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T H E P I R C H E I S H O S H A N I M R O A D M A P T O P R A Y E R P R O J E C T
The Roadmap t o Prayer
Lesson 32
Pirchei Shoshanim 2006
This shiur may not be reproduced in any f orm without permission of the copyright hol der
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Ein KElokeinu &
Pit t um HaKet ores:
There i s no one l i ke Our G-d &
The Sweet Smel l i ng Incense
B B a a c c k k g g r r o o u u n n d d n : pn n : pn
At the very end of davening we recite a prayer called E in KE l ok ei nu (There is no one
like Our G-d), which is a prayer that begins with a poetic statement of f act that there
is no one like Our G-d Our MasterOur K ingOur Redeemer. Who is like Our
G-d Blessed is Our G-d and f inally, You are Our G-d The M alachi m (angels) in
Heaven said these expressions of praise and Rebbe Akiva overheard them when he
involved himself in the esoteric knowledge of the M erk avah (a Kabbali sti c concept
surrounding H ashem and His Throne of Glory).
Af ter these expressions of praise, we begin the portion of Pitt um H aKetores.
Pit t um HaKet ores
I n the time of the Bei s H ami k dash there was a very coveted daily service that the
Kohanim performed. This service is known as the Ketores (incense) of f ering, a f ire-
of f ering consisting of eleven specif ic spices which was not only a coveted service, but
also even the laws pertaining to its production and its recipes use f or private
purposes is very restricted according to T orah H alacha
1
. The combination of these
special spices was burned on the innermost mi zbeiach twice a day. Their scent was
unusually pleasant and sweet. I n the daily order of davening, the recipe f or making
the Ketores and some of its laws are outlined in two places. The f irst time it is
mentioned in the Korbanos section bef ore the start of Pesuk ei D eZ i mr a. There we begin
with the verses f rom the Torah
2
where G-d commands M oshe to tell the I sraelites to
make the recipe f or Ketores f rom the eleven spices that the Torah enumerates. The
1
See Sefer H achinuch M itzvah 103
2
Shemos 30:34
Lesson
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Torah commands us to of f er them up on the inside Golden Altar twice daily, once in
the morning and again in the af ternoon towards evening. The Torah verses are
recited and are immediately followed by the Berai ssa in the Gemara in Kri ssus
3
that
teaches the meaning of these pesuk i m with the exact recipe f or preparing them. Then
we again recite the order of the K etores in the prayer of E i n E lok ei nu at the very
end of Tefi llas Shachari s.
The Lot t ery
I n the M i shna in M eseches Y oma, we f ind that the various f amilies of Kohanim on a
weekly rotation perf ormed the daily sacrif icial services. Amongst the Kohanim
themselves there was competition who would do any part icular A vodah. I n order to
settle this in an orderly f ashion, the Kohani m would be chosen f or their jobs through a
lottery. The M i shna in Y oma describes these lotteries where the Kohani m would gather
around in a circle with someone in the middle and they would stick out a f inger or
two towards the center of the circle. A number would be chosen and then it was used
to count the people by their f ingers. Wherever the count would end, thats the Kohen
who would be awarded the rights to do a particular A vodah of the day. The M i shna
then says that when they announced that the Kohani m should come f or the lot tery to
of f er-up the Ketores, only those Kohani m who never had the opportunity to this service
bef ore were allowed entry into this lottery. The reason is because the Gemara states
that one who of f ers-up the Ketores will become wealthy. Theref ore, this special
blessing was distributed to as many people as possible.
There are many traditions regarding the special nature of blessings f or one who
recites the Ketores daily. We will f irst examine the H alachi c issues as mentioned in
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Simon 132.
Pi t t um HaKet ores Reci t ed t wi ce each day
The Ram a mentions there, that at the end of davening in the morning one should
recite Pi ttum H aKetores and then again in the evening. Along with Pitt um H aKetores one
recites E i n KE lok ei nu. The M i shna Berura clarif ies that we recite Pi tt um H aKetores in the
evening either bef ore T efi llas M i ncha or af ter it. The reason we recite it twice is because
it was of f ered-up in the Bei s H ami k dash twice each day. The M i shna Berura also not es
that even though Pi ttum H aKetores is recited twice each day, the Shi r shel Y om - The
Song of the Day, which was also sung twice a day in the Bei s H ami k dash, is only
recited once a day. The reason is because the Shi r shel Y om is the song that the L evi i m
3
D af 6a-b
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recited by the Korban T amids libation-of f ering
4
. Since the af ternoons libation-of f ering
was sometimes delayed until nighttime, there wouldnt be Song sung by the L evii m
because the rule is that Shi ra is not sung at night. Theref ore, when we recite the Shi r
shel Y om during davening, we only recite it once since that was the minimum in the
Bei s H ami k dash as well.
