Ketoret Hasamim- The Incense Offering

Based on Mishna Torah, Hilchot Tmidim Umusafim Chapter 3

Any Kohen was eligible to bring the daily ketoret, not specifically the Kohen Gadol. The Kohen would bring half of that day’s ketoret (a Manah daily) in the morning, between the preparation of the Menora and the conclusion of the Korban Tamid, and half in the afternoon, between the kindling of the five lamps of the Menorah and that of the remaining two. This is how the Rambam describes the Avodat ha’ketoret...

The Kohen who won the right to bring the ketoret would then take a covered vessel (called a Bazach) already heaped with ketoret. This, he would then place inside another vessel called a Kaf (a giant spoon) which he covered with a cloth...

Before the remaining Kohen began emptying the ketoret from his hands on to the Mizbayach, those present would warn him not to begin pouring it at the point closest to him, to avoid getting burned as his hands moved over the burning ketoret towards the far side of the Mizbayach.

The Kohen in charge would announce ‘Hakter’ (‘Proceed to sacrifice the ketoret ’), adding the title ‘Ishi Kohen Gadol’ if it was the Kohen Gadol who was performing the Avodah that day, and the Kohenwould pour the ketoret from his hands across the surface of the Mizbayach (gently, like one sifts flour), beginning at the far end, as we explained.

The moment the Kohen gave the order to proceed, everyone had to leave both the Kodesh and the innermost area in the Azarah, known as ‘between the Ulam and the Mizbayach ‘.

According to the Zohar, the incense offering is the most precious part of the Temple service in the eyes of HaShem. The ketoret was so desirable that the Kohanim (Priests) had to wait to do it. No Kohen(Priest) ever did it twice in order to give all the Kohanim the chance to do it at least once. One of the reasons that the ketoret offering was so desireable was because the ketoret offering was a way to increase one’s wealth, as the Talmud indicates:

Yoma 26a It never happened that a person repeatedly offered incense. Why? Rabbi Chanina said: Because, the Incense-Offering enriches.

The Ingredients and Amounts

(Each maneh weighed five pounds. The total weight was 368 maneh - one measure for each day (half offered in the morning, and half in the evening, plus 3 extra for Yom Kippur, or 1,840 pounds (836.36 kg). But in an ordinary lunar year there were 11 manehs over (the lunar year being 354 days); and though these 11 manehs were necessary for supplementing the incense in a leap year, they had to be bought from the new donations given on the first of Nisan. Some method had to be devised, therefore, of making the remainder of the old incense valid for the new year.

Meam Loez

Also included in the incense was an herb known as maaleh ashan. This herb caused the smoke to go straight up like a pole and not to spread to the right or left. No one knew the identity of this herb except members of the family of the House of Avtinus mentioned earlier. These are the ones who were able to make the incense based on the tradition of their ancestors and they would not reveal it to any other person.

This herb had to be placed in the incense even though it did not have any fragrance.

The only time the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies was when he brought incense and the cloud of smoke covered the ark cover.

If maaleh ashan was not placed there the incense would burn but there would not be this heavy smoke. Since the Torah speaks of a “cloud” of smoke we learn that there must be smoke. The only substance that makes this heavy smoke is the maaleh ashan, which made this smoke go up straight like a pole.

If a different type of herb were used, the smoke would not go directly up; rather, it would spread out to all sides of the Holy of Holies. It would then not be right over the ark cover and the Torah says explicitly, “The cloud of incense shall cover the ark cover.” This cloud of smoke must cover the ark cover so the High Priest does not see the Divine Presence.

If the High Priest burned the incense and it did not contain this maaleh ashan he would be worthy of death.

One should read the section of the ketoret out of a Siddur. Saying it verbally is the same as actually burning this incense in the Temple, as is explained earlier. If one says it by heart it is possible that he will leave out one of the ingredients. This is the same as burning incense lacking ingredients for which one is worthy of death. Therefore it should be read from the written page. For the same reason it is good to count the eleven perfumes with one’s fingers, so as not to skip any of them.

The Zohar Shemot, Vayakhel Pg 218b

It is a ruling of the Holy One, blessed be He, that whoever looks and reads the incense-offering portion … will not be damaged that whole day.

Wisdom of the Zohar, Tishby, III 933

Rabbi Shimon said: If men only knew how exalted the section dealing with] the incense-offering was in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He, they would take each single word and make it an ornament for their heads, like a crown of gold. And whoever, wishes to study it should examine it in every detail. And if he concentrates upon it every day, he will have a share both in this world and the world to come. Pestilence will disappear from him and from the world, and he will be delivered from all the [evil] judgments of this world, from evil powers, from the judgment of Gehinnom and from Judgment of the alien kingdom.

