Lottery and Worshiping the Dark Side on Yom Kippur?
 

Before addressing this intriguing question, it's essential to understand two key concepts. First, Hashem is One—He has no opposition, and nothing can act against Him. He is supreme over all creation. Second, existence is founded on judgment, meaning there is a spiritual structure through which Hashem governs the world.
 

On Yom Kippur during the times of the Beis Hamikdash, the Kohen would randomly select two goats: one to be sacrificed to Hashem and one sent to Azazel in the desert. While offering a sacrifice to Hashem is understandable, why send a goat to Azazel?
 

A simple explanation is that the goat sent to the desert wasn't a sacrifice. It was led to a cliff where it would eventually die on its own, without being directly pushed by the Kohen.
 

The Zohar offers deeper insight. By selecting the goat randomly, we transcend common sense, symbolically asking Hashem to make the choice Himself. Such practices occurred under special circumstances and through individuals of the highest spiritual levels, like the Kohen, who served as a conduit for Hashem's blessings.
 

The Zohar also references Iyov (Job), who suffered greatly. Hashem allowed the Yetzer Hara to harm Iyov both as a punishment for his inaction in aiding Am Yisrael and to distract the Accuser, preventing him from hindering Am Yisrael's entry into Eretz Yisrael.
 

This context helps us understand the goat sent to Azazel. On Yom Kippur, by "distracting" the Accuser, we seek Hashem's mercy to forgive our transgressions without interference from the dark side.

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