fingers above the ground, on which he would place [the coal-pan].
He would take the blood from the one who was stirring it, and enter [again] into the place where he had entered, and stand [again] on the place on which he had stood, and sprinkle once upwards and seven times downwards, and he did not intend to sprinkle [simply] upwards nor downwards but rather like one who cracks a whip. And thus would he count: one, one and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five, one and six, one and seven. Then he would go out and put it on the golden stand in the Heikhal.
They would bring him the goat. He would slaughter it and receive its blood in a bowl. He entered [again] into the place where he had entered, and stood [again] on the place on which he had stood, and sprinkled once upwards and seven times downwards, and he did not intend to sprinkle [simply] upwards or downwards but rather like one who cracks a whip. And thus would he count: one, one and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five, one and six, one and seven. Then he would go out and place [the bowl] on the second stand in the Heikhal. Rabbi Yehudah said: there was only one stand there. He would take the blood of the bull and put down the blood of the goat, and sprinkle from it upon the curtains facing the Ark outside, once upwards, seven times downward, intending to sprinkle neither [simply] upwards nor downwards, but rather like one who cracks a whip. Thus would he count [as above]. Then he would take the blood of the goat, and put down the blood of the bull, and sprinkle from it upon the curtain facing the ark outside once upwards, seven times downwards [as above]. Then he would pour the blood of the bull into the blood of the goat, emptying the full vessel into the empty one.
“And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:18): that is the golden altar. He then began to purify [the altar by sprinkling] in downward motion. From where does he begin? From the northeast horn [of the altar], then the northwest, then the southwest, then the southeast. From the place where he begins [sprinkling when offering] a sin-offering on the outer altar, there he completes [sprinkling] on the inner altar. Rabbi Eliezer says: he remained in his place and sprinkled. And on every horn he would sprinkle from below upwards, with the exception of the horn at which he was standing, which he would sprinkle from above downwards.
Then he sprinkled the body of the altar seven times. And he would pour out the remainder of the blood at the western base of the outer altar. And [the remainder of the blood sprinkled] on the outer altar he poured out at the southern base. Both mingled in the aqueduct and flowed into Nahal Kidron; and they were sold to gardeners as fertilizer, and are subject to meilah[misappropriation of sanctified property].
Concerning every act of Yom Kippur mentioned in the prescribed order [in the Mishnah]: if he performed one [later] act before an [earlier] one, it is as if it had not been done at all. If he dealt with the blood of the goat before the blood of the bull, he must start over again, and sprinkle the blood of the goat after the blood of the bull. If before he had finished the sprinklings within [the Holy of Holies] the blood was poured out, he must bring other blood, and start over again and sprinkle again within [the Holy of Holies]. Similarly, in the Heikhal and at the golden altar, since they are each a separate act of atonement. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: wherever he stopped, there he may begin again.
The two [sacrificial] goats of Yom Kippur, it is a mitzvah that they be equal in appearance, height, value and be bought at the same time. But even if they are not equal, they are kosher. If one was bought one day, and another the next day, they are kosher. If one [of the goats] dies, if it dies before the lots were drawn, a partner for the second should be bought. If it dies after the lots were drawn, then another pair [of goats] should be brought and lots drawn over them as before, and [the one drawing lots] should say, if [the goat that was intended] for Hashem died, "Let the one for which the lot 'for Hashem' is drawn be established in its place." And if [the goat that was intended for] Azazel died, "Let the one for which the lot "for Azazel" is drawn be established in its place." The second [remaining goat] is left to graze until it develops a blemish, and then is sold, and its monetary value [is used to buy] free-will offerings, for we do not leave a communal chattat [sin] offering to die. Rabbi Yehuda says, We leave it to die. Rabbi Yehuda also said, if [the goat for Hashem's] blood spilled [before it could be sprinkled], the goat sent [to Azazel] is left to die [and another pair are brought]. If the goat sent [to Azazel] has died [first], then the blood [of the goat for Hashem] must be poured out [i.e., discarded, and another pair are brought].
[The High Priest] would come to the goat for Azazel and place his two hands on it, and confess. And this is what he would say: "Please God, we, Your people the House of Israel, have committed wrongdoing, transgressed, and sinned before You. Please God, please forgive the wrongdoing, transgressions and sins that we, Your people the House of Israel, have committed, transgressed, and sinned before You. As it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant (Leviticus 16:30), 'On this day, you will be forgiven and cleansed from all your sins—before Hashem you will be cleansed.'" Then, the priests and the people standing in the courtyard, when they heard the explicit Name from the mouth of the High Priest, would bend their knees, bow down and fall on their faces, and they would say, "Blessed be the Honored Name of His Sovereignty forever."

