By Rabbi Moshe Pogrow
The offering of ketores in the kodesh hakedashim was a point of contention between the chachamim and the Tzedokim, the Sadducees. The Tzedokim taught that yetakein mibachutz v’yichaneis: the kohen gadol puts the ketores onto the coals outside the kodesh hakedashim, then enter with the incense already smoking. According to the tradition of the chachamim, however, he would bring inside the coals and the ladle of ketores simultaneously, and only between the badim of the aron would he pour the ketores onto the coals.
This doctrine was very important to the Tzedokim. Hence, one of them was noted to be overjoyed when he was given the opportunity to put it into practice. Consequently, the Sages would appeal to every kohen gadol on erev Yom Kippur to offer the ketores in the traditional way.
Toras Kohanim informs us what motivated the Tzedokim to contradict the Torah. They put it as a matter of etiquette: im lifnei basar v’dam osin kein, kal v’chomer lifnei haMakom! At human parties, the incense is already smoking; it is not lit in the presence of guests. How much more so should polite conduct be followed in the presence of G-d! And so the ancient Sadducees bowed to the idol of good manners, as do their modern heirs.
Further reflection reveals that this method of offering ketores was also employed by Nadav and Avihu in their disastrous offering. As the pasuk says, vayikchu...ish machtaso vayitnu bahen eish vayasimu aleha ketores vayakrivu lifnei Hashem. Clearly, they too did not pour incense onto the fire lifnei Hashem, but brought it before G-d already smoking! According to Toras Kohanim on Shemini, they acted exactly as the Tzedokim later insisted: They went in “before G-d,” to the Holy of Holies, with the anan haketores rising like a palm!
This is so very characteristic: the Tzedokim, in their time, were students of Nadav and Avihu, just as the Karaites later based themselves on others whose opinions and teachings were rejected by chachmei Yisrael.
This Tzedoki doctrine—tikkun bachutz v’hachnasa bifnim—is emblematic of their entire worldview. He turns the altar fire into an instrument for his own action. Ignoring the Torah, he lights the ketores outside, and that which is fragrant to his subjective senses, he brings into the kodesh hakedashim and forces on G-d. That which fits his conception of reiach nichoach, G-d, too, will find pleasing.
The true kohen gadol, however, is a servant of G-d, subordinating his subjective views to G-d’s. To him, the mizbeiach fire is the fire of the Torah, and only that which is pleasing to G-d is pleasing to him. Only under the watchful eye of G-d will he perform avodah that is to be l’reiach nichoach to Him.
Based on the commentary of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l on Chumash, with permission from the publisher.
