(Numbers 28:1-8) And Adonoy spoke to Moses to say: Command the Children of Israel,¹, under which representatives of all 12 tribes were always present when these sacrifices were offered. These representatives were rotated each week. and say to them: My offering, My food, to be consumed by My fires, a pleasing odor to Me, You shall be diligent to bring unto Me, at its fixed time. And you will say to them: This is the fire-offering that you will bring unto Adonoy: [male] lambs, in their first year, without blemish, two [of them] each day, as a constant burnt-offering. Offer one lamb in the morning, and the second lamb, offer in the afternoon. And a tenth of an ephah² is the equivalent of 43-⅕ eggs. of fine flour as a meal-offering, mixed with oil of crushed [olives] measuring one-fourth of a *hin.*³ is a liquid measure containing 12 logs, of which each log is approximately 6 eggs. [This is] a constant burnt-offering as offered at Mount Sinai for a pleasing odor, a fire-offering to Adonoy. And its libation will be a fourth of a hin for the one lamb; in the Holy⁴ [Sanctuary] you will pour out a drink-offering of strong wine to Adonoy. And the second lamb you will offer in the afternoon; as the meal-offering of the morning [together] with its libation, you shall offer a fire-offering of pleasing odor to Adonoy.

footnotes: ¹ Kohanim, Levites and Israelites were to be present at the offering of the two daily public burnt-offerings. The Sages instituted the program of Ma’amodos ² One-tenth of an ephah ³ The hin ⁴ On the Altar.

(Leviticus 1:11) And he will slaughter it on the north side of the Altar, before Adonoy; and Aaron's sons, the Kohanim, will sprinkle its blood all around the Altar.

May it be Your will, Adonoy, our God and God of our fathers, that this recitation be important, acceptable and desirable before You, as if we sacrificed the daily burnt-offering at its proper time, in its proper place and according to its laws.

You are Adonoy, our God, before Whom our fathers burned the incense of spices when the Holy Temple was standing, as You commanded them by the hand of Moses Your prophet, as it is written in Your Torah:

(Exodus 30:34-36) And Adonoy said to Moses, Take for yourself spices— stacte, onycha, and galbanum—¹ spices, and pure frankincense, [they] shall be in equal weights. You will make it into incense, a compound mixed by a compounder, salted,² is rendered by Onkelos as mixed, to indicate that the spices should be well mixed together.—Rashi undefiled, and holy. You will pulverize some of it very fine, and place it before the [Ark of] Testimony³ in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you; it will be to you holy of holies." It is also written:

footnotes: ¹ Galbanum has an offensive odor. The Torah includes it among the other spices to teach us to include even Jewish sinners among the rest of Jewry at our assemblies of fasting and prayers.—Rashi ² The Hebrew word, memulach ³ This incense was offered each day upon the Innermost Altar which is inside the Tent of Meeting.—Rashi

(Exodus 30:7-8) And Aaron shall burn upon it [the Altar] incense of spices every morning; when he cleans the lamps he will burn it. And when Aaron lights the lamps in the afternoon, he will burn it; a constant incense-offering before Adonoy throughout your generations.

(Maseches Kreisos 6a; Jerusalem Talmud, Maseches Yoma 4:5) The Rabbis taught: How was the incense compounded? Three hundred and sixty-eight manim⁴ is a weight; plural, manim. were comprised therein, three hundred and sixty-five corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, one maneh for each day— half in the morning and half in the afternoon. From the three remaining manim the Kohein Gadol brought two handfuls [into the Holy of Holies] on Yom Kippur; [for which purpose] they were put back into the mortar on the eve of Yom Kippur, and ground [again] very thoroughly, in order to make them very fine. Eleven kinds of spices were used for it. They were: 1) balm, 2) onycha, 3) galbanum, 4) frankincense— by weight, seventy maneh of each; 5) myrrh, 6) cassia, 7) spikenard and 8) saffron— in weight sixteen maneh of each; 9) twelve maneh of costus, 10) three of aromatic bark, and 11) nine of cinnamon. [Also used in the incense compound were:] Nine kabin⁵ is a sixth of a se’ah. of Carshina lye, Cyprus wine [measuring] three s'in and three kabin— if he had no Cyprus wine, he could use strong white wine— a fourth of a kab of Sodom salt, and a minute quantity of *maaleh ashan.*⁶ Rabbi Nosson of Babylonia says, Jordan amber was added of a minute quantity, and if one added honey,⁷ it (the incense) became unfit; and if one omitted⁸ any of its spices he was liable to the death penalty."⁹

footnotes: ⁴ A maneh ⁵ A kab ⁶ This herb causes the smoke of the burning incense to ascend in a straight line. ⁷ Included are various sweeteners such as dates and other fruits. ⁸ The same is true if one were to add to the prescribed number of eleven spices.—Etz Yosef ⁹ The death penalty was given only if the Kohein Gadol actually entered the Holy of Holies with incense which was unfit. This was considered as an unwarranted entry into the Holy of Holies which carried the death decree.—Rashi

