Skip to content
This English version of the site was translated with AI assistance. We apologise for any errors and are working to improve it.
The Order of "Pitum HaKetoret" According to the Arizal - Prayer Text with Transliteration
Pitum HaKetoret

The Order of "Pitum HaKetoret" According to the Arizal - Prayer Text with Transliteration

The Order of "Pitum HaKetoret" According to the Arizal - Prayer Text with Transliteration According to the Arizal (may his merit protect us), the "Ketoret" should be recited 3 times a day ("Sha'ar HaKavanot" - Drushei Tefilat HaShacharit): 1. The first time - before the morning prayer, together with the "Order of the Sacrifices"; 2. The second time - at the end of the morning prayer, before "Aleinu Leshabeach"; 3. The third time - before the Mincha prayer. According to the Arizal, the "Ketoret" prayer ends before the words: "Ve'arva LaAdo-nai minchat Yehuda viYerushalayim kimei olam ucheshanim kadmoniyot."   Pitum HaKetoret אַתָּה הוּא יְיָ אֱלוֹקינוּ שֶׁהִקְטִירוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ אֶת קְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אוֹתָם עַל-יַד מֹשֶׁה נְבִיאָךְ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתָךְ Ata hu Ado-nai Eloheinu she'hiktiru avoteinu lefanecha et-ketoret hasamim bizman she'Beit HaMikdash kayam ka'asher tzivita otam al yad Moshe neviach kakatuv beToratach. You, L-rd, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, before Whom our fathers burned the incense of spices in the days when the Holy Temple stood, as You commanded them through Moshe Your prophet, as it is written in Your Torah:   וַיּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל-מֹשֶׁה קַח-לְךָ סַמִּים נָטָף | וּשְׁחֵלֶת וְחֶלְבְּנָה סַמִּים וּלְבֹנָה זַכָּה בַּד בְּבַד יִהְיֶה: וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתָהּ קְטֹרֶת רֹקַח מַעֲשֵׂה רוֹקֵחַ, מְמֻלָּח טָהוֹר קדֶשׁ: וְשָׁחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנָּה הָדֵק וְנָתַתָּה מִמֶּנָּה לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לְךָ שָׁמָּה, קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם: וְנֶאֱמַר: וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה: וּבְהַעֲלֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה קְטֹרֶת תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי יְיָ לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם Vayomer Ado-nai el Moshe, kach lecha samim nataf ushchelet vechelbena, samim ulevona zaka, bad bevad yihyeh. Ve'asita ota ketoret roka'ch ma'aseh roke'ach memulach tahor kodesh. Veshachakta mimena hadek, venatata mimena lifnei ha'edut be'Ohel Mo'ed asher iva'ed lecha shama, Kodesh Kodashim tihyeh lachem. Vene'emar: Vehiktir alav Aharon ketoret samim, baboker baboker beheitivo et-hanerot yaktirena. Uvha'alot Aharon et-hanerot bein ha'arbayim yaktirena, ketoret tamid lifnei Ado-nai ledoroteichem. And the L-rd said to Moshe: "Take spices: balsam, and onycha, and galbanum, and pure frankincense - in equal measure - and other spices. And make of this a compound for incense, expertly blended, well mixed, pure and holy. And grind part of it fine, and burn it before the Ark of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you; this compound shall be most holy for you." And it is further said: "And Aaron shall burn upon the altar a compound of spices; every morning, when he tends the lamps, he shall burn it. And in the afternoon, before Aaron lights the candles, he shall burn it. This is the continual incense before the L-rd, commanded for all your generations." תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן: פִּטּוּם הַקְּטֹרֶת כֵּיצַד? שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה מָנִים הָיוּ בָהּ, שְׁלֹש מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, מָנֶה בְּכָל-יוֹם, מַחֲצִיתוֹ בַּבֹּקֶר וּמַחֲצִיתוֹ בָּעֶרֶב. וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מָנִים יְתֵרִים, שֶׁמֵּהֶם מַכְנִיס כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְנוֹטֵל מֵהֶם מְלֹא חָפְנָיו בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וּמַחֲזִירָן לַמַּכְתֶּשֶׁת בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת דַּקָּה מִן הַדַּקָּה. וְאַחַד עָשָׂר סַמֲמָנִים הָיוּ בָהּ. