In parshas Korach, Korach and
others challenge Aharon to be the high priest. Moshe asks Korach which service
is most dear to him and receives the answer that it is the offering of the
incense (קטורת). Moshe replies that
the next morning Korach and anybody else who wishes to may publicly offer
incense. Aharon will do so too and Hashem will choose the one he considers
sacred. The contest is held and Hashem reacts with fury. Korach is swallowed up
by the earth and descends to gehinom alive. The other 250 people who offered incense
with Korach are burnt to death by a fire from Hashem. To dramatize their error
their fire pans are pounded into plating for the altar so as to demonstrate the
fate of those that quarrel with the choice of Aharon as cohen gadol.
This is not the only time that
misuse of of the kotores has yielded disastrous consequences. In parshas Shmini
the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, bring fragrances that are not ordered and
are burnt to death. Much later on the Uziahu, a righteous king of Judah , brings
an incense offering and is stuck with leprosy for the rest of his life (2
Chronicles 26:16-21). However when a plague breaks out in the wake of Korach's
rebellion, Moshe tells Aharon to offer incense. He does so and the plague
stops.
Among the difficulties that can
be brought is why doesn't Moshe bring the incense himself? Why is it
specifically Aharon? In addition why is there such an extreme reaction from
Hashem concerning the ketores? The scientists tell us that the parts of the
brain governing smell and the emotions are right next to each other. As a
result smell can trigger a rapid and strong emotional response. The difficulty
is that the Chumash comes to teach us morality not biology. It seems that there
is something unique about fragrance that brings to mind the lofty heights that
we should be at and the miserable depraved state we are at. So to speak we
should be living in a world where waste does not exist. However due to our low
state caused by our many sins there are many people who are waste themselves.
The incense is similar to the
sacred anointing oil in that fragrance is important. The anointing oil (שמן משחה) is a perfume that is applied to people
and articles. Likewise, the incense seems to be a type of perfume but one that
is associated with a specific group, the Cohanim or the children of Israel . In
addition the temple mount is called Mount
Moriya
By and large women put on perfume
but not men. However, Israel
is compared to a woman, who is married to Hashem. So to speak the burning of
the incense is similar to a woman, the nation of Israel , putting on perfume for her
husband. The Cohen Gadol is the quintessence of this metaphor. In the story of
Korach Hashem strikes the nation with a plague when they continue their
rebellion after the main instigators have been eliminated. Aharon stops the
plague by burning the incense. This is like a father who is angry with his
children. However, his wife calms the anger by wearing a pretty dress, putting
on her husband's favorite perfume, and giving him a nice piece of cake. This
will succeed if it is done by the beloved of the man's soul, but not if it is
done by his prime minister. Like a woman is responsible for taking care of a
man's house, Aharon is responsible for taking care of the house of Hashem, the
Beis Mikdash. The sacrifices are the delicacies of Hashem.
Nadiv and Avihu can be compared
to woman with a foul smell in the presence of her husband. Korach can be
compared to a plain maidservant who steals the queen's raiment and tries to
seduce the king. Aharon can be compared to a queen who calms the king by doing
things pleasing in his presence. Ultimately we yearn for a world where true
love is restored between a man and his wife and between Hashem and the children
of Israel .
A discussion fragrance and how it can calm or excite the
emotions about hope for the future or over despair for the present
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