And he shall bring it to the sons of Aharon, the priests, and a handful from there shall be scooped up, from its fine semolina and from its oil, together with all its frankincense, and the priest shall turn its token portion to smoke on the altar, a fire offering, a fragrant odour to YHWH. Rabbi Benamozegh provides an explanation for the act of pinching during sacrificial offerings. He references a tradition among Ḥazal that specifies the use of the fourth finger for the pinching of the handful required in this verse, known as ‘qemiṣa’. He states that the use of this finger is linked to ancient practices, as he cites the work of Macrobius, an authority on ancient customs, in Book VII of his Saturnalia. Macrobius writes that Horus observed Egyptian priests, referred to as ‘prophets’, performing rituals in their temples. These priests anointed the fourth finger of the left hand of the statues of their gods with precious perfumes. When Horus asked the priests why they chose that finger, they answered that this specific finger, when folded, symbolises the number six - a number that was considered divine and is a perfect number (meaning that it is the sum of its divisors). Rabbi Benamozegh highlights two notable points in this context. Firstly, he contrasts the practice of the Egyptian priests, who anointed the left hand, with the Israelite custom of using the right hand, a key difference in ritualistic approaches. Secondly, he acknowledges that while the reason for choosing this particular finger is not explicitly mentioned in the writings of Ḥazal, the wisdom found in Gentile traditions, as reported by Macrobius, bears the seal of Kabbalistic wisdom, lending a universal aspect to this ritualistic practice. Furthermore, Rabbi Benamozegh encourages exploration of the anatomical and symbolic importance of this finger in broader contexts, such as human dissection and composition. He references a popular work of his era, Les Mystères de la Main by Desbarrolles, a chiromancer, that delved into the mysteries and significance of the hand, and this finger in particular, suggesting a deeper, perhaps even esoteric, understanding of human anatomy.

Any grain offering that you bring forward to YHWH shall not be made leavened, for you shall not turn to smoke any leaven nor any honey from it as a fire offering to YHWH. Rabbi Benamozegh delves into the significance of the prohibition of leaven and honey in offerings as mentioned in the verse. He notes that in ancient times, various nations had a practice where honey was specifically offered to the gods they believed ruled the underworld (the mythical home of the dead, imagined as being under the earth). This choice was rooted in their cultural and religious beliefs, where offering honey to the gods of the heavens, rather than the gods of the underworld, was considered a profound abomination. Rabbi Benamozegh’s analysis indicates a parallel between these ancient practices and the teachings of the Torah. The Torah’s instruction to refrain from using honey in offerings aligns with the idea that such offerings were not suitable for the God of Israel. Rabbi Benamozegh supports this correlation with references from the work of the 2nd century Roman philosopher, Porphyry of Tyre, where similar themes and practices are discussed.