They turned over [the goat sent to Azazel] to the person leading it [out to the wilderness]. Anyone could lead the goat out; however, the leading priests fixed a procedure [that a priest would lead it out] and would not allow a Yisrael [Jew not a member of the tribe of Levi] to lead it out. Rabbi Yose says, It once happened that Arsala led it out and he was a Yisrael.
They made a special ramp for him [who led the goat out], because of the Babylonians who used to pull at his hair, and say to him, Take [our sins] and go quickly, take [our sins] and go quickly. The leading citizens of Jerusalem would accompany him to the first booth. There were ten booths from Jerusalem to Tzuk [the cliff to which the goat was taken], a distance of ninety ris [2/15 of a mil], seven and a half ris per mil [two thousand cubits, for a total distance of twelve milin].

At every booth, they would say to him, Here is food and water. And they would accompany him from one booth to the next, except for the last one, since the escort would not go with him all the way to the cliff, but rather, he would watch his actions from a distance.
What did he do [when he reached the cliff]? He divided the thread of the crimson wool, tied half to the rock, and tied the other half between its horns, and he pushed it from behind. It went rolling down, and before it reached half-way downhill, it was dashed to pieces. He returned and sat in the last booth until it became dark. And at what point did his garments become impure? From the moment he left the walls of Jerusalem. Rabbi Shimon says: from the moment he pushed it off the cliff.
He [the High Priest] would go to the bull and the goat for the burnt offering [after sending off the goat to Azazel]. He would split [their carcasses] and remove their fats, place them on a tray and offer them on the altar. He reassembled the carcasses and took them out to the place of burning. And at what point would his clothing become impure? From the moment he went outside the walls of the Temple court. Rabbi Shimon says: From the moment the fire took hold in the majority [of the carcasses].
They would say to the High Priest: The goat [for Azazel] has reached the wilderness. And how did they know that the goat had reached the wilderness? They used to set up towers and wave signal cloths, and thus they would know that the goat had reached the wilderness. Rabbi Yehuda says: But did they not have an obvious sign? The distance from Jerusalem to the place where the goat was pushed [off the cliff] was three milin. They could thus walk a mil, return a mil, and wait the amount of time it would take to walk a mil, and thus, they would know that the goat had reached the wilderness. Rabbi Yishmael says: But did they not also have another sign? They had a strip of crimson wool tied to the door of the Heikhal, and when the goat reached the wilderness, the crimson wool turned white, as it is written, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18).
The High Priest then came to read [the Torah portion for the day]. He could read either wearing linen garments, or his own white robe. The synagogue attendant would take the Torah scroll, and hand it to the head of the synagogue, and the head of the synagogue would hand it to the assistant [High Priest] and the assistant would hand it over to the High Priest. The High Priest would stand, and receive it, and read "After the death" (Leviticus 16:1-34) and "On the tenth" (Leviticus 23:26-36). Then he would roll up the scroll, hold it close to his bosom, and say, "More than that which I have read before you, is written here." He would then recite by heart “On the tenth day" (Numbers 29:7-11). He recites over it eight blessings: for the Torah, for the Temple Service, for thanksgiving, for the forgiveness of sins, and for the Temple separately, and for Israel separately, and for Jerusalem separately, for the priests separately, and for the rest of the prayer.