Ei n KEl okei nu and Pi t t um HaKet ores
E i n KE lok ei nu speaks of H ashems uniqueness in f our diff erent ways. I t expresses
H ashems praise as Our G-d Who watches over us, as Our Master Who rules us, as
Our K ing Who assures us, and as Our Redeemer who saves us. Then af ter these
praises we begin the order of the recipe for making the Ketores.
I t would seem that there is no connection between the two. Why did our Sages put
these two disparate segments together?
The Shi balei H alek et right at the beginning of his sefer (book) brings an explanation in
the name of Rashi that answers this question. He writes that E i n KE lok ei nu is recited
mainly on Shabbos f or the f ollowing reason.
E i n KE lok ei nu consists of f ive stanzas with each stanza made up of four parts. Each
stanza has in it ref erences to H ashem as Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer. The
f irst stanza begins each ref erence with the Hebrew word E i n K - there is no
one like Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer. Then M i K - who is like
Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer? Then N odeh L - lets show gratitude to
Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer. Finally, the f ourth stanza says, Baruch
- blessed is Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer and the last stanza begins A tta
H u You are Our G-d, Master, K ing and Redeemer.
E i n M i N odeh in Hebrew spells the word Am en. With the next stanza beginning with
Baruch and then A tta, it reads A men, Baruch A tta (conf irmed; Blessed are You). Each
stanza of E i n M i and N odeh f our times is like twelve times A men. Since on Shabbos
we do not recite the f ull amount of brochos (blessings) as we do on a weekday, which
number nineteen (19), we add the segment of E in KE l ok ei nu which resembles saying
A men, Baruch A tta twelve (12) times, its like reciting twelve (12) blessings in addition
to the seven (7) blessings of the Shabbos Shemoneh E srei which gives us a total of
nineteen (19) just like a weekday Shemoneh E srei . So we are basically saying this to
4
The libation was a combination of wine that was poured onto the mizbei ach along with a f lour-of fering that was
burned on the mizbei ach. This of f ering was sometimes was delayed until nighttime as it wasnt integral to the Korbans
acceptance.
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complement the Shabbos Shemoneh E srei . Then we proceed to E in KE l ok ei nu, which is
recited f or the reason cited earlier on in this lesson.
The following reason explains why E i n KE lok ei nu precedes Pi ttum H aKetores during
the week as well.
The N odah BeY ehudah explains that the reason we pref ace Pi ttum H aKetores with E i n
E lok ei nu has to do with the Heavenly blessing associated with the Ketores. Since one
who merits to of f er-up the Ketores on the inner mi zbeiach will be blessed with riches,
one may attribute his good f ortune to his own f inancial prowess. The Torah strictly
prohibits such an attitude as it tells us in parshas E ik ev
5
, that one should not think that
he could be successf ul in earning a livelihood without H ashem willing it. Both T argum
Onk eles and Y onasan on this verse which states in Hebrew Ki H u hanosei n l echa k oach
l aasos chayi l explains that the pasuk is saying that I t i s H ashem who gi ves you TH E I D E A S
how to mak e money. Even the thoughts of how, where, and when to invest are all given
to us by H ashem. I n order to point out this truth by the service of Ketores which brings
wealth to the individual, we pref ace it with E i n KE lok ei nu which is praise to H ashem
attributing everything to Him and that there is no other power other than Him,
i ncluding ourselves!
Ei n KEl okei nu onl y on Shabbos
I n passing, Rashi mentioned that E i n KE lok ei nu was recited specif ically on Shabbos
when the Shemoneh E srei is reduced to just seven (7) brochos.
I t seems as though Rashi s custom was to recite Pi ttum H aKetores without E i n
E lok ei nu during the weekdays since we do not lack any blessings of Shemoneh E srei
then. Accordingly, on weekdays one would begin with Pitt um H aKetores right away.
Possibly even according to Rashi , we recited the same praise of E in KE l ok ei nu bef ore
starting Pi ttum H aKetores for the sake of unif ormity in our prayers. Alternatively,
perhaps the custom was to recite Pitt um H aKetores af ter davening only on Shabbos f or
the reason the Ram a mentions in Shulchan A ruch.
