Shemot 30

1. And thou shalt make a Mizbe’ach to burn ketonet (incense) upon; of acacia wood shalt thou make it.

2. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the width thereof; ravu’a (foursquare, square) shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the karnenot thereof shall be of the same.

3. And thou shalt overlay it with zahav tahor, the top thereof, and the sides thereof all around, and the karnenot thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of zahav all around.

4. And two tabe’ot zahav (golden rings) shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the carrying poles to bear it withal.

5. And thou shalt make the carrying poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with zahav.

6. And thou shalt put it in front of the Parochet that is before the Aron HaEdut, before the Kapporet that is over HaEdut, where I will set My meetings with thee.

7. And Aharon shall burn thereon spice ketoret every boker; when he cleaneth the nerot (lamps), he shall burn it.

8. And when Aharon lighteth the nerot (lamps) in the afternoon, he shall burn ketoret upon it, ketoret tamid before Hashem throughout your dorot.

9. Ye shall offer no ketoret zarah thereon, nor olah, nor minchah; neither shall ye pour nesekh thereon.

10. And Aharon shall make kapporah upon the karenot of it once in a year with the dahm of the chattat hakippurim; once in the year shall he make kapporah upon it throughout your dorot; it is kodesh kodashim unto Hashem [see Lev 16 on this].

[KI TISSA]

11. And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

12. When thou takest the census of the Bnei Yisroel after their number, then shall they give every man a kofer nafsho (life price, atoning payment for his nefesh or soul) unto Hashem, when thou numberest them; that there be no negef (plague) among them, when thou numberest them.

13. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are pekudim (numbered, counted), half a shekel after the shekel of HaKodesh. (A shekel is twenty gerahs.) A half shekel shall be the terumah (offering) unto Hashem.

14. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give a terumah (offering) unto Hashem.

15. The oisher (rich man) shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give a terumah (offering) unto Hashem, to make kapporah for your nefashot.

16. And thou shalt take the kesef hakippurim of the Bnei Yisroel, and shalt appoint it for the Avodat Ohel Mo’ed (Work, Service of the Tent of Appointed Meeting); that it may be a zikaron unto the Bnei Yisroel before Hashem, to make kapporah for your nefashot [see Psalm 49; 1K 1:18-19 OJBC].

17. And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

18. Thou shalt also make a Kiyor of nechoshet, and its Stand also of nechoshet, to wash withal; and thou shalt place it between the Ohel Mo’ed and the Mizbe’ach, and thou shalt put mayim therein.

19. For Aharon and his banim shall wash their hands and their feet thereat;

20. When they go into the Ohel Mo’ed, they shall wash with mayim, that they die not; or when they come near to the Mizbe’ach to minister, to present offering made by eish unto Hashem;

21. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not; and it shall be a chok olam to them, even to him and to his zera throughout their dorot.

22. Moreover Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

23. Take thou also unto thee choice spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekel-weights, and of fragrant cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane spice two hundred and fifty,

24. And of cassia five hundred shekel-weights, after the shekel of HaKodesh, and of shemen zayit (oil olive) a hin:

25. And thou shalt make it a shemen mishchah kodesh, an ointment of blended compound, the art of the perfumer; it shall be a shemen mishchah kodesh.

26. And thou shalt anoint the Ohel Mo’ed therewith, and the Aron HaEdut,

27. And the Shulchan and all its utensils, the Menorah and its utensils, and the Mizbe’ach HaKetoret,

28. And the Mizbe’ach HaOlah with all its utensils, and the Kiyor and its Stand.

29. And thou shalt set them apart as kodesh, that they may be kodesh kodashim; whatsoever toucheth them shall be kodesh.

30. And thou shalt anoint Aharon and his banim, and set them apart as kodesh, that they may minister unto Me in the kohen’s office.

31. And thou shalt speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, saying, This shall be a shemen mishchat kodesh unto Me throughout your dorot.

32. Upon the basar adam shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the formulation of it; it is kodesh, and it shall be kodesh unto you.

33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a zar, shall even be cut off from his people.

34. And Hashem said unto Moshe, Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these spices with pure frankincense; of each shall there be an equal weight;

35. And thou shalt make it a compound of spice, the art of a perfumer, mixed thoroughly together, tahor and kodesh;

36. And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and place it in front of HaEdut in the Ohel Mo’ed, where I will set a meeting with thee; it shall be unto you kodesh kodashim.

37. And as for the ketoret which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the formulation thereof; it shall be unto thee kodesh for Hashem.

38. Whosoever shall make its like, to smell it, shall even be cut off from his people.