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The
Abarbanel on the Yom Kippur Service
in the Beis Hamikdash
The
Incense
Rendered into English
by Rabbi Elimelech Lepon
QUESTIONS:
10. What is represented by the incense,
which was offered every morning and late afternoon in the Beis Hamikdash, and which the
Kohen Gadol brought
into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur? What is the great significance of
putting fragrant spices on a fire so that they send up smoke?
11.Why did Hashem command that the shovel, the ladle, and the
incense be brought into the Holy of Holies, and that the incense be placed
there on the coals before Hashem? Wouldn't it
have been better to place the incense on the fire in the outer hall and
then bring the burning incense into the Holy of Holies as the Sadducees
maintained? Wouldn't this method have been easier? The Gemara notes that
the Kohen Gadol was
made to swear that he would not change the service, because doing so would
be considered heresy. What
is heretical about changing the service?
12.Why didn't the Kohen Gadol take out the
empty ladle when he emerged from the Holy of Holies or when he entered
again to sprinkle the blood of the bull or the goat? This would avoid the
need to enter the Holy of Holies a fourth time in order to remove it. Thus,
he would not be transgressing that which says. "Do not come at any
random time into the Sanctuary."
COMMENTARY:
The
incense (ketores)
is the fourth service of Yom Kippur.
In my commentary on parashas Terumah,
I explained that in the Holy of Holies was the ark containing the tablets
and a sefer Torah. The kapores
covered the ark and on the top of it were the forms of the cherubs,
symbolizing the degree of closeness to Hashem man
can attain through the Torah.*
In the heichal,
outside the Holy of Holies, were three utensils: the table, the menorah,
and the incense altar. These represented the three qualities that spring
forth from the Torah and bring man even closer to Hashem.
The first quality is the wealth and honor that come from doing acts of
righteousness and loving-kindness. This is symbolized by the table.
Therefore, it was fashioned from gold and all its vessels were made from
pure gold, and all its vessels were made from pure gold.
* The
cherubs (keruvim) were formed of gold. Their
appearance was bird-like - with wings - and they had faces like human
infants.
The second quality is wisdom, symbolized by the menorah. As it says,
"The light of Hashem is the soul of
man...." The
menorah's seven lights represent the seven wisdoms.*
The third quality is true belief through which man merits to cling to Hashem. This is symbolized by the incense brought on
the gold altar which faced the Holy of Holies. It states in reference to
this altar, "It is Holy of Holies to Hashem."
The incense, which symbolizes our belief in Hashem,
blessed be He, was placed on the fire, which
represents the Divine Torah, as it states, "A fire of law to
them." And Yirmiyahu the prophet stated, "Is not My word like fire?" This is
because the Torah, like fire, causes a smoke of faith to go up towards the
heavens.
The incense shovel represents the heart, which is the dwelling place of
Torah in man. The incense being offered upon the fire symbolizes the
thoughts and introspection of man, through which man develops his beliefs.
The ladle represents the brain, which contains all the images and thoughts.
When the incense, representing man's introspective powers, is mixed with
the fire of Hashem's Torah, a pillar of smoke
would ascend, symbolizing true belief which rises directly upward toward Hashem.
Now, correct belief must accord with truth and reality, not with things
construed by man in his heart. Similarly, Hashem
has commanded, "The incense which you make according to its
preparation should not be made for personal use; it must remain sacred to Hashem. Anyone who prepares such incense to enjoy the
fragrances shall be cut off from his people." When Korach
and his congregation challenge Moses' prophecy, he tests the source of
their beliefs with incense, as it states, "This shall you do, take for
yourselves incense bowls, Korach and all his congregation." Since true belief accords
with the Torah, Moshe blesses the sons of Levi with the words, "They
shall offer incense before You."
* The
"seven wisdoms" spoken of in the Middle Ages were 1) Mathematics;
2) Geometry; 3) Music; 4) Astronomy; 5) Natural Sciences; 6) Metaphysics;
7) Politics.
When Uziyahu* went up to the altar to burn
incense, it states, "And leprosy broke forth on his forehead,"
to show that his service contained an element of idolatry. Similarly it is
stated in connection with the wickedness of one of the generations of Yisrael, "And they burnt incense to other gods." A
foreign incense is called "abominable," to emphasize the
depravity of false beliefs.
Thus the three questions relating to the incense have been explained. The supreme
importance of true belief is what made the incense worthy of the Kohen Gadol bringing it into
the Holy of Holies. This answers question 10.
The Torah commands that the incense be placed upon the coals when the Kohen Gadol was already in
the Holy of Holies, rather than from the outside as the Sadducees
maintained, to show that true belief must be determined by the Torah; a
person estranged from the Torah, symbolized by the ark of testimony in the
Holy of Holies, cannot attain true belief. A man's beliefs should not come
solely from the power of his own intellect; rather, the fact that the
Divine Torah commanded that the incense be offered on the coals next to the
ark and that the shovel be left there. This
teaches that one's heart and mind must be made subordinate to the Torah.
* Uziyahu, a powerful King of Yisrael,
attempted to burn incense on the altar, an act only permitted to the
Levites. As punishment, he was stricken with leprosy, which continued for
twenty-six years until his death.
The Gemara tells us that the sages of the priesthood made the Kohen Gadol swear his loyalty
concerning this matter, and he would cry for being suspected of being a
non-believer. * Placing the incense on the fire before entering the Holy of
Holies would have been a clear sign of non-belief resulting from distancing
oneself from the Torah.
The Kohen Gadol would
not remove the empty ladle immediately. Rather, he would leave it next to
the shovel near the ark, just as the heart and brain together should obey
the intellect. Therefore, since the shovel was left next to the ark while
the incense was burning, the ladle was left with it. Only when the shovel
was brought out of the Holy of Holies would the ladle be brought out too.
For it is not fitting that the heart function
without the brain or the brain without the heart; not should either
function without the guidance of the intellect of the Torah.
Thus the Torah states, "And he shall take a shovel full of burning
coals from upon the altar before Hashem and a
handful of fine incense and he shall bring it inside the paroches.
And he shall place the incense upon the coals before Hashem,
and the cloud of incense shall cover kapores
which is over the ark, and he shall not die." This answers questions
11 and 12. *
They would adjure him not to change any part of the service, and he would
respond "Amen," He would cry for their suspicion of his being a
Sadducee, and they would cry because they had to suspect someone whose
actions gave them no grounds for suspicion (Yoma
19b).
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