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Im Chissar Achas Misamameha
Chayav Missah
6
One who skips one of its ingredients while preparing the recipe for the
Ketores is liable to pay with his life!
Since the Ketores recipe is so exact, that if one would prepare it while missing just one
of its ingredients he is responsible f or this transgression with his lif e, the Ram a
mentions that it was the custom not to recite Pi ttum H aKetores on a weekday since
people usually rush out to work straight f rom davening and they do not have time
enough to recite Pi ttum H aKetores properly without accidentally skipping something
f rom its ingredients causing people to f all - H eaven forbi d - into the category of I m
Chi ssar A chas M i samameha Chayav M i sah - Onewho sk i ps one i ts i ngredi ents whi l e prepari ng the
reci pe for the Ketores i s responsi blewi th hi s li fe!
There happens to be a machlok es (dif f erence of opinion) what this H al acha applies to.
According to Rashi this warning applies only to the Kohen Gadol on Y om Ki ppur since
an invalid of f ering of Ketores is considered as ent ering the Holy of Holies f or no
purpose. T osefos and the Rambam maintain that this warning is f or of f ering-up a
def icient Ketores of f ering any day of the year. The Rama seems to f ollow this
interpretation. Theref ore, the custom of A shk enaz is not to recite the entire portion of
E i n KE lok ei nu and Pi ttum H aKetores on a weekday. Unf ort unately, along with this
safeguard f rom the terrible punishment of chayav mi ssah (liable to pay with his lif e), we
miss out on an extremely important part of davening. Sephardi m and N usach Sefard do
recite these passages even during the week based on the holy writings of the A ri ztl.
I n truth, even according to N usach A shk enaz, it is not necessary to miss out
completely on this important tefi lla as will soon see.
un:n upn nn 5 x ' During the week At t a sak um t erachem Tziyone
5 :na :upno n nn ' Shabbos/ Festivals At t a Hu shehi kt i ru avosei nu
Af ter E i n KE lok ei nu and bef ore beginning Pi ttum H aKetores we insert the above
pesuk i m. On weekdays we insert A tt a sak um terachem T zi yone x un:n upn nn
(Y ou wi ll stand up and have mercy over Z i on). On Shabbos we recite A tt a H u shehi k ti ru
avosei nu :na :upno n nn (Y ou are the One that our forefathers burned the Ketores
offeri ng). Why the dif ference?
6
Kerisus D af 6a
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D ayan Weiss ztl in his Responsa M i nchas Y i tzchok
7
explains that these passages are
mentioned by the A budraham to be said as f ollows. A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu is said
bef ore Pitt um H aKetores and A tt a sak um terachem T zi yone is said af ter Pi tt um H aKetores.
Likewise, the Baal H aT anya in his Siddur (Prayer Book), which follows the custom of
the A ri ztl writes to recite both passages on weekdays, Shabbos and f estival days. First
A tta sak um terachem T zi yone and then A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu right before starting
Pi ttum H aKetores. I t is apparent that the passage A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu n nn
:na :upno (Y ou are the One that our forefathers burned the Ketores offeri ng) is said as an
introduction to Pi ttum H aKetores. I n f act, A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu is recited in the
Korbanos section bef ore saying the pesuk i m and the beraissa of Pi ttum H aKetores bef ore
Pesuk ei D eZ i mra. I t is quite clear then that these words are not part of the E i n
E lok ei nu prayer; rather, it is an intro to Pi ttum H aKetores. The other passage A tta
sak um terachem T zi yone x un:n upn nn (Y ou wi l l stand up and have mercy over Z ion) is
just a solitude prayer that was inserted here at the end of davening. According to the
Bi rchei Y osef
8
it is important to recite A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu when reciting Pi ttum
H aKetores bef ore Pesuk ei D eZ i mra, which is recited to commemorate the Ketores
brought in the Bei s H ami k dash twice a day. When saying E i n KE lok ei nu it is not
necessary to recite this introduction as it is only being repeated f or the sake of its
inherent power to protect an individual f rom harm. Theref ore, the custom during the
week is to recite A tt a sak um terachem T zi yone as a payer but not the verse A tta H u
shehi k ti ru avosei nu.