The one who sees the High Priest while he is reading does not see the bull and he-goat that are burned, and the one seeing the bull and the he-goat being burned does not see the High Priest while he is reading. Not because it is prohibited to do so, but because the distance between the two areas was great, and both rituals were performed simultaneously.
If he read in the garments of linen, he would then wash his hands and feet, undress, and go down to immerse. He came up, and dried himself, while they brought him his gold vestments. He dressed and then washed his hands and feet. He then went out and offered his ram, and the people's ram, and the seven unblemished one-year-old male sheep; these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: They were brought with the morning Tamidoffering, as well as the bull for a burnt-offering. But the he-goat which is done outside was brought with the afternoon Tamid offering.
He washed his hands and feet, undressed, and went down and immersed. He came up, and dried himself. Then they brought him his white garments, and he dressed and washed his hands and feet. He went inside to remove the ladle and coal-pan, washed his hands and feet, undressed, went down, immersed, came up, and dried himself. Then, they brought him his gold garments, he dressed, washed his hands and feet, and went into the sanctuary to burn the afternoon incense and light the lamps. He washed his hands and feet, and undressed. They then brought his personal garments. He got dressed, and they would go with him to his residence. And he would make a feast for those close to him, for having exited the Holy [of Holies] in peace.
The High Priest served in eight vestments, and the ordinary priest in four. The ordinary priest wore a tunic, pants, hat, and belt. The High Priest added to these the breastplate, the efod [apron], robe, and tsits [forehead plate]. They were only allowed to question the urim vetumim [oracular device carried in the breastplate] while wearing these eight vestments. The urim vetumim was only questioned on behalf of the king, court, or someone the community requires [for leadership].
On Yom Kippur, it is forbidden to eat, to drink, to wash, to anoint, and to wear leather shoes and to have sexual relations. The King and the bride may wash their faces, and the newly delivered mother may wear leather shoes: the words of Rabbi Eliezer; and the Sages prohibit this.
One who eats food to the size of a large date, that is, the date with the kernel, or drinks a mouthful, is guilty. All kinds of food combine for the size of the date, and all liquids for the mouthful; but food and drink do not combine in the computation.
If one eats and drinks on a single occasion of obliviousness, he is liable to one sin-offering; if he has eaten and [also] done work, he is liable to two [separate] sin-offerings; if he has eaten food which is not suitable for consumption, or has drunk liquids which are not suitable for drinking, or brine or fish-brine, he is exempt [from bringing a sin-offering].
We do not force small children to fast on Yom Kippur. Rather, we train them a year or two before [they reach the age of being subject to the commandments] so that they will become accustomed to [performing] the commandments.
We feed a pregnant woman who smells [and craves food], even unkosher [food] until she recovers. We feed a sick person on the advice of an expert [doctor]. And if there is not an expert there, we feed him on his own word, until he says enough.
f one is seized with a pathological craving [for food], he is to be fed even with unkosher food, until he recovers. A person who is bitten by a mad dog must not be fed any of the dog's liver, but Rabbi Matya ben Charash permits it. Moreover, Rabbi Matya ben Charash said, If a person has a sore throat, it is permitted to put medicines into his mouth on the Sabbath, because of possible danger to his life, and whatever threatens to endanger life supersedes [the observance of] the Sabbath.

If debris falls and it is unknown whether any person is buried [under it] or not; or whether he is dead or alive, or whether he is a gentile or a Jew, we remove the debris from him on the Sabbath; if he be found alive, we extricate him, but if he is dead, we leave him.
The sin-offering and guilt-offering atone [for sin]. Death and Yom Kippur atone with repentance. Repentance atones for minor transgressions of positive or negative commandments; for grave transgressions, it obtains a respite until Yom Kippur completes the atonement.
One who says, "I will sin, and then repent, I will sin [again], and then repent," will not receive an opportunity to repent; [for one who says] "I will sin, and Yom Kipur will atone," Yom Kippur will not atone. Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between a person and God, but for a transgression against one's neighbor, Yom Kipur cannot atone, until he appeases his neighbor. Thus R. Eleazar ben Azariah expounds the text, "From all your sins before the Lord shall ye be clean": For transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones, for transgressions against one's neighbor, Yom Kippur cannot atone, until he appeases his neighbor. R. Akiva says, Happy are you, Israel! Before whom are you purified, and who purifies you [of your transgressions]? Your Father Who is in heaven. For it is said, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean"; and it is also said, "The ‏ritual bath‎ [lit. Hope] of Israel is the Lord"; even as a ritual bath purifies the unclean, so does the Holy One, Blessed be He, purify Israel.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drIHuygZ2C4&t=9s
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/avodah-service/

