Komentarz do Wyjścia 30:34

That is that He commanded the priests to burn incense every day twice on the golden altar. And that is His, may He be blessed, saying, "On it Aharon shall burn incense of spices: he shall burn it every morning when he arranges the lamps" (Leviticus 30:7). And the regulations of this commandment and the process of burning every day have already been explained at the beginning of Keritot and various places in Tractate Tamid. (See Parashat Tetzaveh; Mishneh Torah, Daily Offering and Additional Offerings 3.)

נטף is balsam. Because it is merely the sap which drips from the wood of the balsam tree it is called נטף, “dripping” (Keritot 6a). In old French it is called gomme; English gum. The balm itself, however, is called thériaque (cf., however, Ramban).

TAKE UNTO THEE ‘SAMIM’ (AROMATICS), STACTE, AND ONYCHA, AND GALBANUM; ‘SAMIM’ (AROMATICS) WITH PURE FRANKINCENSE. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that by way of the plain meaning of Scripture the interpretation of the verse is: “take unto you the aromatics which are stacte, onycha and galbanum; these spices [you are to take], and pure frankincense with them.” But it is not correct that Scripture should just repeat the word samim [in such a short verse], for it is not the normal way of Scripture to repeat words unless there is some lengthy interpolation¹⁵¹See Ramban above, 4:9. or in order to indicate that it is a continuing thing.¹⁵²See Ramban above, 15:6. The truth is as our Rabbis have said,¹⁵³Kerithoth 6b. that the second word samim refers to other aromatics.
Now Rashi wrote: “‘Samim’ — the least number of aromatics implied by the plural form of this word is two. Stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, make together five. ‘Samim’ adds a similar number to those already prescribed, thus making ten. With frankincense, makes eleven [altogether].”
But one wonders! Why did Scripture not mention them explicitly? Perhaps Scripture is saying: “Take unto thee aromatics, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, many aromatics with pure frankincense,” thus insisting only on these four spices, for they were the ones that caused the cloud of the smoke of the incense¹⁵⁴Leviticus 16:13. to ascend; but He commanded that they add to them many other aromatic spices in order that the pillars of smoke [of the incense] should be fragrant. This is why He did not explain [in the case of the incense] the weight of each component [as He did in the case of the Oil of Anointment], nor how much of it should be burnt [daily], since He insisted only that these four [spices mentioned] should be alike [in weight], and that he should add to them other good spices for the burning. The reason for this is that just as He had said with reference to the Oil of Anointment that they make it in accordance with the art of the perfumer, and did not specify how it was to be made but relied upon it [that they knew how to make it], so He said in respect of this incense that he take an equal weight of these four [mentioned] aromatics, and add to them other aromatics and make out of all the components one incense, done after the art of the perfumer,¹⁵⁵Verse 35. [which implies by] using spices known to blend well with these [four] and by preparing them through the process by which they are usually prepared. It is of this incense that he had to put before the Testimony,¹⁵⁶Verse 36. so that its pillar of smoke should go up, as was the custom to put spices on coals before kings. In the same way He shortened the account of how to make the incense, and did not mention it when He referred to all the other spices. In a similar vein the Rabbis have said in the Gemara:¹⁵³Kerithoth 6b. “Resh Lakish said: What is the meaning of the word k’toreth? It is something which circles and rises.”¹⁵⁷The word k’toreth (incense) is thus of the root kateir (surrounding, circling), because the smoke of the burning incense circles and rises. Thus the Torah only commanded in connection with the incense to use those spices the smoke of which circles and rises, in a way similar to the art of the perfumers. Perhaps it was explained to Moses on Sinai by word of mouth which spices are best for that purpose, as well as the whole process of making the incense, for the process of making the Oil of Anointment was likewise explained to him in this manner, even though Scripture made it dependent upon the art of the perfumers. Or it may be that He insisted only on those [four spices] expressly mentioned in the verse, commanding that he perfume them with other spices after the art of the perfumers. And so the Rabbis have said in Midrash Chazit:¹⁵⁸Shir Hashirim Rabbah 3:7. “The Sages investigated and found no more fitting components for the incense than those eleven spices.”