According to the above clarif ication, according to the Ramas custom of not reciting
E i n KE lok ei nu during the week but only on Shabbos, it f ollows that one wouldnt say
the passage A tta H u shehi k ti ru avosei nu during the week (even if one wishes to recite
E i n KE lok ei nu itself without Pitt um H aKetores), only on Shabbos when Pi ttum H aKetores
is recited in f ull.
According to the above, even those davening A shk enaz can say it bef ore Pesuk ei
D eZ i mra at ones own pace without skipping any Ketores f rom the list.
The Benefit s of Recit ing Pit tum HaKet ores
I n the time of the Bei s H ami k dash the Gemara relates that the person who would bring
the Ketores would receive a Heavenly blessing f or wealth. The Gemara learns this f rom
verse Y asi mu k etorah beapecha (they shall place incense bef ore You li t. i n Y our nostri ls)
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Volume 8:12
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132: 6
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which is f ollowed by the verse Barei ch H ashem chei lo (H ashem should bless his strength).
This juxtaposition teaches us that of f ering the Ketores brings blessing to ones wealth.
Our Sages teach: One who recites the verses and the teachings of the laws of Korbanos
nowadays is considered as if he would have brought them in the time of the Bei s
H ami k dash. According to this teaching, nowadays there are more opportunities f or
receiving the Heavenly blessing f or Ketores than in the time of the Beis H amik dash, f or
in the time of the Bei s H ami k dash very f ew individuals were af f orded this honor as the
Gemara related that only new participants were accepted in the daily lottery.
I n order to receive this blessing, one should recite the pesuk i m along with the related
teachings f rom the T almud and understand what it means according to the best of
ones ability. This is based on the advice of the Chafetz Chai m f or anyone reciting the
sections of Korbanos which are considered as if one of f ered them in the Bei s
H ami k dash itself .
Ei n KEl okei nu: Anecdot es
There is a f amous question that has been asked about the sequence of E in KE l ok ei nu
which begins f irst with the phrases which state T here i s no one l i k e our G-d and then it
continues with phrases which state W ho i s l ik e our G-d? Why do we f irst begin with
what seemingly is an answer and then go back to ask a question? Wouldnt it be more
logical to begin with W ho i s l ik e our G-d? bef ore we say T here i s no one l ik e our G-d?
The answer given to this question is that when we deal with questions about f aith, we
must f irst assert f aithf ully our tradition that There i s no one l i k e our G-d. Only
af terwards can we deal properly with questions like W ho i s li k e our G-d?. The
f ollowing story illustrates one aspect of this point.
Havi ng Fai t h Despi t e Lack of Cl ari t y
One day, the Chasam Sofer - Rav M oshe Sofer ztl was approached by his son Rav Shi mon
with some diff icult question regarding Jewish f aith which were posed to him by a
certain api k ores (heretic), which he had dif f iculty answering. The Chasam Sofer listened
intently to his son as he posited those questions to him; but he of f ered no answers. A
f ew days later, the Chasam Sofer called his son over to him and asked him to repeat the
questions. This time, the Chasam Sofer answered each question thoroughly. Rav Shi mon
listened caref ully to his f ather as he answered each question with such erudition; but
he was lef t with just one puzzling question, why did his f ather not answer his
questions a f ew days earlier when he f irst asked them? Rav Shi mon asked his f ather
about this and this is what his f ather answered him. He said, I wanted to
demonstrate to you that even if one has dif ficult questions about E munah, one should
not become overwhelmed by them, but should continue ones A vodas H ashem in his
usual manner despite his lack of clarity because one knows that there must be an
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answer even if one is not presently aware of it . This brings out the point that we are
f irst and f oremost aware that T here i s no one li k e our G-d bef ore one gets involved
with questions regarding W ho i s li k eour G-d?.
