As they were going along, they came across a man with three myrtle branches in his hand. They went up to him and said: ‘What is this for?’ He replied: ‘To refresh the fainting one.’1The nefesh (soul), v. infra. Said R. Eleazar: ‘That is a good answer. But why three?’ He replied: ‘One for Abraham, one for Isaac, and one for Jacob; and I bind them together and smell them, because the scent refreshes the soul, and by this act of faith blessings are drawn down from above.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Happy is the lot of Israel in this world and in the world to come.’
Mark now. The vital soul is only kept up by smell, and this smell brings to mind another, for when Sabbath departs and the additional soul departs, the soul and the spirit are separated and sad until the smell comes and unites them and makes them glad.
If one lamp is placed above another and the lower one is lit, the smoke as it ascends kindles the upper one also. So the smoke of the sacrifices, as it ascends, kindles the supernal lamps till they all flame together and unite through this smell, so that there is “a sweet savour to the Lord”.
Thus the smell of the offering is the support of all and is produced by the priest who brings all together; and therefore seven days of fulfilment were completed in him in order that all may be blessed through his service, and there may be blessing and joy above and below.
עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אַשְׁכָּחוּ חַד גַּבְרָא דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְג' עַנְפֵּי הֲדַס בִּידֵיהּ, קְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּיהּ, אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ לָמָּה לָךְ הַאי. אָמַר לְרַוְוחָא אוֹבְדָא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שַׁפִּיר קָאָמְרָת. אֲבָל ג' אִלֵּין לָמָּה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, חַד לְאַבְרָהָם. חַד לְיִצְחָק, וְחַד לְיַעֲקֹב. וְקַשִׁירְנָא לְהוּ כַּחֲדָא, וְאָרַחְנָא בְּהוּ. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים א׳:ג׳) לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ. בְּגִין דִּבְהַאי רֵיחָא, אִתְקְיַּים חוּלְשָׁא דְּנַפְשָׁא, וּבְהֵימְנוּתָא דָּא אִתְקַיְּימָא, וְאִתְנְגִידוּ בִּרְכָאן מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
As they were going along, they came across a man with three myrtle branches in his hand. They went up to him and said: ‘What is this for?’ He replied: ‘To refresh the fainting one.’1The nefesh (soul), v. infra. Said R. Eleazar: ‘That is a good answer. But why three?’ He replied: ‘One for Abraham, one for Isaac, and one for Jacob; and I bind them together and smell them, because the scent refreshes the soul, and by this act of faith blessings are drawn down from above.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘Happy is the lot of Israel in this world and in the world to come.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, לֵית עָלְמָא (נ"א נפשא) מִתְקַיְּימָא, אֶלָּא עַל רֵיחָא, וּמֵרֵיחָא דָּא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא רֵיחָא אָחֳרָא. דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפִיק שַׁבְּתָא, (נתפרדה החבילה) וְסַלְּקָא נַפְשָׁא יְתֵירָא, וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּן נַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן עֲצִיבִין, אָתָא רֵיחָא דָּא, וּמִתְקָרְבָן דָּא בְּדָא וְחַדָּאן.
Mark now. The vital soul is only kept up by smell, and this smell brings to mind another, for when Sabbath departs and the additional soul departs, the soul and the spirit are separated and sad until the smell comes and unites them and makes them glad.
וְעַל דָּא, בָּעֵי רוּחָא בָּתַר רוּחָא, לְקַבְּלָא רֵיחָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְקָבַּל רֵיחָא מִתְקָרְבָן כַּחֲדָא וְחַדָּאן. כֵּי הַאי גַּוְונָא רֵיחָא דְּקוּרְבְּנָא, בְּרֵיחָא (דא) מִתְקָרְבִין כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא, וּמִתְלַהֲטָן בּוּצִינֵי וְחַדָּאן.
In the same way all (attributes) are united by the smell of the sacrifice and the lamps are kindled and gladdened.
תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּרֵי בּוּצִינֵי, חַד לְעֵילָּא וְחַד לְתַתָּא, אִי לָהִיט בַּר נָשׁ הַאי בּוּצִינָא דִּלְתַתָּא, וְכַבֵי לָהּ (ס"א לההוא דלעילא), הַהוּא תְּנָנָא דְּסָלִיק (נ"א מבוצינא תתאה), לָהִיט הַהוּא בּוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה. כַּךְ תְּנָנָא דְּקָרְבְּנִין, הַאי תְּנָנָא דְּסָלִיק, לָהִיט בּוּצִינֵי עִלָּאֵי, וּמִתְלַהֲטָן בְּחַד, וּמִתְקָרְבִין כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא, בְּרֵיחָא דָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיְיָ', (אשה) וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
If one lamp is placed above another and the lower one is lit, the smoke as it ascends kindles the upper one also. So the smoke of the sacrifices, as it ascends, kindles the supernal lamps till they all flame together and unite through this smell, so that there is “a sweet savour to the Lord”.
וְעַל דָּא, רֵיחָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא, קִיּוּמָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְקִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא. וְקָרְבְּנָא עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא, דְּמִקְרַב כֹּלָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, שִׁבְעָה יוֹמֵי אַשְׁלְמוּתָא, אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּפוּלְחָנֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּכָחוּ חֶדְוָואן וּבִרְכָּאן לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.
Thus the smell of the offering is the support of all and is produced by the priest who brings all together; and therefore seven days of fulfilment were completed in him in order that all may be blessed through his service, and there may be blessing and joy above and below.