Parashat Ki Tisa
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==Machatzit HaShekel== | ==Machatzit HaShekel== | ||
− | Hashem tells Moshe when he takes<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12">Rashi Shemos 30:12</ref> a counts the Jews by their numbers to know how many they are,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12"/> it should be done by collecting a half a shekel from each each male above the age twenty and counting those rather than by doing a headcount.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12"/> This donation would also server as an atonement for their souls. By calculating the total of the Jewish Nation through the counting of the coins, Moshe is able to avoid the creation of a devastating plague that could incur had he counted the actual people. This method was to be used any time the Jews are to be counted. | + | Hashem tells Moshe when he takes<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12">Rashi Shemos 30:12</ref> a counts the Jews by their numbers to know how many they are,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12"/> it should be done by collecting a half a shekel from each each male above the age twenty and counting those rather than by doing a headcount.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:12"/> This donation would also server as an atonement for their souls. By calculating the total of the Jewish Nation through the counting of the coins, Moshe is able to avoid the creation of a devastating plague that could incur had he counted the actual people. This method was to be used any time the Jews are to be counted.<ref>Rashi</ref> |
Here the Jews were counted to update their population status after the fatalities suffered due to the Chet Haegel<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16">Rashi Shemos 30:16</ref> from the drinking of the powdered waters, the mass execution led by the Levim and the large plague that took place.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parashat Ki Tisa"/> Counting the Jews was an act of love,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16"/> just like an owner would request his shepherd would recount his sheep after a plague befell his flock.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16"/> Additionally the more the Jews increase, the more the honor of Hashem increases, so counting them would invoke that.<ref name="Likutay Halachos Hilchos Tzitzis 7">Likutay Halachos Hilchos Tzitzis 7</ref> | Here the Jews were counted to update their population status after the fatalities suffered due to the Chet Haegel<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16">Rashi Shemos 30:16</ref> from the drinking of the powdered waters, the mass execution led by the Levim and the large plague that took place.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parashat Ki Tisa"/> Counting the Jews was an act of love,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16"/> just like an owner would request his shepherd would recount his sheep after a plague befell his flock.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:16"/> Additionally the more the Jews increase, the more the honor of Hashem increases, so counting them would invoke that.<ref name="Likutay Halachos Hilchos Tzitzis 7">Likutay Halachos Hilchos Tzitzis 7</ref> | ||
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==Ketoret HaSamim== | ==Ketoret HaSamim== | ||
− | Hashem tells Moshe to take aromatics and create an incense formula, compounding it according to the art of the perfumer, to be burnt twice daily on the golden altar inside Ohel Moed. It should be well blended, pure, and holy | + | Hashem tells Moshe to take aromatics and create an incense formula, compounding it according to the art of the perfumer, to be burnt twice daily on the golden altar inside Ohel Moed. It should be well blended, pure, and holy. |
===Preparation=== | ===Preparation=== | ||
− | The Ketoret incense contained 11 main spices. Four are written openly in the Torah and the rest are alluded to in the verse. | + | The Ketoret incense contained 11 main spices. Four are written openly in the Torah and the rest are alluded to in the verse. All spices had to be pure (Tahor) from any spiritual impurities (Tumah), they had to be purchased using sacred money (Hekdesh) and had to be ground up very finely.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet">Ketoret Sheet</ref> When prepared properly the Ketoret became categorized as 'holy of holies'.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> It was prepared annually in batches of 368 'mana' (480 grams / 1.06 pounds per 'mana', totaling 176 kilograms / 388.01 pounds)<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> that accounted for the 365 days of the leap year and an additional 3 'mana' used for the Yom Kipor services<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> Leftover portions of Ketoret from non leap years and from the varying hand sizes of the Kohen Gadal who served each year on Yom Kipor, were saved and once every 60 - 70 years only a 50% reduced annual batch of 184 'mana' was made.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> It was permitted to produce the Ketoret in third or quarter sized batches as long as the ingredients were kept to the same proportions of the full batch.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> When preparing the Ketoret, the grinder would say "grind well, become well ground". He would repeat this over and over during the entire time of grinding since speech was auspicious for a successful incense.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parashat Ki Tisa"/> If even one the Ketoret's ingredients was missing or out of proportion,<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> the person who offered it was punishable by death.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parashat Ki Tisa"/> |
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===Ingredients=== | ===Ingredients=== | ||
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# '''Muhr''' - Myrrh equaling 16 Mana, a resin extracted from a small thorny tree.<ref>Wikipedia Myrrh</ref> | # '''Muhr''' - Myrrh equaling 16 Mana, a resin extracted from a small thorny tree.<ref>Wikipedia Myrrh</ref> | ||
