Ketoret is the transliteration of the Hebrew word קטרת, which is translated, in English, as incense. The word ketoret means bonding. Ketoret is a substance which is associated with joy, prayer, and protection. Clearly, ketoret is a most unusual substance!
The Ketoret, offered up twice a day, symbolized Israel's desire to serve HaShem in a pleasing way. This offering was brought twice daily, once as part of the Shacharit (morning) service and once as part of the Mincha (afternoon) service. This happened seven days a week, every day of the year, including Shabbat and Yom HaKippurim. Five measures of ketoret were burnt daily, half in the morning and half in the afternoon.
Shemot (Exodus) 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before HaShem throughout your generations.
Exodus 30:34-36, 7-8 HaShem said to Moses: Take yourself spices — balsam, onycha, and galbanum — spices and pure frankincense; they are all to be of equal weight. You are to make it into Ketoret (incense), a spice-compound, the handiwork of an expert spice-compounder, thoroughly mixed, pure and holy. You are to grind some of it finely and place some of it before the Testimony in the Tent of Appointment, where I shall designate a time to meet you; it shall be a holy of holies for you.
The Hakhamim taught: How is the incense mixture formulated? Three hundred sixty-eight maneh were in it: three hundred sixty-five corresponding to the days of the solar year — a maneh for each day, half in the morning and half in the afternoon; and three extra maneh, from which the Kohen Gadol would bring both his handfuls [into the Holy of Holies] on Yom HaKippurim. He would return them to the mortar on the day before Yom Kippur, and grind them very thoroughly so that it would be exceptionally fine. Eleven kinds of spices were in it, as follows:
- balsam,
- onycha,
- galbanum [chelbena],
- frankincense — each weighing seventy maneh;
- myrrh,
- cassia,
- spikenard,
- saffron — each weighing sixteen maneh;
- costus — twelve maneh;
- aromatic bark — three; and
- cinnamon — nine.
[Additionally] Carshina lye, nine kav; Cyprus wine, three se’ah and three kav, if he has no Cyprus wine, he brings old white wine; Sodom salt, a quarter[-kav]; and a minute amount of a smoke-raising herb. Rabbi Nassan the Babylonian says: Also a minute amount of Jordan amber. If he placed fruit-honey into it, he invalidated it. But if he left out any of its spices, he is liable to the death penalty.
Eleven Spices
Rashi, in Shemot 30:34, explains that the Ketoret was comprised of eleven ingredients. Often, we find that the number ten is used to represent a spiritual full set. Eleven refers to the conveyance of the Divine light which transcends the limits of the world within the limits of the world.
Pirke Avot 5:1 The world was created with ten utterances.
Eleven, thus, refers to a level above the limits of the set of ten. Nevertheless, since it is also a number which follows in sequence to ten, we can understand that it refers to the fusion between the transcendent Divine light and the framework of limited worldly existence.
There were ten fragrant spices in the ketoret, the incense, and one foul smelling spice (Chelbena -galbanum). There were ten tzaddiks in the synagogue yet no prayers on a fast day were heard without a sinner’s prayer.
Keritot 6b Every communal fast that does not include sinners of Israel is not a fast." This is derived from the fact that the incense included Chelbenah-galbanum. Just as the Chelbenah was necessary to give the other spices exactly the right fragrance, a congregation is not complete without someone who has also fallen and who must reelevate himself through repentance. In particular, when a difficult punishment has been decreed against Israel because of some evil deed, this very evil must be taken and elevated. Thus, the idea of transforming evil by elevating it back to its source in holiness is intimated in the incense. It is for this reason also that a communal fast must include "the sinners of Israel”.
The Number Eleven
The number eleven, which is how many spices there were in the Ketoret, at first seems rather odd. However, Kabbalisticaly it is a number of tremendous importance for it alludes to one of the most prized possessions in all of history: Daat Elo-him, G-dly-Knowledge.
Why was the number eleven selected for the production of the Ketoret? In order to answer this question, let us consider some other appearances of the number eleven in the Torah:
In Bereshit 36:40-43, the Torah enumerates the eleven chieftains that were born to Esav.
Bereshit (Genesis) 33:11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have all (kol). And he urged him, and he took it.
Rashi points out a very basic difference between Yaacov and Esav's outlook on life. When Yaacov described his material status, he exclaimed, "I have all that I need!" Esav, on the other hand, arrogantly stated, "I have much, much more than I need!" In contrast to Esav’s “much”, Yaacov had kol, everything. Kol always refers to the spiritual world because in this world, even if you have the whole world it is simply “much”. It is only when we connect to the source that we can have everything!
The number ten represents a completeness; a full integer count. The number ten represents Yaacov 's purposeful existence. The ideology of Esav, of seeing no limits or goals and amassing "much, much more" than one needs, is represented by the number eleven. It is indeed appropriate that his nation originated with 'eleven' chieftains. Yet for all his amassment of wealth, one who follows such an ideology will actually end up with less, not more. As our Sages put it,
Sanhedrin 29a one who adds, takes away.
Similarly, in the area of kashrut we are told that:
Chulin 58b an animal with an extra limb is likened to an animal missing that limb.
If an animal missing a leg is considered to be a Tereifah (unfit for food) and not kosher, one that has an extra leg is also a tereifah and not kosher.
Megilah 29a One who is arrogant is considered to be blemished.
This above Gemara follows the same principle. The arrogant person considers himself bigger, or more fit, than others, while in truth, his extra fitness is no more than a lack of fitness. He is blemished, or flawed.
The Death Penalty
The following narrative is from 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. This is because it is written, "Speak to Aaron your brother and let him not come at all times to the sanctuary inside the veil which is before the ark." (Leviticus 16:2) Moses was told to go to Aaron the High Priest and tell him not to go into the Holy of Holies at any time other than Yom HaKippurim. Even on Yom HaKippurim he could not go into the Holy of Holies empty-handed. The Torah therefore continues:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:2 For in cloud I shall be seen on the ark cover.
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. The cloud mentioned here is the smoke of the incense. As the Torah says later:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:13 The cloud of incense shall cover the ark cover.
Since the Torah says, "In a cloud I shall be seen on the ark cover" and it does not say, "With incense I shall be seen on the ark cover," our sages taught that this herb known as maaleh ashan must be placed in the incense. 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. Furthermore if he left out any of the ingredients he would be worthy of death. The Torah says:
Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:13 He should place incense on the fire before HaShem and the cloud of the incense should cover the ark cover which is above the Testimony.
The Torah could have simply said, "He should place it on the fire before HaShem." Why did it say he should place incense on the fire? The word "incense" appears to be redundant because it was already mentioned earlier,
