TORAH
PORTho
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Using A Sacred Scent
To Connect With God
Shabbat Pinchas: Numbers 25:10-30:1;
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.
FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE/
BLUMBERG PLAZA
R
ecently, on a trip to visit
a means to maintain that connection
family on the East Coast,
and even taught that by telling the
my wife and I found our-
story of those sacrifices, we would
selves on a New Jersey Transit com-
merit the same comfort and forgive-
muter train. Immediately, we looked
ness that God afforded our ancestors
at one another and smiled.
through their sacrifices in
The train had a distinctive
the Temple. But still, on
smell that brought us back
every holiday, we read that
in our memories to several
these sacrifices provided
years before, when we had
a rayach nicho'ach — a
dated long-distance and
pleasing aroma — for God.
had taken those trains to
Even back then, our rabbis
see one another.
asked the question: Does
Many psychologists
God really desire a certain
have noted the effect that a
smell? What is the mean-
specific smell can have on
ing of the sacrificial odors?
Rabb i Eric
stimulating our memories to
Do they really please,
Ya noff
recall past moments, places
pacify
or sanctify God?
Specia I to the
and emotions. Perhaps
Certainly,
the sacrificial
Jewis h News
because our sense of smell is
scents were distinctive
one of the lesser developed
— but as we consider
of our physical senses, we often cannot
the power of the sense of smell,
explain the strong feeling of reconnect-
maybe this is also the key to the
ing that occurs with the return of a par- underlying wisdom of the words
ticular scent. A grandmother's recipe
rayach nicho'ach. Perhaps just as a
may immediately trigger an emotional
distinctive aroma has the ability to
link to a Jewish holiday, or a garment
call to mind a special relationship
or perfume may call to mind the warm
in our lives, so too did the ancients
hug of a loved one.
believe that it could "bring God and
I share this observation in the
Israel back" to an earlier stage of our
context of Parshat Pinchas because
relationship — and in so doing, to
for our ancestors, a distinctive smell
rekindle the love between God and
may have also rekindled a strong
Israel anew.
sense of connection to a different
Especially in these difficult times,
sort of relationship — the con-
we often remember the past as a
nection between the people Israel
simpler, sweet time. In Pinchas, the
and our God. The end of the Torah
idea of the rayach nicho'ach encour-
portion lists the different sacrificial
ages us to reconnect in such a deep
offerings that constituted the obser-
and beautiful manner to our tradi-
vance in Temple times of each dif-
tion, to our Jewish people and to
ferent holiday. This was the principal
those we hold most dear. May this
manner by which the people con-
Shabbat be one of such re-connec-
nected with God.
tion and inspiration.
The wisp of smoke wafting from
the altar — diffusing upward into
Eric Yanoff is a rabbi at Congregation
the atmosphere, subject to even
Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County.
the slightest wind or disturbance
— physically represented the con-
Conversations
nection between earth and heaven,
Have you ever experienced a
between Israel and God. No wonder,
special
aroma that calls a spe-
then, that our people were so dis-
cial memory or relationship to
traught over the destruction of the
mind? What emotions does that
Temples; we had lost our "direct line"
experience conjure? How can
to God!
memories of the past fuel our
After the Second Temple's destruc-
relationships for the future?
tion, the rabbis highlighted prayer as
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