Halakhah sur L’Exode 30:34

There are eight table blessings, and they are: netilat yada’im [over hand-washing], ha-motzi [over bread], the four blessings of birkat ha-mazon [grace after meals], and twoblessings over the wine (before and after the meal). The reason for these eight has to do with the table being considered equal to the altar of the Temple. Just as the altar atones, so does the table. Look – when you put bread on the table to feed the poor, it is like a sacrifice on the altar. Just as the incense on the altar (which atoned more than all the sacrifices upon the altar of bronze) was made of eight kinds of spices – four in the anointing oil- myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane, and cassia; and the four in the incense itself which are specified in Scripture: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense–¹Ex 30:34, following the Jewish Study Bible’s translation. we are commanded to say eight different kinds of blessings over the table corresponding to them. Most people do not take this into consideration or pay attention to this matter. Butit is necessary for person to make himself holy at his table during his meal with these eight blessings that correspond to the eight kinds of spices specified in the Torah, which used to be in the Temple, in order to fulfill the commandments in their essence, and to direct one’s mind in the blessings to their basic foundations.

Some have the custom to say the passage of the Laver (Exodus 30:17-21), and afterwards the passage of the removal of the ashes (Leviticus 6:1-6), and afterwards the passage of the continual-offering (Numbers 28:1-8), and afterwards the passage of the Incense Altar (Exodus 30:7-10) and the passage of the spices of the Incense and its preparation (Exodus 30:34-36).

Some have the custom to say the passage of the Laver (Exodus 30:17-21), and afterwards the passage of the removal of the ashes (Leviticus 6:1-6), and afterwards the passage of the continual-offering (Numbers 28:1-8), and afterwards the passage of the Incense Altar (Exodus 30:7-10) and the passage of the spices of the Incense and its preparation (Exodus 30:34-36).

You should know that sometimes commands appear in the Torah; yet those commands are not commandments, but rather preliminaries to the doing of the commandment - as if He is recounting how it is appropriate for you to do the commandment. An example of this is His saying, "You shall take fine flour and bake of it" (Leviticus 24:5). As it is inappropriate to count the taking of fine flour as a commandment or the making of bread as a commandment. Rather that which is counted is His saying, "And on the table you shall set the bread of display, to be before Me always" (Exodus 25:30). Behold the commandment is that the bread always be before the Lord. And afterwards, He explained how this bread should be, and from what it should be - and He said that it should be from fine flour and that it should be twelve loaves. And in this very same way is it inappropriate to count His saying, "to bring you clear oil of beaten olives" (Exodus 27:20); but rather "for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly" - which is the maintenance of the lamps, as is explained in Tamid 83a. And in this very same way does one not count, His saying, "Take the herbs to yourself" (Exodus 30:34); but rather the offering of the incense every day - as Scripture explains about it, "he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps. And when Aharon lights the lamps" (Exodus 30:7-8). And that is the commandment that is counted; whereas His saying, "Take the herbs to yourself," is only a preliminary of the command, to explain how you should do this commandment and what matter this incense should be from. And likewise should one not count, "Take choice spices for yourself"; but rather certainly count the command that He commanded that we anoint the high priest, the kings and the holy vessels with the anointing oil described. And apply this to all that is similar to it, such that you will not add what is inappropriate to count. And this is our intention about this principle, and it is a clear matter. However we mentioned it and it has come to our attention because many have erred also about this, and counted some of the preliminaries of the commandments with the commandments themselves as two commandments. This is clear to the one who understands the count of sections that Rabbi Shimon ben Kiara mentioned - he and all those who followed him - to mention the sections in their counts.

The commandment of burning the incense: That the priests were commanded to burn the incense of spices twice every day upon the golden altar, as it is stated (Exodus 30:7), "And Aharon will burn incense of spices each morning in his arranging, etc." And in each and every year, it is a commandment upon them to make some of it so as to burn it, as we have said. And its making and the commandment [of burning] that is done with it every day is considered one commandment, since the end of the commandment of making it is only to burn it. And even though we find two passages of commandment between the making and the burning - as it is stated about its making in Parshat Ki Tissa (Exodus 30:34), "Take for yourself spices, etc." and here it is written, "And Aharon will burn incense, etc." - nonetheless, I have seen that the enumerators of the commandments count it all as one commandment, and there is no disagreement about this among them at all. But they do disagree about another matter in it - as Rambam, may his memory be blessed, counts the burning in the morning and in the evening as one commandment, but Ramban (at the end of Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam), may his memory be blessed, counts them as two. And his proofs are in his book.