Our Fai t h i s i ngrai ned i n our Soul s
Our f aith in our Creator does not hinge on our intellect. I t is something ingrained in
our souls through our deep-rooted tradition and only on that basis can we approach
questions about f aith in a meaningf ul way. There is another aspect to this that is
illustrated by the f ollowing discussion. Rav Chai m Bri sk er ztl made the f ollowing
observation about A vraham A vi nus behavior at his test of A k ei das Y i tzchok (the
Binding of I saac). Our Sages mention that A vraham had a very dif f icult question
regarding H ashems command to him to bind Y i tzchok and sacrif ice him on an altar on
the mountain of Moriah. The problem was that H ashem had already promised him
that only through Y i tzchok will A vraham be perpetuated. He will be his progenitor; no
one else. Yet H ashem commands him to sacrif ice his one and only son a Korban,
which ef f ectively rules out the f ulf illment of H ashems f irst promise. Yet, the M edrash
notes that A vraham A vi nu f inally asked this question af ter the A k ei da. He poses the
question as well as the answer that H ashem only requested that A vraham go through
the motions to show his devotion and willingness to f ulf ill H ashems command
regardless of the consequence. Now that A vraham f inally realized this, he asked the
question and gave the answer himself . Rav Chai m points out, had he asked the
question earlier, he would not have received an answer. A vraham understood that
now was not the time to even ask such diff icult quest ions. Rather his duty was to
f ollow H ashems commands f aithf ully; leaving his questions aside f or a more
opportune time.
Mi t zvas Meah Brochos Sayi ng 100 Bl essi ngs Dai l y
Theres a special requirement that one should recite one hundred brochos (blessings)
daily. The Rabbinical Authorities (Posk i m) mention that on Shabbos and Yom Tov
days we are usually def icient in the count of the one hundred brochos since the
Shemoneh E srei of those days consist only of seven (7) brochos a piece instead of
nineteen (19). Although there is an additional Shemoneh E srei f or M ussaf there are only
twenty eight (28) brochos in all as opposed to the f ifty seven (57; 3x19) f or the three (3)
weekday Shemoneh E srei s.
According to many Posk i m if one is short of one hundred brochos on these days, one
can count E i n KE lok ei nu f or the f ulfillment of the M eah (100) brochos. According to
the opinion of Rashi mentioned bef orehand, it should count like twelve (12) brochos as
thats how many brochos were needed to f ill the amount of brochos missing f rom
Shemoneh E srei .
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The Kolbo holds that E i n KE lok ei nu is considered like twent y (20) brochos as there are
f ive (5) stanzas, with four (4) part s to each stanza.
On Y om Ki ppur E i n KE lok ei nu and Pi ttum H aKetores are omitted as there are numerous
praises in the liturgy of Y om Ki ppur so that its not necessary f or the tzi bbur
(congregation) to recite it. Pi ttum H aKetores is also not necessary to be recited by the
tzi bbur as there were plenty of Korbanos (sacrif ices) mentioned in the prayers.
However, the posk i m suggest that individuals recite it anyway as the particular spices
were not mentioned
9
.
On T i sha BA v we also omit E i n KE lok ei nu and Pi ttum H ak etores
10
, but for a dif f erent
reason. Since on T i sha BA v we are restricted from engaging in Torah study, we
ref rain f rom this as well as it constitutes Torah study. Likewise, a mourner ref rains
f rom saying both E i n KE lok ei nu and Pi ttum H ak etores
11
.
The Maaseh HaKet ores:
Ket ores Recipe and it s Product ion
12
What did the Ketores consist of and how was it brought? This is explained in the
beraissa of Pi ttum H aKetores. We will now explain what the beraissa says.
I n all, there were eleven (11) spices in the Ketores recipe. The eleven spices are not all
listed in the verses of the Torah, but they are derived f rom there and they were
transmitted to M oshe Rabbei nu orally at H ar Si nai (Mount Sinai).
The eleven (11) spices are:
T zari (STACTE), T zi poren (ONYCHA), Chel benah (GALBANUM), L evona
(FRAN K I NCENSE). Each of these ingredient s weighed seventy (70) maneh
13
.
9
M ishna Berura 622:5
10
Rama 559:4, L evush 559:6, I shei Y israel 26:18
11
Pischei T eshuva Y oreh D eah 384:2
12
Gemara Kerisus 6a
13
A maneh is the weight of 100 silver D i nar coins (Rambam H ilchos Kl ei H amik dash 2:3)
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M or (MYRHH), Ketzi a (CASI A), Shi boles nei rd (SPI K E-LAVENDER) and Chark om
(SAFRON). Each of these ingredients weighed sixteen (16) maneh.
Kosht (COSTUS) twelve (12) maneh. Ki l ufa (AROMATI C-BARK) three (3) maneh, and
Ki namon (CI NNAMON) nine (9) maneh.
I n all there were 368 maneh, an entire years supply of Ketores. 365 maneh corresponds
with the days of a solar year, a maneh each day, half in the morning and half in the
af ternoon. The three extra portions were brought by the Kohen Gadol on Y om Ki ppur
i nto the H ol y of H ol i es. First, those extra portions were returned into the grinder on E rev
Y om Ki ppur to be ground extra f ine. The additional portions that there were because
the solar year is longer than the lunar calendar were spent during the eventual leap
year which had an additional thirty (30) days.
