UPDATE: In addition to prayer, it is an obligation and a mitzvah to get the COVID vaccine and booster shot to help prevent the spread of COVID, and protect your health and the health of others.
Why Read Parsha Ketores? Rabbi Jonathan Schwartz
The Midrash Tanchuma (Tetzaveh 15) notes that Hashem appreciates the Ketores offering more than all the other offerings we bring. The reason is that other korbanos serve a purpose for us (to atone fo sin, express thanksgiving etc.) but Ketores merely serves as a conduit for our joy. Thus, the mere bringing of the twice-daily ketores was a special segulah in the time off the Beis HaMikdash. The Midrash (Midrash Socher Tov, 141) adds that the offering of Ketores is achieved today through the recitation of the Parsha. The segulah for Ketores is multi-fold: The Zohar (Vayechi) explains that if there is a plague in a town, the community should get together in the Shul and recite Pitum HaKetores with intensity in order to stop the plague. This is similar to the way Aharon HaKohein stopped the plague by holding a burning Ketores pan between the Meisim and the living.
Representing Jewish Unity The Mystery of Ketores, Rabbi Yaakov Haber
Many commentaries note the theme of Jewish national unity inherent within the ketores. The component spices number eleven, ten sweet-smelling spices plus the chelb'na, a foul-smelling ingredient. They represent the Jewish community, symbolized by the number ten, the minimum microcosm of an eida, a representative community. The chelb'na represents the wicked who have temporarily divorced themselves from the community but must be included since they too must and will return to the fold. The offering of the ketores represents in a sense, the offering of K'nesses Yisrael, the totality of the Jewish people to HKB"H. The great love of HKB"H for his nation and even the wicked among them is thus actively demonstrated twice daily and once a year in the inner chamber, in the presence of the keruvim representing this love.
Me'am Lo'ez, Translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, vol. 9, page307 on Exodus 30:34
"... the incense was not brought for any sin, but to express joy. It is thus written, "Oil and incense make the heart rejoice" (proverbs 27:9) This teaches that oil used in the menorah and the ketoreth were primarily to make the heart rejoice. There were made to bring joy.
That is why the two were bound together; at the time the menorah was lit, the incense was burned. It is thus written, "When Aaron lights the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn them." (30:8) It was therefore very important before God. (Midrash Tanchuma)
The incense also had another great advantage. It was an enlightened remedy to purify people from sin. Whoever smelled the fragrance of the incense when it was being burned on the later would have thoughts of repentance. His heart would be purified of all the evil thoughts and from the defilement of the Evil Urge.
In this respect it was very much like the forehead plate worn by the High Priest, upon which God's name was written. Whoever looked at it would experience great awe in his heart and would repent completely, as was discussed in the previous portion. The same was true of anyone who smelled the fragrance of the inane when it was being burned. Tis would break the power of the Other Side so that it could not speak evil against Israel.
This is why the incense alter was referred to as an alter, (mizbeach). [The word mizbeach from the the Hebrew zevach which denotes slaughter.] The incense alter was called mizbeach, even though no sacrifice was slaughtered on it, because the incense had the power to break and subjugate the power of the Other Side. This place was called mizbeach because it was a place where the Other Side was slaughtered. (Zohar, Va'Yakhel).
Since the incense is so important, a person should be careful to read this chapter every day, in the morning and the evening. He should not consider saying it difficult even thought it might take a few moments, since it brings great joy to God.
Incense is greater than prayer. As is well known, the prayers were meant to bein place of the sacrifices, but as we have already said, the incense was more important and greater than all the sacrifices. Therefor it is obvious that the incense was great than all the prayers. Moreover, it was a great remedy to purify a person of all sin. (Zohar)
In the Zohar Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai says: If people know how great it is when they say the section Pitum Ketoreth before God, they would take each and every word of the section and place it on their heads like a golden crown. Whoever says Pitum Ketoret beach day in the morning and evening, slowly, without skipping even a single word, and understands what he is saying, is protected against all evil occurrences and evil thoughts and from an evil death. He can rest assured that all day he will not be harmed in any way. He will also be protected from the punishments of purgatory and will have a portion in the World to Come.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה, קַח לְךָ סַמִּים: נָטָף, וּשְׁחֵלֶת, וְחֶלְבְּנָה, סַמִּים. וּלְבֹנָה זַכָּה, בַּד בְּבַד יִהְיֶה: וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתָהּ קְטֹרֶת, רֹקַח מַעֲשֵׂה רוֹקֵחַ, מְמֻלָּח טָהוֹר קֹדֶשׁ: וְשָׁחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנָּה הָדֵק, וְנָתַתָּה מִמֶּנָּה לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לְךָ שָׁמָּה, קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם: וְנֶאֱמַר, וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה: וּבְהַעֲלֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה, קְטֹרֶת תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם:
