(Mishnah): They made a Kevesh (ramp) for [the Meshale'ach], due to the Bavliyim, who would [pull on the goat] and detach [hair] and say to him "take it and leave! Take it and leave!'' (to hasten removal of Yisrael's sins).

The esteemed people of Yerushalayim would accompany him until the first hut. There were 10 huts from Yerushalayim until the Tzuk. The distance was 90 Ris; there are seven and a half [Ris] in a Mil (about a kilometer). At every hut they tell him "there is food, there is water!''

They accompany him from hut to hut, except for the last. In it, he (the accompanier) himself does not reach the Tzuk. Rather, he stands from afar and sees [the Meshale'ach's] actions.

(Gemara): Some teach that they were Kovesh (hid the Meshale'ach) himself, and some teach that they made an actual Kevesh (ramp).

(R. Chiya bar Yosef): [Those who pull on the goat] were Alexandriyim. They said "how long do you attribute the ruin to us?! (The sins are removed only when the goat is taken. Alternatively, R. Chiya, who was from Bavel (Sukah 20a) complained why Chachamim called them Bavliyim, since they were not from Bavel - MEICHAL HA'MAYIM.)

(Mishnah): The esteemed people of Yerushalayim would accompany him until the first hut.

(Beraisa - R. Meir): There were 10 huts in 12 Mil. R. Yehudah says, there were 10 huts in 10 Mil.

R. Yosi says, there were five [huts in 10 Mil], and all of the [accompaniers] were through an Eruv;

And so said to me my son Eliezer "I can make them [only] two [huts] through an Eruv!'' (The huts are four Mil and eight Mil from Yerushalayim. Through an Eruv, an accompanier can go two Mil from Yerushalayim, or two Mil from a hut in one direction.)

At every hut they tell him "there is food, there is water'' to invigorate his strength. How does this help? The Yetzer ha'Ra desires only what is forbidden to it. (Saying that he may eat and drink removes the hunger and thirst);

This is like R. Mana, who went [on Yom Kipur] to visit R. Chagai, who was weak. R. Chagai said "I am thirsty!'' He told him "drink!'' He left him, and returned later. He said "what happened to your thirst?'' He said "from when you permitted me, it went away.''

R. Chiyah bar Ba told the coming episode. A man was going in the market [on Yom Kipur], and his daughter was with him. His daughter said "father, I am thirsty!'' He told her "wait a bit.'' She said "father, I am thirsty!'' He told her "wait a bit.'' She died.

When R. Acha finished Musaf [on Yom Kipur], he told [the Tzibur] "my brethren - one who has a child [at home], go home for him [to feed him, lest there be danger].

(Mishnah): What did [the Meshale'ach] do [at the Tzuk]? He divided the red strip, and tied half to a rock, and half he tied between the [goat's] horns.

Note: Tearing is an Av Melachah. Surely it is not permitted! It seems that the strip was of twined wool, and he divided it through unraveling it into two (heard from R. Meir Eliyahu Shlita).

He pushed it backwards [to fall down the mountain]. It rolled and descended, and did not reach (fall) half the mountain before it was [torn into] many pieces. He came and sat under the last Sukah until dark. (Chachamim did not permit him to return further, even though he was permitted to leave the Techum.)

From when is he Metamei Begadim? It is after he leaves the wall of Yerushalayim. R. Shimon says, it is from when he pushes it to the Tzuk.

(Gemara): Initially, [all] used to tie [a red strip] to their windows. Some would whiten, and some would redden. [Those whose strips reddened] were ashamed in front of the others. They retracted, and tied [only] on the opening of the Heichal;

There were years in which it whitened, and years in which it reddened (and people were sad the entire year). They retracted, and tied [only] on the rock.

It says "Lechu Na v'Nivachechah...''

(Beraisa - R. Eliezer): [Even] if your sins will be [distant] like Shanim between Shamayim and Aretz (it is 500 years journey), they will whiten like snow. If they are more than this, they will be like wool (a dimmer white. He holds that one must always see his sins in front of him and confess them - "Chatasi Negdi Tamid.'')

R. Yehoshua says, if your sins will be like the years of the first two Avos (Avraham and Yitzchak lived to be 175 and 180, in all 365, like the days of a year), they will whiten like snow. If they will be red like red dye (he will confess them past this, i.e. also in future years), they will be like wool (he holds that one should confess them only once. We explained this according to MASA D'YERUSHALAYIM.)

(R. Yudah bar Pazi): If your sins will be k'Shanim, they will whiten like snow - the first time [he sins]. If they will be red like red dye, they will be like wool - the second time [if he repeated his sins, the Kaparah is weaker].

Rabanan say, when a person's sins are [normal] according to his years (youths sin with Arayos, and elders get drunk), they will be like snow. If not, they will be like wool.

(Mishnah): [The Kohen Gadol] came to the Par and Se'ir ha'Nisrafim. He tore them and removed the Eimurim. He put them in a bowl (a Kli Shares) and burned them on the Mizbe'ach. He intertwined them on poles, and took them out to Beis ha'Sereifah.

From when are they Metamei Begadim? It is from when they leave the wall of the Azarah. R. Shimon says, it is from when the majority catches fire.

(Gemara): [Our Mishnah said] "he came to his Par...'' We taught that [after sending the goat] he comes to the Par and Se'ir ha'Nisrafim. Some teach that he comes to read [the Torah].

(R. Chananyah): A verse supports our Mishnah - "veha'Meshale'ach Es ha'Sa'ir la'Azazel Yechaves Begadav.'' What does it say afterwards? "V'Es Par ha'Chatas v'Es Se'ir ha'Chatas'' (he will take them outside to burn them).

Rebuttal (R. Mana): Even so, the verse is even like what the Beraisa teaches (that he comes to read the Torah). It is like a man who moves from Tiverya to Tzipori - while he is still in Tiverya, they say that he dwells in Tzipori.