There were a f ew additional ingredients which were used in the preparation of the
Ketores mixture.
Bori s Karshi na (K ARSHI NA
14
SOAP), nine k av.
Y ayn Kafri si n (K AFRI SI SI N
15
WI NE) three seah and three (3) k av.
M elach Sedomi s (SODOMI TE SALT) rova hak av (a quarter of a k av).
M aal eh A shan a minute amount (an ingredient which causes the smoke to rise
upward in a straight column).
I f K AFRI SI N WI NE wasnt available it would be substituted with a white wine.
The K ARSHI NA SOAP was used to scrub the ONYCHA f rom its impurities.
The ONYCHA was soaked in K AFRI SI N WI NE in order to intensif y the fragrance.
According To Rebbe N asan of Bavel (Babylon) there was a minute amount of Ki pas
H ayarden ( JORDAN AMBER).
The Chel bena Spi ce
Although the Ketores was a sweet smelling f ragrance, one of the ingredients, Chelbena,
was a thick, dark, f oul-smelling substance taken f rom a tree f rom Greek origin.
14
Karshi na is the name of a city of its origin
15
Kafrissin is the name of a city of its origin
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The Gemara in Keri sus
16
states that any public f ast that doesnt have the participation of
some wayward individuals is not considered a (successf ul) public f ast.
One can reason that the inclusion of this spice is meant to teach us a lesson of
accept ance of individuals who have strayed from the path of Y i ddi shk ei t (Judaism) and
sullied themselves with sin, can still come back into the f old to join them f or a
mi nyan
17
and become part of the f old once again. This does not mean that we are to
accept them despite their wayward behavior; rather it means that in the setting of
serious repenting, they should also be brought in to participate in repenting and
mending their ways. The M aharsha to the Gemara in Keri sus that in order f or this to
work, one needs the same ratio of 10: 1 as was the case of the Ketores which had ten
(10) sweet smelling spices and one (1) f oul smelling Chel bena spice. One must realize
in order for such endeavors to be successful, one needs to have a solid backing of a
group of individuals who can help inf luence them to better their ways and begin
doing the will of their Creator.
We can add that when this setting is in place, not only does the Chelbena-type
individual benef it, but all those around him will gain spiritual benef its as well. This
concept is brought in the book of Rans
18
D issertati ons
19
where he suggest that the
purpose of combining the Chelbena along with the other spices was to bring out the
f ull aroma f rom the other ten (10) sweet smelling ones. Likewise, the involvement of
ten Jews in the spiritual welfare of a wayward individual will bring out greater spiritual
height s amongst those who are helping bring this individual closer to H ashem.
Ket ores Prot ect s
1 1 . M oshe said t o A har on, Take t he Ket or es and put f i re f rom the alt ar t op
int o it . Then t ake it quickly t o t he congregat ion and at one f or t hem, f or
wrat h has gone f ort h f rom t he Lor d, and the plague has begun.
16
D af 6b
17
M i nyan To be counted as part of the Congregational Service, which requires 10 observant Jews to perf orm
certain aspects of the Daily Prayers such as saying the K addish or reading the Torah publicly f or the Congregation
on Shabbos, Holidays and during the week on Mondays and Thursdays.
18
R NI SSI M BEN REUVEN OF GERONA - Born: Gerona, Spain, c. 1290. D i ed: Barcelona, Spain, c. 1380.
Notes: Talmudic commentator and Halachist. Royal physician, lived most of his life in Barcelona where he was Rav,
Dayan, and Rosh Yeshiva. He wrote in the traditions of the school of the Ramban and the Rashba. Author of
HaRan a commentary on the Rif , Chidushei HaRan, a commentary to the Talmud (many question his authorship
on Shabbos, which is the Ritva). Also wrote Drashos HaRan on the basis of f aith and philosophy. Among his
students were R Barf at, R Chasdai Crescas, and Yossef Chaviva.
19
D rashos H aRan, D rush 1
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Rashi - And at one f or t hem Thi s secret was gi ven over to hi m by the Angel of Death when he went up to heaven, t hat i ncense
holds back the plague as i s relat ed i n Tractat eShabbos (89a).