# '''Kitza''' - Cassia equaling 16 Mana. When burnt, this spice can be smelled from far.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> | # '''Kitza''' - Cassia equaling 16 Mana. When burnt, this spice can be smelled from far.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> | ||
− | # '''Shibolet Nerd''' - Spikenard equaling 16 Mana | + | # '''Shibolet Nerd''' - Spikenard equaling 16 Mana |
# '''Carkum''' - Saffron equaling 16 Mana | # '''Carkum''' - Saffron equaling 16 Mana | ||
# '''Koshet''' - Costus equaling 12 Mana, a white root with great fragrance, that can be smelled from far. | # '''Koshet''' - Costus equaling 12 Mana, a white root with great fragrance, that can be smelled from far. | ||
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====Additional Ingredients==== | ====Additional Ingredients==== | ||
− | # '''Boris Karshina''' - 9 Kabin (around 8 kilograms / 17.64 pounds),<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> This was a form of soap originating from the city of Karshina. It was | + | # '''Boris Karshina''' - 9 Kabin (around 8 kilograms / 17.64 pounds),<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> This was a form of soap originating from the city of Karshina. It was used to clean the Levona and Tziporen - onycha which would be black and dirty when extracted from the ground. It was then cleaned with the soap to prevent the dirt from ruining its googd smell. |
# '''Yayin Kafrisin''' - 3 Sah and 3 Kabin (around 28 liter / 7.40 gallons),<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> a strong form of wine used to soak the Tziporen - onycha to strength its smell and help it travel further. Although soaking the Tziporen in urine instead would have strengthened it even more, it was not used since urine was not brought into the Temple out of respect. | # '''Yayin Kafrisin''' - 3 Sah and 3 Kabin (around 28 liter / 7.40 gallons),<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> a strong form of wine used to soak the Tziporen - onycha to strength its smell and help it travel further. Although soaking the Tziporen in urine instead would have strengthened it even more, it was not used since urine was not brought into the Temple out of respect. | ||
# '''Chamar Chivar Atik''' - Aged wine that is neither white nor red.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> This was brought in as a replacement when the Yayin Kafrisin wine could not be attained. | # '''Chamar Chivar Atik''' - Aged wine that is neither white nor red.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> This was brought in as a replacement when the Yayin Kafrisin wine could not be attained. | ||
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Although only 4 ingredients are mentioned openly in the verse it alludes to 11 which were taught to Moshe when he was at Har Sinai.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:34"/> | Although only 4 ingredients are mentioned openly in the verse it alludes to 11 which were taught to Moshe when he was at Har Sinai.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 30:34"/> | ||
− | + | היהי דבב דב הכז הנבלו םימס הנבלחו תלחשו ףטנ םימס ךל חק השמ לא 'ה רמאיו | |
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− | + | From here our Rabbis learned that eleven ingredients were told to Moses [when he was] at Sinai: the minimum of aromatics-two [since סַמִּים is written in the plural form]; balsam sap, onycha, and galbanum-three, equaling five; aromatics [written a second time]-to include again the number of these, equaling ten; and frankincense, totaling eleven. They are as follows: (1) balsam sap, (2) onycha, (3) galbanum, (4) frankincense, (5) myrrh, (6) cassia, (7) spikenard נֵרְדְּ) (שִׁבֹּלֶת, and (8) saffron, totaling eight, because שִׁבֹּלֶת and נֵרְדְּ are one, for spikenard נֵרְדְּ is like an ear [of grain] שִׁבֹּלֶת. [To continue:] (9) costus, (10) aromatic bark, and (11) cinnamon, thus totaling eleven. Borith carshina [mentioned further in the Baraitha, is not counted because it] does not go up in smoke, but they rub the onycha with it to whiten it so that it should be beautiful. -[from Ker. 6a] | |
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===Exclusivity=== | ===Exclusivity=== | ||
− | It is forbidden to compound incense using the Ketoret formula | + | It is forbidden to compound incense using the Ketoret formula. Anyone who clones the Ketoret to smell it's fragrance, receives Karet and becomes cut off from his people. |
===Daily Service=== | ===Daily Service=== | ||
− | Twice each day | + | Twice each day including Shabbat and holidays,<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> a Ketoret offering consisting of a half a 'mana' each,<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> was burnt on the inner Mizbeach Hazahav. The morning Ketoret was offered following the cleaning of the Menorah lamps and the afternoon Ketoret was offered following the lighting of the Menorah.<ref name="Ketoret Sheet"/> |
Since the burning of the Ketoret was auspicious for wealth and was therefore a much desired job, it was allotted via the use of a lotto. Any Kohen that won the job of burning the Ketoret was never given a chance to do so again.<ref>Mishna Yuma</ref> | Since the burning of the Ketoret was auspicious for wealth and was therefore a much desired job, it was allotted via the use of a lotto. Any Kohen that won the job of burning the Ketoret was never given a chance to do so again.<ref>Mishna Yuma</ref> | ||
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===Breaking of the Luchos=== | ===Breaking of the Luchos=== | ||
As Moshe drew close to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing before it. Moshe became enraged, he flung the tablets from his hands, shattering them at the foot of the mountain. | As Moshe drew close to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing before it. Moshe became enraged, he flung the tablets from his hands, shattering them at the foot of the mountain. | ||
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===Eradication of the Golden Calf=== | ===Eradication of the Golden Calf=== |