And the LORD said to Moses: Take the herbs stacte, onycha, and galbanum—these herbs together with pure frankincense; let there be an equal part of each. Make them into incense, a compound expertly blended, refined, pure, sacred. Beat some of it into powder, and put some before the Pact in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you...On it Aaron shall burn aromatic incense: he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps, and Aaron shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps—a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout the ages.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, פִּטּוּם הַקְּטֹרֶת כֵּיצַד: שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה מָנִים הָיוּ בָהּ. שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, מָנֶה לְכָל יוֹם, פְּרַס בְּשַׁחֲרִית, וּפְרַס בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם, וּשְׁלשָׁה מָנִים יְתֵרִים, שֶׁמֵּהֶם מַכְנִיס כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מְלֹא חָפְנָיו בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וּמַחֲזִירָן לְמַכְתֶּשֶׁת בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וְשׁוֹחֲקָן יָפָה יָפָה כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא דַקָּה מִן הַדַּקָּה. וְאַחַד עָשָׂר סַמְּמָנִין הָיוּ בָהּ. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: הַצֳּרִי, וְהַצִּפֹּרֶן, הַחֶלְבְּנָה, וְהַלְּבוֹנָה, מִשְׁקַל שִׁבְעִים שִׁבְעִים מָנֶה, מוֹר, וּקְצִיעָה, שִׁבֹּלֶת נֵרְדְּ, וְכַרְכֹּם, מִשְׁקַל שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מָנֶה, הַקֹּשְׁטְ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, וְקִלּוּפָה שְׁלשָׁה, וְקִנָּמוֹן תִּשְׁעָה, בֹּרִית כַּרְשִׁינָה תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין, יֵין קַפְרִיסִין סְאִין תְּלָתָא וְקַבִּין תְּלָתָא, וְאִם לֹא מָצָא יֵין קַפְרִיסִין מֵבִיא חֲמַר חִוַּרְיָן עַתִּיק, מֶלַח סְדוֹמִית רוֹבַע, מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. רַבִּי נָתָן הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר: אַף כִּפַּת הַיַּרְדֵּן כָּל שֶׁהִיא, וְאִם נָתַן בָּהּ דְּבַשׁ פְּסָלָהּ, וְאִם חִסַּר אֶחָד מִכָּל סַּמָנֶיהָ חַיָּב מִיתָה:
רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: הַצֳּרִי אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שְׂרָף הַנּוֹטֵף מֵעֲצֵי הַקְּטָף. בֹּרִית כַּרְשִׁינָה לָמָה הִיא בָאָה, כְּדֵי לְיַפּוֹת בָּהּ אֶת הַצִּפֹּרֶן, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא נָאָה. יֵין קַפְרִיסִין לָמָה הוּא בָא כְּדֵי לִשְׁרוֹת בּוֹ אֶת הַצִּפֹּרֶן כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא עַזָּה, וַהֲלֹא מֵי רַגְלַיִם יָפִין לָהּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מַכְנִיסִין מֵי רַגְלַיִם בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד:
The Rabbi's taught: how is the incense mixture formulated? Three-hundred sixty-eight maneh were in it: three hundred sixty-five corresponding to the days of the solar year — a manned for each day, half in the morning and half in the afternoon; and three extra maneh, from which the Kohen Gadol would bring both his handfuls [into the Holy of Holies] on Yom Kippur. He would return them to the mortar on the day before Yom Kippur, and grind them very thoroughly so that it would be exceptionally fine. Balm, and onycha, and galbanum, and frankincense, each of these by a weight of seventy maneh, i.e., seventy units of one hundred dinars. Myrrh, and cassia, and spikenard, and saffron, each of these by a weight of sixteen maneh. Costus by a weight of twelve maneh; three maneh of aromatic bark; and nine maneh of cinnamon. Kersannah lye of the volume of nine kav; Cyprus wine of the volume of three se’a and three more kav, a half-se’a. If one does not have Cyprus wine he brings old white wine. Sodomite salt is brought by the volume of a quarter-kav. Lastly, a minimal amount of the smoke raiser, a plant that causes the smoke of the incense to rise properly. Rabbi Natan says: Also a minimal amount of Jordan amber. And if one placed honey in the incense he has disqualified it, as it is stated: “For you shall make no leaven, nor any honey, smoke as an offering made by fire unto the Lord” (Leviticus 2:11). If he omitted any one of its spices he is liable to receive death at the hand of Heaven.
Rabbi Shimon says: The balm mentioned here is nothing other than a resin exuded from the balsam tree, not the bark of the tree itself. The Kersannah lye mentioned is not part of the ingredients of the incense itself, but it is necessary as one rubs the onycha in it so that the onycha should be pleasant. Likewise, the Cyprus wine is required as one soaks the onycha in it so that it should be strong. And urine is good for this purpose, but one does not bring urine into the Temple because it is inappropriate.
תַּנְיָא רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: כְּשֶׁהוּא שׁוֹחֵק, אוֹמֵר: הָדֵק הֵיטֵב, הֵיטֵב הָדֵק, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקּוֹל יָפֶה לַבְּשָׂמִים. פִּטְּמָהּ לַחֲצָאִין, כְּשֵׁרָה, לִשְׁלִישׁ וְלִרְבִיעַ, לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ: אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה זֶה הַכְּלָל, אִם כְּמִדָּתָהּ כְּשֵׁרָה לַחֲצָאִין. וְאִם חִסַּר אַחַת מִכָּל סַמָנֶיהָ חַיָּב מִיתָה:
(ג"פ) יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ, מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה:
(ג"פ) יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת, אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בּוֹטֵחַ בָּךְ:(ג"פ) יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה, הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ:
Segulot of Ketoret (from Ki Tisa on Zissel.com)
- Gains a portion in This World and the World to Come[35]
- Pushes death away from himself and the world[35]
- Saves from all harsh judgments and illnesses[35]
- Auspicious for curing the sick[35]
- Saves from evil eye[35]
- Saves from Gehinum[35]
- Saves from punishments of other governments[35]
- Causes great pleasure to Hasehm and is preferable to prayer[35]
- Prevents all harm on days recited[35]
- Gives a person grace in the eyes of all who see him[35]
- Auspicious for an easy livelihood and wealth[35]
- Nullifies bad thoughts[35]