1 2 . A har on t ook [it], just as M oshe had said, and he r an int o t he midst of
t he assembly, and behold, t he plague had begun among t he people. H e
placed t he incense on it and at oned f or t he people.
1 3 . H e stood bet ween the dead and t he living, and t he plague ceased.
Rashi - He st ood bet w een t he dead He took hol d of the angel and hel d hi m agai nst hi s wi l l . The angel sai d to hi m, Al l ow
me to accompli sh my mi ssi on. He [Ahar on] sai d to hi m, Moshe commanded me to stop you. He sai d t o hi m, I am t he
messenger of the Omni present, and you are the messenger of Moshe He said to hi m, Moshe does not say anythi ng on hi s own
voli ti on, but only at the bi ddi ng of the Almi ght y. I f you do not beli eve [ me] , the Holy One, blessed i s He, and Moshe are at the
entrance of the Tent of Meeti ng; come with me and ask. Thi s i s the meani ng of the stat ement, Ahar on returned to Moshe
(Mi d. Tanchuma Tetzaveh 15). Another i nterpretat i on: Why wi th i ncense? Because the I sraeli tes were slanderi ng and vi li fyi ng
the i ncense, sayi ng that i t was a deadly poi son; through i t Nadav and Avi hu di ed; through i t two hundred and f i fty peopl e were
burnt. The Hol y One, bl essed i s He, sai d, You shal l see that i t wi ll stop the pl ague, and i t i s sin that caused thei r death. - [ Mid.
Aggadah. See Mechi lta Beshalach (Vayassa 6:5, Ber ei shi s 33a]
The Z ohar writes that whenever there is an outbreak of a plague (H eaven f orbid)
amongst the people, a decree is announced in Heaven that if the Jews would gather
together as one, in their Shuls (synagogues) and Batei M edrashi m (study halls), to recite
the Ketores with earnest devotion, H ashem would stop the epidemic.
From here we see that just as the actual Ketores was used by A haron H aKohen to end
the plague in the times of Korach, likewise we have the same power collectively to
recite the Ketores, and bring deliverance to our f ellow Jews.
Segul ah
20
Many people consider saying the passages of the Ketores as a Segulah (a sacred object or
ritual which give spiritual energy f or healing or blessing) f or earning ones Parnassah
(livelihood). Some people consider it special if the Ketores passages are written on
parchment with black ink with a quill similar to the writing in a Sefer T orah.
Peace: The Key t o Everyt hi ng
Af ter reciting the passages of E in KE l ok ei nu and of Pi ttum H aKetores, we end of f with
homiletic passages of the Talmud that the torah scholars are the promoters of peace
in the entire world and then we recite the f ollowing verse
21
: H ashem oze leammo yi tei n
20
A Segulah is something which is hidden from the eyes of most people, it is theref ore a desirable action which is
considered to be beloved in the Heavenly spheres and provides benef its and has inherent powers that are not
understandable to us, but the reason f or it at the same time is not revealed to us, Shemos. 19:5, Shaarei A haron, Parshas
Y i sro, Perek 19:5
21
Tehill im 29:11
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H ashem yevarei ch es ammo baShal om (G-d will give His people strength, G-d will bless
His people with peace).
This ending is a f itting ending f or the closing of the Morning T efi lla in general and it is
particularly appropriate f or the closing of this segment of prayer. Firstly, af ter all our
prayers are recited, we beseech H ashem f or the key ingredient to preserve all the
blessing we seek f rom H ashem. Peace is that key ingredient as our sages teach us in
the f inal M i shna in all of M i shnayos
22
that H ashem f ound no better receptacle to hold all
blessings of the world other than peace. I f there is peace, one can enjoy the benef its
of material and spiritual wealth without hindrance. I f there is no peace due to inner or
external turmoil, then it is dif ficult to utilize and maximize ones physical or spiritual
needs and ambitions. I n part icular, the Ketores promotes peace by joining all ten (10)
sweet smelling spices into one blend along with the Chelbena spice. I t promotes peace
by protecting f rom pestilence and other harmf ul incidents. I t also helps one to attain
f inancial security which is key in releasing one f rom the curse of Adam to earn his
livelihood by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread
23
and allowing one more
f ree time in service of his Creator.
The Kaddi sh DeRabbanan
Af ter reciting Pi ttum H aKetores, Kaddish D eRabbanan is recited. A mourner or someone
else who has lost a parent usually recites the Kaddi sh D eRabbanan. This Kaddi sh is
especially designed to be recited af ter learning a passage f rom the T almud. I t has a
specif ic section that praises those who devote themselves to Torah study and prays
f or their welf are and good f ortune.
