The Chelbinah Represents the Sinners of Yisrael Who Fell Prey to the Yetzer HaRa
The matter can be explained based on the well-known fact that the “chelbinah” was the only one of the incenses that was foul-smelling. As such, it represented the sinners of Yisrael, who had a spiritual stench. This is evident from the passuk (Shemos 30, 34): "ויאמר ה' אל משה קח לך סמים נטף ושחלת וחלבנה" וגו'.—Hashem said to Moshe, “Take yourself spices—‘nataf,’ and ‘shecheilet’ and ‘chelbinah’ . . .” Rashi explains: “‘Chelbinah’ is a spice whose smell is foul . . . Scripture counted it among the ingredients of the ‘ketores’ to teach us that we should not consider it insignificant to include the sinners of Yisrael with us as members of the congregation for our fasts and tefilos, so that they should be counted among us.
Along these lines, in the Derashos of the Chasam Sofer, zy”a, we find a beautiful interpretation of the entreaty of Yisrael’s sweet psalmist (Tehillim 141, 2): "תכון תפלתי קטורת לפניך"—my tefilah should be considered as a “ketores” before You: Because our tefilah is accepted in conjunction with the tefilah of the tzaddikim; therefore, we pray in a group—the “chelbinah” (malodorous) together with the fragrant spices. This is the meaning of the words: “My tefilah should be considered as a ‘ketores’ before You.” May You accept my tefilah in conjunction with the tefilah of the tzaddikim, just like the “ketores,” where the “chelbinah” was included with the other spices.
We can now begin to comprehend why the kabbalists concluded that "אלוף צפו" was the worst and most ominous of the chieftains of Eisav. We established that the “chelbinah,” the third of the eleven spices of the “ketores,” counteracts this klipah. We also learned that the “chelbinah” represents the sinners of Yisrael, whom we wish to reform by means of teshuvah; this is accomplished by including them in our rituals, fasts, and tefilos. Thus, we can conclude that "אלוף צפו" is none other than the yetzer hara, who is responsible for there being sinners and evildoers among Yisrael. Therefore, he is considered to be the foremost negative, impure force from among the eleven chieftains of Eisav.
This enlightens us as to why the Chida asserts that David HaMelech composed the Eight Faces of Mizmor 119 with 176 pesukim to subdue and negate the klipah of "אלוף צפו". We have learned that this klipah is the yetzer hara; it has seven names; it is only able to operate and exert its negative influence within the confines of nature. Yet, by studying Torah, which was given after seven weeks, because it transcends the confines of nature, we are able to quash it.