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says: The balm is nothing but sap which drips from the balsam tree. the lye of Carshina was used for rubbing the onycha in order to refine its appearance. The Cyprus wine was used to soak the onycha to give it a pungent odor. Though the water of Raglayim¹⁰ was well suited for that purpose, they did not bring the water of Raglayim into the Temple because it would be disrespectful.¹¹ (lit., water from the feet) is a euphemism for urine, it would have been disrespectful to use this water in the Temple. Others hold that the term “waters of Raglayim” actually refers to urine, which could have been used as a soaking agent were it not indecent to bring it into a sacred place.—Kol Bo

footnotes: ¹⁰ 10 This water came from a well named Raglayim.—Kol Bo ¹¹ Since Mei Raglayim

It was taught in a Boraysa: Rabbi Nosson says, While [the Kohein] ground [the incense] he would say, ‘Hodeik heiteiv, heiteiv hodeik,' because the sound¹² is good for the spices. If half¹³ instead of 368. the quantity of incense was prepared it was acceptable, but if only a third or a fourth [of it was prepared] we have not heard¹⁴ [whether it was acceptable."] Rabbi Yehuda said, This is the general rule: If [it was prepared with all its ingredients] in the correct proportion, it is acceptable even if only half was prepared; but if he left out any of its spices, he was liable for the death penalty.

footnotes: ¹² Some suggest that the sound of these specific words affects the spices. ¹³ 184 manim ¹⁴ I.e., we did not hear our teachers expound this question.

It was taught in a Boraysa: Bar Kappara says, Once in sixty or seventy years¹⁵ from which he took two handfuls each Yom Kippur. the accumulated surplus was sufficient to provide half [the yearly quantity of incense."] Bar Kappara also taught, If he would have put into it a minute quantity of honey, no one could have withstood [resisted] the scent. Why was no honey mixed with it? Because the Torah says, (Leviticus 2:11) For any leaven or honey, do not burn from them, [as] a fire-offering to Adonoy.

footnotes: ¹⁵ The exact number of years varied with the size of the hands of the High Priests over the years, for the surplus was what remained of these three manim

Recite each of these verses three times:

Adonoy of Hosts is with us, a stronghold for us is the God of Jacob, Selah! Adonoy of Hosts, fortunate is the man who trusts in You. Adonoy, deliver [us]! The King will answer us on the day we call.

You are my shelter; from distress You preserve me; with glad song of rescue, You envelop me, Selah! Let Adonoy be pleased with the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem, as in the days of old and in earlier years.

The following is the prayer of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah:

Please, by the force of Your great right hand, release the bound one.

Accept the prayer of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One!

Please! Mighty One, those who seek Your Unity, preserve them like the pupil [of Your eye].

Bless them, purify them, have compassion on them; Your benevolent righteousness [may You] always bestow upon them.

Mighty, Holy One, in Your abundant goodness, lead Your community.

Unique One, Exalted, turn to Your people who are mindful of Your holiness.

Accept our prayer and hear our cry, [You] Who knows hidden thoughts.

Blessed [is His] Name, Whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.

Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house; may they continue to praise You, Selah. Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus; fortunate is the people for whom Adonoy is their God. A praise by David! I will exalt You, my God, the King, and bless Your Name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and extol Your Name forever and ever. Adonoy is great and highly extolled, and His greatness is unfathomable. One generation to another will praise Your works, and Your mighty acts they will declare. The splendor of Your glorious majesty, and the words of Your wonders I will speak. Of Your awesome might, they will speak, and Your greatness I will recount. Mention of Your bountifulness they will express, and in Your righteousness joyfully exult. Adonoy is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in kindliness. Adonoy is good to all, His mercy encompasses all His works. All Your works will thank You, Adonoy, and Your pious ones will bless You. Of the honor of Your kingship, they will speak, and Your might they will declare. To reveal to men His mighty acts, and the glorious splendor of His kingship. Your kingship is the kingship for all times, and Your dominion is in every generation. Adonoy supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food at its proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being. Adonoy is just in all His ways and benevolent in all His deeds. Adonoy is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. The will of those who fear Him, He fulfills; He hears their cry and delivers them. Adonoy watches over all those who love Him, and will destroy all the wicked. Praise of Adonoy, my mouth will declare and all flesh will bless His holy Name forever and ever. And we will bless God from now forever. Praise God.

The Chazzan recites the following half-Kaddish

Exalted and sanctified be His great Name in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom bring forth His redemption and hasten the coming of His Mashiach. In your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future— and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which we utter in the world—and say Amein.