Definition of Ketoret

The word ketoret means bonding or connecting

Rabbi Simon Jacobson

The essence of the ketoret is the pristine yearning of the soul of man to cleave to G‑d—a yearning that emanates from the innermost sanctum of the soul, and is thus free of all constraints and restraints, of all that inhibits and limits us when we relate to something with the more external elements of our being.

Its purity and perfection are what give the ketoret the power to sweeten the foulest of odors; but dealing with evil is not what it is all about. On the contrary, its highest expression is in the utterly evil-free environment of the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur.

• Repentence= Charatah= remorse on past, decision to change how behaved, to become a “new man”
• Tshuvah= “returning” to the old, to one’s original good nature= Teshuvah is the soul's capacity to return to its original state, to its pristine core and exposing it as one’s true character and even redefine a negative past in its purifying light.
• Righteous and Tshuvah- the world thinks that teshuvah is for sinners. But in truth, also the perfectly righteous person must do teshuvah -- that is, return to the root-source of his soul...

Manifest Teshuva vs. Internal Teshuva (Lower vs. Higher Teshuva)

Manifest function of teshuvah is to deal with negative and undesirable things (repentance)

Internal Teshuva- “return” to pristine beginnings, return to the intrinsic perfection of the soul. For the essence of the soul of man, which is immune to corruption.

Meam Loez:

The incense also had another great advantage. It was an enlightened remedy to purify people from sin. Whoever smelled the fragrance of the incense when it was being burned on the altar would have thoughts of repentance. His heart would be purified of all evil thoughts and from the defilement of the Evil Urge. In this respect it was very much like the forehead-plate worn by the High Priest upon which God’s name was written. Whoever looked at it would experience great awe in his heart and would repent completely. The same was true of anyone who smelled the fragrance of the incense when it was being burned. This would break the power of the Other Side so that it could not speak evil against Israel.

This is why the incense altar was referred to as an altar, (mizbeach). [The word mizbeach comes from the Hebrew zevach, which denotes slaughter.] The incense altar was called a mizbeach even though no sacrifice was slaughtered on it because the incense had the power to break and subjugate the power of the Other Side. This place was called a mizbeach because it was a place where the Other Side was slaughtered.

Since the incense is so important, a person should be careful to read this chapter every day in the morning and the evening. He should not consider saying it difficult even though it might take a few moments since it brings great joy to God.

Tanhuma, Tesaveh 15

The Almighty said: Of all the sacrifices you offer, there is none dearer to Me than the ketoret [incense], for it comes not for any sin or transgression or guilt, but rather for joy, as it says, ‘Oil and incense gladden the heart’.See how beloved the ketoret is, for through it the plague ended. Aharon found the angel [of death] standing and destroying. He stayed opposite it and did not let it go. He said to Aharon: Let me go and carry out my mission. Aharon stopped it with the power of the ketoret.

Chinese proverb: “Better to light one small candle, than to curse the darkness.

In April 1992, Vendyl Jones and his team discovered 600 kilos of “reddish-brown organic substance” in a carefully sealed rock silo in another part of the Qumran cave complex. Subsequent analysis determined that this substance contained traces of at least eight of the eleven spices that were used in the manufacture of the ketoret.

In 1994, the incense spices were presented to the now late Rav Yehudah Getz, late Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places in Israel. A sample was also given to Hakham Ovadiah Yosef. Hakham Ovadiah had his own chemist analyze the mixture to confirm its organic nature. Then both Hakhamim requested that Vendyl Jones “burn” some of the incense for scientific purposes (not with fire but with hydrochloric acid). At their suggestion, he had the spices combined together with the sodom salt and karshina lye that was also found stored separately in the cave in Qumran.

The results were astonishing according to all accounts. Although the spices had lost some of their potency over the two millennia since their burial, it was still powerful. The residue of its fragrance lingered in the vicinity for several days following the experiment. Several people present reported that their hair and clothing retained the aroma. One account of the incident states:

“The aroma released from the spice compound during its processing was profuse and almost immediate. It initially saturated my hands as well as the clothes that I was wearing. Within a matter of minutes my laboratory and the surrounding area (for an area of several meters) was affected by the scent released from the spices... On the first day of processing, the aroma was so intense that I could almost taste it... Upon my return home that evening, the scent that had attached itself on my body and clothes was really apparent to both my wife and daughter. During the course of the week, the odor lessened slightly but was still noticeable in and around my lab. Within a few weeks the distinct aroma of the spices diminished to a freshness or cleanness of the air in my lab and the surrounding area. This aroma was in evidence, if even so slightly, for approximately two months”