Burning the Ketores in the Kodesh Hakodoshim
The Kohain Gadol ascended the outer Mizbayach and filled a golden shovel with embers. He brought the shovel to a point near the entrance to the Ulam and placed it on the floor. These embers were taken from a Maarachah (stack of logs) that was arranged on the outer Mizbayach on Yom Kippur specifically for this purpose. The shovel has a long handle which the Kohain Gadol placed under his arm for support.
As he stood before the Ulam, a Kohain brought him a large empty vessel with a long handle, called a Kaf. Another Kohain brought him a shovel filled with incense. The Kohain Gadol filled both hands with incense which he placed into the Kaf.
With the shovel of embers in his right hand and the Kaf in his left , the Kohain Gadol went into the Kodesh Hakodoshim.
He put the shovel of embers down directly in front of the Aron between its poles. ( In the second Bais Hamikdash, although there was no Aron, he put the embers in the place where the Aron would have been. ) He filled his hands with the Ketores and heaped it onto the hot embers. He remained there until the chamber was filled with smoke. The Kaf was removed much later.
This Ketores was brought on behalf of all Klal Yisrael (including Kohanim) to atone for the sin of speaking Lashon Hora.
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Avodas P'nim
All text and graphics are from the book "The Yom Kippur Avodah," by Rabbi Menachem Moshe Oppen, illustrations by Shepsil Scheinberg, © C.I.S. Publishers,1997 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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