It is also possible that samim (aromatics) and b’samim (spices) denote the same thing, as I have mentioned,¹⁵⁹Above 25:6. and these three components¹⁶⁰I.e., Nataph ushcheileth v’chel’bnah’ These are generally translated as being various kinds of fragrant spices: “stacte, and onycha, and galbanum.” But Ramban will now question the two terms [stacte and galbanum]. which He specified are not spices, for ‘nataph’ and ‘chel’bnah’ are saps, and shcheileth is the onycha which comes from the ocean.¹⁶¹Onycha… supposed to be the operculum of a marine gastropod (Dictionary). And Scripture states: “Take unto you the mentioned samim [i.e., all components mentioned above¹⁶²Above, Verses 23-24. in the preparation of the Oil of Anointment — namely, the flowing myrrh, the cinnamon, the calamus, and the cassia — as all these b’samim also went into the incense, as will be explained], and the nataph, and shcheileth and the chel’bnah, and other samim [in addition, as will be explained], with pure frankincense, and make of them a perfumed incense, after the art of the perfumer.” For the samim mentioned above in connection with the Oil [of Anointment] — flowing myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia — also went into the incense. And the knei bosem [mentioned among the components of the oil]¹⁶³Verse 23. Generally translated “sweet calamus.” is in my opinion the kiluphah mentioned by the Sages,¹⁶⁴Kerithoth 6a. called dratzini in Arabic, and so also in the language of the Gemara,¹⁶⁵Shabbath 65a. In connection with what is taught in the Mishnah there that a woman may go out on the Sabbath with “anything that she puts in her mouth” [to have a good breath], the Gemara explained, “such as dartzuna,” which Rashi explained as “cinnamon.” which is a cane [of sweet spices] resembling reeds. And the samim which He commanded to add [to all those mentioned above] are: spikenard and saffron and the costus, in accordance with that which the Sages have taught.¹⁶⁴Kerithoth 6a. Perhaps Scripture only insisted on these nine¹⁶⁶“Nine.” The reading should be “eight” (as explained above): the four components mentioned in the making of the Oil of Anointment [myrrh, cinnamon, kanah — the cane of sweet spice — and cassia], and the four expressly stated in the making of the incense [nataph, shcheileth, chel’bnah, and frankincense]. With the three components [spikenard, saffron, and costus] added by the second word samim they form the eleven components of the incense. which He mentioned, but was not particular as to [the nature of] those included by means of the repetition of the word samim, except inasmuch as they are to be sweet, so that they may make a perfumed incense. Thus He shortened the account of the making thereof, as well as of the weights of the other components [except for the four mentioned in the making of the oil, where the weights are prescribed],¹⁶²Above, Verses 23-24. because He commanded that they make it after the art of the perfumer.
It appears to me that the Sages chose three spices [spikenard, saffron, and costus] because they are mentioned in the Song of Songs: Spikenard and saffron… and ‘oholoth,’¹⁶⁷Song of Songs 4:14. which is the costus. Its name is in the plural from [oholoth] because there are two kinds of it, the sweet and the bitter. Now Scripture mentioned there, calamus and cinnamon… frankincense, and myrrh¹⁶⁷Song of Songs 4:14. together with these three [spikenard, saffron, and costus], and then said, with ‘all’ the chief spices, so as to include cassia. Thus you have there all¹⁶⁸I.e., eight components: spikenard, saffron, costus, calamus, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, and cassia. Three more will follow. Thus Ramban found the eleven components of the incense mentioned in the Song of Songs. the components of the incense. Now before that Scripture mentioned there: ‘k’pharim im n’radim’ (henna with spikenard plants).¹⁶⁹Song of Songs 4:13. This is to include nataph ushcheileth v’chel’bnah [mentioned here in the verse] which are saps, for k’pharim is of the root ‘v’chapharta othah’ (and thou shalt pitch it),¹⁷⁰Genesis 6:14. it being an adhesive sap. And the Targum Yerushalmi rendered: myrrh and ‘oholoth’¹⁶⁷Song of Songs 4:14. — [pure myrrh and] aksi lalu’an,¹⁷¹“A tree of bitter aloe wood.” Ramban will further on explain that aksi means tree. See also Jastrow under the term aksiloliyon. which is that precious tree called in Latin linga lubin as aksi means “tree” in Aramaic, and lalu’an is the name of the tree. In Greek it is actually so called: aksiluin,¹⁷²See Jastrow (ibid.) for the Greek term. and so it is called in Arabic — al urtib. But Onkelos rendered: ‘ka’aholim’ planted of the Eternal¹⁷³Numbers 24:6. — k’busmaya (as spices), without specifying a particular name [for oholim, as did the Targum Yerushalmi mentioned above].