By Romi Morales
Have you ever wondered where the concept of a scapegoat comes from? Or how it became so significant in every social group we belong to? Do you know how to help those who play this painful role? Do our sources offer any kind of response or solution? The truth is that all this and more can be found in the parashot Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. Would you be interested in learning more and understanding how these two concepts are connected? If so, keep reading. Let’s begin!
Two goats.
“Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.”
(Leviticus 16:8)
The parashot Acharei Mot–Kedoshim present truly fascinating topics. Among them, I’d like to focus on two in particular: the concept of the scapegoat and the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
In parashat Acharei Mot, Aaron is instructed on the ritual through which Am Israel attains atonement for its sins on Yom Kippur. A central part of this ritual involves two similar goats: one is offered as a sacrifice to God, and the other is designated for Azazel (a mysterious figure symbolizing the removal of sin, according to various interpretations). The High Priest would place his hands on the head of the goat for Azazel and recite a confession of the people’s sins over it, symbolically transferring them. Then, a messenger would lead the goat into the desert and push it off a cliff, fulfilling the command to eliminate the people’s transgressions. This act didn’t involve the people directly or aggressively—it was a collective representation of their desire for purification and spiritual renewal. The ritual shows that the people, consciously, declared their sins and symbolically projected them onto the goat.
From religious ritual to group dynamics.
Over time, the concept of the scapegoat moved beyond religious rituals and became central to the vocabulary of social psychology and group dynamics. René Girard, based on his anthropological studies, used this ritual to explain the Mimetic Theory, which argues that violence is inherent to human nature and that groups create rituals to channel this tension. Hence, the social emergence of the scapegoat.
In a group, the “scapegoat” is the person onto whom others unconsciously project negative energy, personal frustrations, tensions, and more. For the individual playing this role, the experience is deeply painful and often requires external help to overcome. As educators, it’s crucial to understand this dynamic. Empowering the child or young person in that role, preventing negative group projections, educating for emotional and social responsibility, involving family support, and encouraging active listening are among the most effective ways to support this important goal.
Choosing to love your neighbor as yourself.
Parashat Kedoshim offers an alternative: Love your neighbor as yourself. This phrase, one of the most well-known in Jewish culture, may sound simple, but it holds a deeply powerful and relevant message when addressing social aggression like we discussed earlier.
Some sages suggest there’s a meaningful difference between “Le’ehov et” and “Le’ehov le.” Let’s explain. When we say, “I love you” (Ani ohevet otjá in Hebrew), we use the preposition “et” — “אני אוהב את”. Here, the focus seems to be on the “I” — I love you because you make me feel good, because I like you, because of what you give me.
However, the commandment in this parashah says: “Ve’ahavta l’reacha kamocha” — “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” where the preposition is “le” — “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”. Unlike the previous case, here the focus shifts to the other. Love is directed toward the neighbor, flowing without expecting anything in return. It is a conscious and active choice to turn toward the other and wish them well.
In conclusion
Thousands of years ago, religious rituals tried to find ways to channel negative human forces outward so they wouldn’t affect the group (as with the scapegoat ritual).
Over time, symbolic projection of violence outward disappeared, and the scapegoat emerged within the group itself, embodied in real people—with all the pain that entails.
Yet, parashat Kedoshim teaches us that resolving this tension is within our reach. Loving your neighbor as yourself is not about what someone makes us feel—it is a conscious choice each person can make to wish well for others.
When we educate children and youth with this principle in mind, we offer them a priceless gift. Not only because it helps them build healthier relationships, understanding that love doesn’t depend on spontaneous affection, but also because it fosters an active decision to promote others’ wellbeing, even when there isn’t a natural bond.
While “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a commandment, the truth is you can’t force someone to love another. What we can do is educate children and youth to choose to do good for those around them, to take responsibility for their own mistakes, and to avoid projecting their tensions onto others. Teaching them to own their limitations and actions is the first step to creating educational spaces where no one has to carry the group’s collective tensions. And that’s the first step toward building a fairer, safer society for all.