Avodah (literally, “service”), the name for the Temple ritual, is now applied to an essential element of the Musaf service on Yom Kippur. It vividly describes the sacrificial ritual in the Temple on the Day of Atonement, based on Leviticus 16 and detailed in  Yoma(1-7) and the Talmudic tractate of the same name.
The Avodah service has preserved the quintessential rite of ancient Judaism, the most solemn moment of the Jewish year involving the holiest person (Kohen Gadol), the holiest time (Yom Kippur), and the holiest place (Temple in Jerusalem). Although not one of the pilgrimage festivals on which Jews were biblically required to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16), on Yom Kippur huge throngs of worshipers came to see the awesome ritual and to hear the words of the Kohen Gadol.

Origins of the Service

After the destruction of the Second Temple and the cessation of the sacrificial rites, how could the people achieve atonement? The Rabbis ruled that in this emergency situation, one could perform the Temple duties by reading about them, since the utterance of a person’s lips is equivalent to the actual performance of the ritual.

In addition, the Rabbis were convinced that a yearly recitation of the Yom Kippur ritual in the Temple would give Jews a sense of historical continuity and an intense longing for the restoration of their ancient homeland. The Avodah service was initially just a narration of the Temple ritual on Yom Kippur as related in Mishnah Yoma,but during the Middle Ages, numerous piyyutim were added.

Yom Kippur was the only time during the year when the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Preparation for this event began a week before the Day of Atonement, when the Kohen Gadol went to a designated area of the Temple court to study the sacrificial ritual for Yom Kippur.

Recounting the Actions of the Kohen Gadol

On the day before Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol emerged and was taken to another chamber in the Temple compound, where he met with other priests and continued his study. On the Day of Atonement, the Kohen Gadol, dressed in gold-embroidered garments, conducted the daily cultic rituals. When performing the rituals exclusively associated with the sacrifices of atonement, the Kohen Gadol wore white linen vestments. During the course of the day, he immersed himself and changed his clothes five times and washed his hands and feet 10 times.

The Kohen Gadol first offered a bull as his personal sin offering. He confessed his sins and those of his family, then the sins of the tribe of Aaron (the Kohanim), and finally those of all Israel (Lev. 16:17). Every time the Kohen Gadol uttered the holy name of God (the Tetragrammaton), which was spoken only on Yom Kippur, the people prostrated themselves and responded: “Praised is His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.”

It remains a custom in some communities for worshipers to completely bow down on the floor of the synagogue when this part of the Avodah service is read. A cloth or piece of paper must be placed between one’s head and the floor (not between one’s knees and the floor, as many erroneously do), because it is forbidden to bow down on a stone floor, except in the Temple.

After drawing lots to determine which of the two male goats was sent off to the wilderness for Azazel and which would be sacrificed as a sin offering for the Lord, and after a special incense offering was made in the Holy of Holies, the Kohen Gadol recited a prayer that Israel be blessed with peace, prosperity, and fertility and that no earthquake harm the inhabitants of the Sharon plain (“their houses may not become their graves”). Some modern prayer books used in liberal congregations have minimized the references to sacrifice and either a bridge the Avodah or make it optional.

cold torah and cold light are worthless
qualities of all gedolim and tzadikkim  not just scholarship but warmth and other great middos.
Re :Chazal,one should warm himself by the light of a talmid chochem.It must be a searing light so that one burns himself in its proximity As you approach him, you become enkindled  (address on dinner supporting  chinuch atzmai,.) During 2nd temple , we had a link to this reality of g-dliness as a contagion of holiness .The portals nof heaven were opened to the humblest Jew. The desire and thirstwere present and there for holiness to descend like soft rain ,digestible as the avoda prayers to which jewry were transfixed .The temple of the 10 miracles afforded such sacred space and holiness was absorbed with the utmost sensitivity and was grasped and held onto. The destruction of the temple due to senseless hatred,so record chazal, and the dispersion of Jewry after the Hadrianic wars  caused our weeping father Ha Kodosh Boruchu to weep with us and join us in our 2000 year exile.He hid his face from us,Hester ponim.We fell from a high mountain top.Those portals are now closed off the the veil to the world to come will be opened either piecemeal in concert with our frailties or with a bang not a whimper.