ב"ה
Todah Rabbah - Thank You Very Much!
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תודה
Incense Altar
"The Midrash (Shir Ha'Shirim Rabbah, 3:4) provides several poignant glimpses of the Avtinas family, which tell us something of the great dedication that burned in their hearts for their holy occupation:
"The Avtinas family were expert in the preparation of the incense spices, and knew how to use the herb ma'aleh ashan, which caused the smoke to rise. But the rabbis were critical that they refused to teach these things to others, and suspended them from office. The sages sent to Alexandria for skilled craftsmen, and engaged these others to try and duplicate the Avtinas' incense. These craftsmen were expert in the spices, but they could not make the smoke rise up in a straight column like the Avtinas family... the smoke from their incense immediately diffused and scattered.
When the sages saw this, they remarked that everything which the Holy One created, He created only for the sake of His own honor, as the verse states (Isaiah 43): 'Every one that is called by My name, for I have created him for my glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.' They returned the Avtinas family to their task, and doubled their wages."
"But the wise men asked them: 'What is reason that you do not share secret of your profession; why want to teach others?'
They responded: 'Our fathers passed on a tradition to us, that one day the Holy Temple will be destroyed. We did not want to teach our secret, so that it does not fall into the wrong hands, the hands of idolators; and one day, the holy incense offering which we presented before the Holy One would then be used for idolatry.' When the rabbis understood that this was the reason for their silence, the Avtinas family was greatly praised."
"And you shall make an altar to burn incense; out of acacia wood it. It be square, one cubit long wide, two cubits high, including its horns. cover with pure gold, top, walls all around, horns; a gold rim around"
"And you shall make two gold rings under the altar's rim on its opposite side; they facilitate holding poles with which it is carried. carrying out of acacia wood, cover them a layer gold" {Shemot 30}.
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"But the L-rd is in His Holy Temple. Silence the whole earth before Him" {Havakuk 2:20}.
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