The same Kaddi sh is recited af ter the Korbanos section of davening which precedes
Pesuk ei D eZ i mra. This Kaddi sh is also recited af ter learning some M i shnayos in the
home of a mourner or elsewhere. I t is customary in those instances to recite the a
f amiliar homiletic saying of Rebbe Chanania ben (the son of ) A k ashya. His saying was
H ashem wished to increase the merit of His nation Y i srael; therefore he increased for
them the amount of Torah and mi tzvos which they could learn and perf orm . Here
too, we recite a dif f erent homiletic passage f rom the Talmud, about Torah scholars
who promote peace in the world through their dedication to Torah study and to
upholding its mitzvos.
We mentioned in an earlier lesson that the worlds existence depends on Kedusha
D eSi dra and on the Kaddi sh of A ggadata of Shabbos (homiletic teachings, which the
22
U k tzin 3:12
23
Bereishi s 3:17
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Rabbis used to present on Shabbos af ternoon). Pi ttum H aKetores along with the
adjoining homiletic Talmudic passages with the Kaddi sh D eRabbanan f ulf ills this
dictum as well.
Borchu
Af ter Kaddi sh D eRabbanan there is a custom for the Chazzan or the one who recites
the Kaddi sh to recite Borchu f or the sake of anyone who may have missed saying
Borchu. Some do not recite Borchu on days that there is Kri as H aT orah since Borchu was
recited there numerous times. I n the Diaspora, it is not customary to say Borchu af ter
E i n KE lok ei nu at all
24
.
24
Simon 133
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Quest ions:
1) How many times is the Ketores of f ering recited during the course of a
day? Where are they recited?
2) What was special about the Ketores that only those who never sacrif iced
it bef ore are eligible to join in the lottery?
3) Why do we not repeat the Shi r shel Y om just as we recite Pi ttum
H aKetores twice a day?
4) According to Rashi s insight to E i n k eE lok ei nu, why is E i n KE lok ei nu
only recited on Shabbos?
5) What other reason applies to E i n KE lok ei nu that is a reason f or the
week as well?
6) What reason is there NOT to recite E i n KE lok ei nu during the
weekdays?
7) How does the Gemara derive that one who sacrifices the Ketores would
become wealthy?
8) Which two stanzas of E i n KE lok ei nu seem to be out of sequence and
why?
9) How many brochos is E i n KE lok ei nu worth towards f ulf illing the M i tzvah
of M eah Brochos?
10) D uring which momentous day of the year does the tzi bbur omit E i n
E lok ei nu and Pi ttum H aKetores?
11) What other day during the year is exempt f orm E i n KE lok ei nu?
12) Why do we mention more than just 11 spices in the berai ssa of Pi ttum
H aKetores and not just 11?
13) What type of Kaddi sh do we recite af ter E i n KE lok ei nu?
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Answers:
1) We recite it a total of three (3) times. Once during the Korbanos section
bef ore Pesuk ei D eZ i mra, again towards the end of Shachari s and another
time either bef ore or af ter M i ncha.
2) Since it was something which would bring a blessing of wealth to the
one who of f ers it up onto the mi zbeiach.
3) Since many times the Shi r shel Y om was delayed until nightt ime when
the libations would f inally be brought and one is not allowed to sing
shi ra at night.
4) Since the purpose was to complement the seven (7) brochos of the
Shabbos Shemoneh E srei to bring it to a total of nineteen (19).
5) The N odah BeY ehudah explains that since Pitt um H ak etores brings
blessing of wealth we pref ace it with E i n KE lok ei nu which declares that
the blessing is not due to our own business prowess etc. but it is the
blessing f rom H ashem.
6) Since during the week people are rushing to work and they are apt to
omit one of the spices which would be punishable by Heavenly death
when the Ketores would be prepared like that when the Bei s H ami k dash
stood.
7) Since it puts the verse Barei ch H ashem chei lo next to Y asi mu k etorah
beapecha.
8) Kaddi sh D eRabbanan.
9) E i n KE lok ei nu and M i KE lok ei nu.
10) We count it either as 12 or 20 brochos.
11) Y om Ki ppur.
12) T i sha BA v.
13) The rest of the spices were just to enhance the eleven (11).