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:הַצֳּרִי.וְהַצִּפּוֹרֶן.וְהַחֶלְבְּנָה.וְהַלְּבוֹנָה. מִשְׁקַל שִׁבְעִים שִׁבְעִים מָנֶה. מוֹר.וּקְצִיעָה.וְשִׁבּוֹלֶת נֵרְדְּ.וְכַרְכּוֹם. מִשְׁקַל שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר, שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מָנֶה. קוֹשְׂטְ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר.קִלּוּפָה שְׁלֹשָׁה.קִנָּמוֹן תִּשְׁעָה. בּוֹרִית כַּרְשִׁינָא תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין. יֵין קַפְרִיסִין סְאִין תְּלָת וְקַבִּין תְּלָתָא, וְאִם לֹא מָצָא יֵין קַפְרִיסִין מֵבִיא חֲמַר חִיוָר עַתִּיק. מֶלַח סְדוֹמִית רוֹבַע, מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן כָּל שֶׁהוּא. רִבִּי נָתָן הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר: אַף כִּפַּת הַיַּרְדֵּן כָּל-שֶׁהִיא. אִם נָתַן בָּהּ דְּבַשׁ פְּסָלָהּ, וְאִם חִסֵּר אַחַת מִכָּל-סַמֲמָנֶיהָ חַיָּב מִיתָה Tanu Rabanan: "Pitum haKetoret keitzad? Shelosh me'ot veshishim ushmona manim hayu vah. Shelosh me'ot veshishim vachamisha keminyan yemot hachama, maneh bechol yom, machatzito baboker umachatzito ba'erev. Ushlosha manim yeterim, shemehem machnis Kohen Gadol venotel mehem melo chofnav beYom haKippurim - machaziran lamachteshet be'erev Yom haKippurim, kedei lekayem mitzvat daka min hadaka. Ve'achad asar samamanim hayu vah, ve'elu hen: (count by bending down the fingers of the right hand) 1) hatzori, 2) vehatziporen, 3) vehachelbena, 4) vehalevona - weighing seventy, seventy maneh, 5) mor, 6) uketziah, 7) veshibolet nerd, 8) vecharkom - weighing sixteen, sixteen maneh, 9) hakosht - twelve, 10) kilufa - three, 11) kinamon - nine. Borit karshina - nine kabin, yein kafrisin - three se'in and three kabin, and if yein kafrisin could not be found, old white wine was brought. Melach sedomit - a quarter [kav], ma'aleh ashan - a very small amount. Ribbi Natan HaBavli omer: Af kipat haYarden kol shehi im natan bedvash - pesala ve'im chiser achat mikol samemaneha - chayav mita. The Sages teach: How was the incense compound prepared? The annual quantity of the compound was three hundred sixty-eight maneh. Three hundred sixty-five - corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, a maneh for each day: half was burned in the morning, half in the afternoon; and three additional maneh, from which the High Priest would take a full double handful and bring it into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Before this, on the eve of Yom Kippur, these three maneh were once again placed into the mortar and ground thoroughly, into the finest powder. This compound contained 11 kinds of spices, and these are they: balsam and onycha, galbanum and frankincense - 70 maneh each; myrrh and cassia, spikenard and saffron - 16 maneh each; costus - 12 maneh; aromatic bark - 3 maneh, cinnamon - 9 maneh. Lye made from vetch - 9 kav; Cyprus wine - 3 se'ah and 3 kav; and if Cyprus wine was not available, any aged white wine was brought. A quarter-kav of Sodom salt, and a small amount of a special herb that produces a great deal of smoke when burned. Rabbi Natan of Babylon says: "One should also add a small amount