make an altar for the burning incense” (Shemot 30:1) Think for a moment how powerful the sense of smell is, how fragrance penetrates boundaries and how burning incense creates a cloud-like aura ...

Our text is not about the Day of Atonement but about the incense altar: how to make it, how to use it, and — oh, yes — a warning to make sure it is “cleansed” with blood once a year.

Much has been written about the surprising placement of the golden incense altar at the end of this week’s parsha. In short, the reader expects its instructions to be given together with all of ...