In last week’s Parasha, Parshat Terumah, Bnei Israel are commanded (27:1-8), to make an ‘altar of acacia wood’, and to plate it with copper.
Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl comments:”In addition to this copper altar, which stood in the courtyard of the Mishkan, Bnei israel are commanded, in our Parasha, (30:1-10) to erect a second, more internal altar, מקטר קטרת: to bring incense up in smoke.
“If we compare the two altars, we note a number of differences between them, from which the importance of the inner altar is seen: First, its location: being the inner one, indicates that it is more important.
“Second, it is plated in gold, whereas the outer one is plated in copper- again indicating its greater importance.
“Third, there is also a special prohibition to the inner altar:’(30:9): You may not bring on it any offering, other than the incense.
“The incense altar is, therefore, the more inner one; it is also more concealed from the sight of the people; the service on it is out of the sight of outsiders, only the Kohen Gadol is allowed to be in the Tent, when the incense is offered.
“All these matters, indicate that there is a special significance to the concealed service, performed on the incense altar.
“The Sages of the Zohar Hakadosh provide the key to understanding its importance: the word קטרת: is derived from the Aramaic word for קשר: tie; it has a mystical power to connect- to tie together, again - those that have become separated.
“This is its special significance: the incense atoned for the transgression of lashon hara.
How?
“As far as we are able to comprehend, there is an intrinsic ‘connection’ between the offering of the incense, and the sin of lashon hara, enabling it to atone for that transgression.
“Our Sages expound:’May that which is offered up ‘in private’- the incense - atone for that which was done in private- the lashon hara spoken behind a person’s back.
“Lashon hara causes damage in two different areas: The first, more evident one, is between man-and-man, as it sows dissension and causes division. Its atonement is relatively simple: the transgressor is afflicted with tzora’at, and is sent away from the company of other people, a measure-for-measure punishment for the separation he has caused, by his actions.
“In addition, it also causes ‘a defect’ in another, far more serious area: it causes a separation between Israel and our Heavenly Father!
“The shechina only resides in Israel, when the people are united;lashon hara causes a split in the unity of the people, and this, in turn, causes their separation from Hashem.
“The incense renews the tie and closeness of Israel to Hashem. It has a special power, beyond our comprehension, to banish and dissipate the negative forces and separation that the transgression has wrought.
“The severity of the sin of lashon hara, demands that an inner, special service, should be performed in the inner sanctum of the Sanctuary, in its very heart, on a special altar dedicated only for this purpose- and all this to repair the deep internal defect and separation - that the lashon hara caused in the relationship between Israel and Hashem”.
The Kli Yakar offers the following explanation as to the need, and purpose, for the two altars:”It appears that these two altars are needed to atone for the soul of the transgressor. Whilst the copper altar comes to atone for ‘the body’ of the transgressor, the animal offerings on it come תמורתו: ‘in his stead’, there being a דמיון: a similarity, in this respect, the animals offered bearing a resemblance to the animal aspect of the transgressor.
“However, the נשמה: the soul, of the transgressor also requires atonement- it has become defiled by residing in the body which has sinned.
“The animal offerings cannot be an atonement for the soul, as there is no similarity between the two- the souls of man ascend after their demise, whilst the souls of animals descend, on their passing.
“Hashem therefore commanded the construction of the incense altar, from which smoke and a sweet smell ascends upwards, to atone for the damage caused to the souls of man by transgressions.
“And to emphasize this , the Torah commands that the incense be ושחקת ממנה דקה: ‘ground very fine’, an allusion to the soul which is דקה מן הדקה: ‘the finest of the fine’, that it, too, needs atonement for it to ascend to its Source”.
The Netivot Shalom, brings the beautiful exposition of the Kli Yakar, and summarizes:”The incense altar was intended to purify the soul, without any connection to the body”.
He adds: “It also has another purpose: There are actions which, though not specifically forbidden by the Torah, are contrary to the requirement, oft repeated in the Torah, ‘to be holy, because I, Hashem, your G-d, am Holy’.
“These cause a ‘bad smell’, as it were, to emanate from man, and how can one with such a malodour hope to come close to a King, or to enter his palace?
“Just as this would be the situation with physical malodour, so too in spiritual matters- and how much more so, when the King is Hakadosh Baruch-Hu.
“This was the purpose of the incense altar:The sweet smelling incense offered on it morning and afternoon, atoning for the bad smells which arose from un-holy - though not forbidden- actions of Bnei Israel”.
The Siftei Kohen sweetens our understanding, by bringing a Midrash, as to the purpose of the incense altar: Of all the offerings, says Hashem, I only want the sweet smell of the incense; know that the altar on which the animal offerings are brought, is in the outside of the Mishkan, but the incense mishkan from which the sweet smell emanates, is inside.
“The Torah therefore says: ‘And you shall make מזבח מקטר קטרת: ‘an altar on which to bring incense in smoke’: קטרת: acronym for: קדושה טהרה רחמים תקוה: holiness, purity, mercy, hope”.
A parting thought from the Kli Yakar: The incense is to be offered twice a day: in the morning and in the afternoon, because our souls comes ‘in the morning’, when we first enter this world; and departs ‘in the evening’, at the end of our days, when it returns to its Heavenly source.
“הלואי: if only the departure of our soul, like its arrival, were free of sin!”.
לרפואת נועם עליזה בת זהבה רבקה ונחום אלימלך רפאל בן זהבה רבקה, בתוך שאר חולי עמנו.