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Spiritual significance of incense and the Tabernacle-Ketoret

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shmully

PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:57 pm


I love incense, I have a lot of it. I was doing research on the use of incense on the Tabernacle (Holy of Holys) during Moses and the Isralies, how they light it in the morning and evening and how its always lit for prayer. I was wondering if this, at all, in any way, has any use today in Judaism. I've never seen incense used in prayer, but wondering if it can be used, with the blessing for scents and so on. I can't gather my thoughts correctly on it, which is why i'm asking. Possibly one of the 11 spices (Balsam, Clove, Galbanum, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cassia, Spikenard, Saffron, Costus, Aromatic Bark, Cinnamo) in a brass incense holder.
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 9:14 pm


The incense offering, like most other offerings, can only be offered in the Holy Temple at Jerusalem, when it is standing. As such, we don't offer it today, and can't offer it until our promised Mashiach makes himself known to us by rebuilding the Temple and answering all outstanding halachic debates -- including the true identities of the spices, some of which we have names for but aren't certain that the names mean the same things today that they meant in ancient times. For instance, the thing that we call cinnamon today is almost always cassia, a bark of similar but not identical taste, and if such a linguistic shift has occurred with our spices' names, we would be producing an incorrect and therefore forbidden spice blend for the Temple. May we all merit to see a time when the Temple is rebuilt and our offerings can once again be made, so that we can smell that sweet fragrance!

Divash
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shmully

PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:09 pm


Divash
May we all merit to see a time when the Temple is rebuilt and our offerings can once again be made, so that we can smell that sweet fragrance!


, Amen.
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