PARSHA MATH

KETORES
‫טף‬
ָ ָ ‫סמִים נ‬ ַ ָ ‫ל ְך‬-‫קח‬
ַ ‫שה‬ ֶ ‫מ‬-‫שמות פרק ל לד וַיֹאמֶר ה' אֶל‬
:‫חלְבְנ ָה ס ַמִים ולְבֹנ ָה זַכ ָה בַד בְבַד יהְי ֶה‬
ֶ ְ ‫חל ֶת ו‬
ֵ ‫ש‬
ְ ‫ו‬
And the L-rd said unto Moses: Take unto thee sweet spices, balsam, and onycha and
galbanam, sweet spices, with pure frankincense.

The Rabbis learn that Ketores has eleven principal ingredients ( ‫)'כריתות ו' ב‬. How do they
learn the concept of eleven from this verse?

Complete the following chart by entering the appropriate number and

learn how the verse indicates eleven

General term for spices

‫סמים‬
(minimum of two)
‫נטף‬ Name of one spice plus

‫שחלת‬ Name of one spice plus

‫חלבנה‬ Name of one spice plus

General term for spices
(can not be two since already used;
‫סמים‬ plus
thus, must be equal to all the prior
values presented so far in this verse)
‫לבנה‬ Name of one spice plus

‫שה בְמַתְכ ֻנְתָה לֹא‬

ֶ ‫ע‬
ֲ ַ‫שר ת‬ ֶ ֲ‫קטֹר ֶת א‬ ְ ַ‫שמות פרק ל לז וְה‬
:'‫דש תִהְי ֶה לְך ָ ל ַה‬ ֶ ֹ‫עשו לָכ ֶם ק‬
ֲ ַ‫ת‬
Count the number of words in the above verse:

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 PARSHA MATH

And the L-rd said unto Moses: Take unto thee sweet spices this is two:
balsam, and onycha and galbanam--this makes five; sweet spices--if you
say this means only two more, we have already had this; [therefore take
it in conjunction with the next words], of each shall there be a like
weight; add five to the previous five, making ten. With pure frankincense
--this makes eleven. Midrash Rabbah Shir haShirim 1:62

General term for spices (minimum of

‫סמים‬ two)
2
‫נטף‬ Name of one spice Plus 1
‫שחלת‬ Name of one spice Plus 1
‫חלבנה‬ Name of one spice Plus 1
General term for spices (can not be
‫סמים‬ two since already used, thus, must be Plus 5
equal to all the prior in the verse)
‫לבנה‬ Name of one spice Plus 1

11

Eleven words in the verse of Shmos 30, 37 corresponds to the eleven

principal ingredients in the Ketores (Baal HaTurim)

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