- Zohar
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- Vayak'hel
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- Chapter 40
The incense
In this passage Rabbi Yosi tells of the great power of incense to break evil inclinations, to banish sorcery, and to protect us from the Other Side. It is as miraculous as the golden plate. Furthermore, whoever reads and studies intently the section on the preparation of the incense is protected. When the smoke of the incense went up like a pillar the priest saw the letters of the Holy Name soaring in the air and going up like a pillar; afterwards many Chariots circled it on all sides. It creates unity above and below, atoning for sin and idolatry.
466. So is the incense. Whoever smelled the smoke coming from the pillar OF SMOKE rising from the smoke raiser, would cleanse his heart totally to worship his Master, and the filth of the Evil Inclination would pass from him. He would have only one heart towards his father in heaven. Since incense breaks the Evil Inclination on all sides; as the plate is miraculous, so is the incense, for nothing in the world breaks the Other Side except incense.
466. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא קְטֹרֶת, כָּל מַאן דְּאָרַח בְּהַהוּא תְּנָנָא, כַּד סָלִיק הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא מֵהַהוּא מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן, הֲוָה מְבָרֵר לִבֵּיהּ, בִּבְרִירוּ לְמִפְלַח לְמָארֵיהּ, וְאַעְבָּר מִנֵּיהּ זוּהֲמָא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, וְלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ אֶלָּא לִבָּא חֲדָא, לָקֳבֵל אֲבוּהָ דְּבִשְׁמַיָּא. בְּגִין דִּקְטֹרֶת, תְּבִירוּ דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע אִיהוּ וַדַּאי בְּכָל סִטְרִין. וּכְמָּה דְּצִיץ הֲוָה קָאֵים עַל נִיסָא, אוּף קְטֹרֶת. דְּלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּעָלְמָא, לְמִתְבַּר לֵיהּ לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, בַּר קְטֹרֶת.
467. Come and look at the verse "take a censer, and put fire in it from off the altar, and put on incense" (Bemidbar 17:11). What is the sense? "for wrath is gone out from Hashem: the plague has begun" (Ibid.). Nothing breaks that side except for incense, for nothing is more delightful before the Holy One, blessed be He, than incense. It can revoke sorcery, and evil things at home. The smell and smoke of manmade incense cancels SORCERY, when done for that specific purpose, and incense all the more.
467. ת"ח מַה כְּתִיב, קַח אֶת הַמַּחְתָּא וְתֶן עָלֶיהָ אֵשׁ מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְשִׂים קְטֹרֶת. מ"ט. כִּי יָצָא הַקֶּצֶף מִלִּפְנֵי יְיָ', הֵחֵל הַנָּגֶף. דְּהָא לֵית תְּבִירוּ לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא בַּר קְטֹרֶת. דְּלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה חֲבִיבָה קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא , כִּקְטֹרֶת. וְקַיְּימָא לְבַטְּלָא חַרְשִׁין, וּמִלִּין בִּישִׁין מִבֵּיתָא. רֵיחָא וַעֲשָׁנָא דִּקְטֹרֶת דְּעַבְדֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, בְּהַהוּא עוֹבְדָּא אִיהוּ מְבַטֵּל, כ"ש קְטֹרֶת.
468. It is a standing decree before the Holy One, blessed be He, that whoever looks at and reads every day the section of the preparation of incense, he is protected from all evil things and sorcery in the world, from mishaps and evil brooding, from bad punishment and death, and shall not come to harm on that day, for the Other Side may not have power over him. Only he must read it intently.
468. מִלָּה דָּא גְּזֵרָה קַיְּימָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל וְקָרֵי בְּכָל יוֹמָא עוֹבְדָּא דִּקְטֹרֶת, יִשְׁתְּזִיב מִכָּל מִלִּין בִּישִׁין חַרְשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא. וּמִכָּל פְּגָעִין בִּישִׁין, וּמֵהִרְהוּרָא בִּישָׁא, וּמִדִּינָא בִּישָׁא, וּמִמוֹתָנָא, וְלָא יִתְזַק כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא, דְּלָא יָכִיל סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְשַׁלְטָא עָלֵיהּ, וְאִצְטְרִיךְ דִּיכַוֵּין בֵּיהּ.
469. Rabbi Shimon said, if people would know how lofty is the section of the preparation of incense before the Holy One, blessed be He, they would take each word and raise it to be adorned as a golden crown upon their heads. Whoever studies well the section on the formulation of the incense, has to examine it closely. And if he concentrates on it every day, he has a portion in this world and in the World to Come. Death is banished from him and from the world, and he is protected from this world's ordinances, the ordeal of Gehenom, and the judgment of other kingdom (Heb. malchut).
469. אר"ש, אִי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי כַּמָה עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ עוֹבָדָא דִּקְטֹרֶת קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא , הֲווֹ נַטְלֵי כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה מִנֵּיהּ, וַהֲווֹ סַלְקֵי לֵהּ עֲטָרָה עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ, כְּכִתְרָא דְּדַהֲבָא. וּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בֵּיהּ, בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּקְטֹרֶת, וְאִי יְכַוֵין בֵּיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, אִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְיִסְתָּלַּק מוֹתָנָא מִנֵּיהּ, וּמֵעָלְמָא, וְיִשְׁתְּזִיב מִכָּל דִּינִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִסִּטְרִין בִּישִׁין, וּמִדִּינָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וּמִדִּינָא דְּמַלְכוּ אַחֲרָא.
470. In that incense, when the smoke went up like a pillar, the priest saw the letters of the Holy Name soaring in the air and going up like a pillar, and afterwards, many Chariots circled it on all sides, and it goes up shining and joyous, and gladdens those who are gladdened, and binds bonds, THAT IS, CREATES UNITY, above and below, so that everything becomes one. This has already been explained. This atones for the Evil Inclination and idolatry, which is the Other Side as clarified.
470. בְּהַהוּא קְטֹרֶת כַּד הֲוָה סָלִיק תְּנָנָא בְּעַמּוּדָא, כַּהֲנָא הֲוָה חָמֵי אַתְוָון דְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, פַּרְחִין בַּאֲוִירָא, וְסַלְקֵי לְעֵילָּא בְּהַהוּא עַמּוּדָא. לְבָתַר כַּמָה רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין סָחֲרִין לֵיהּ מִכָּל סִטְרִין, עַד דְּסָלִיק בִּנְהִירוּ וְחֶדְוָה, וְחַדֵּי לְמַאן דְּחַדֵּי, וְקָשַׁר קִשְׁרִין לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא לְיַחֲדָא כֹּלָּא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. וְדָא מְכַפֵּר עַל יֵצֶר הָרָע, וְעַל ע"ז, דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.