of Jordan amber, but if fruit honey is added to the compound, it becomes unfit. And whoever burns a compound from which one of its ingredients is missing incurs the penalty of death." רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: הַצֳּרִי אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁרָף הַנּוֹטֵף מֵעֲצֵי הַקְּטָף. בּוֹרִית כַּרְשִׁינָא לְמָה הִיא בָאָה? כְּדֵי לְשַׁפּוֹת בָּהּ אֶת הַצִּפּוֹרֶן כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא נָאָה. יֵין קַפְרִיסִין לְמָה הוּא בָא? כְּדֵי לִשְׁרוֹת בּוֹ אֶת הַצִּפּוֹרֶן, כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא עַזָּה. וַהֲלֹא מֵי רַגְלַיִם יָפִין לָהּ? אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מַכְנִיסִין מֵי רַגְלַיִם בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד: Raban Shimon ben Gamliel omer: Hatzori eino ela seraf hanotef me'atzei haktaf. Borit karshina, lama hi va'ah? Kedei leshapot bah et-hatziporen, kedei sheteheh na'ah. Yein kafrisin lama hu va? - Kedei lishrot bo et-hatziporen, kedei sheteheh azah. Vahalo mei raglayim yafin lah? Ela she'ein machnisin mei raglayim baMikdash mipnei hakavod. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel says: "Balsam is nothing other than the resin that flows from balsam trees. For what was the vetch-lye used? To rub the onycha in order to clean it. Cyprus wine was used to soak the onycha, in order to strengthen its scent. And although urine would serve better for this, urine is not brought into the Temple, out of respect for it." תַּנְיָא, רִבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: כְּשֶׁהוּא שׁוֹחֵק אוֹמֵר: הָדֵק הֵיטֵב,הֵיטֵב הָדֵק, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקּוֹל יָפֶה לַבְּשָׂמִים. פִּטְּמָהּ לַחֲצָאִין כְּשֵׁרָה. לְשָׁלִישׁ וּלְרָבִיעַ לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה: זֶה הַכְּלָל: אִם כְּמִדָּתָהּ כְּשֵׁרָה לַחֲצָאִין. וְאִם חִסֵּר אַחַת מִכָּל-סַמֲמָנֶיהָ חַיָּב מִיתָה: Tanya Ribbi Natan omer: Keshehu shochek omer: Hadek heitev, heitev hadek, mipnei sheHakol yafeh labesamim. Pitmah lachatza'in - kesherah, leshalish ulrevi'a lo shamanu. Amar Ribbi Yehuda: Zeh haKlal: Im kemidata kesherah lachatza'in, ve'im chiser achat mikol samemaneha - chayav mita. This is Rabbi Natan's teaching: he would say: "While grinding, one should say: Grind it fine, finely grind it, for the sound is good for the spices." If the compound was made in half the specified quantity, it is fit for use; cases where the quantity was reduced to a third or a quarter of the stated amount are unknown to us. Rabbi Yehuda said: "The rule is this: if the proportions are correct, the compound is fit even when prepared in half the stated quantity; but whoever burns a compound from which one of its ingredients is missing incurs the penalty of death." תָּנֵי בַר קַפָּרָא: אַחַת לְשִׁשִּׁים אוֹ לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה הָיְתָה בָאָה שֶׁל שִׁירַיִם לַחֲצָאִין. וְעוֹד תָּנֵי בַר קַפָּרָא: אִלּוּ הָיָה נוֹתֵן בָּהּ קָרְטוֹב שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ, אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לַעֲמוֹד מִפְּנֵי רֵיחָהּ. וְלָמָּה אֵין מְעָרְבִין בָּהּ דְּבַשׁ? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה: כִּי כָל-שְׂאֹר וְכָל-דְּבַשׁ לֹא-תַקְטִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אִשֶּׁה לַיְיָ Tanya Bar Kapara: Achat leshishim o leshiv'im shana ha'etah va'ah shel shirayim lachatza'in. Ve'od taneh Bar Kapara: Ilu haya noten bah kartov shel dvash, ein adam yachol la'amod mipnei reicha. Velama ein me'aravin bah dvash? Mipnei sheHaTorah amra: Ki chol se'or vechol dvash, lo taktiru mimenu isheh l'Ado-nai. This is Bar Kapara's teaching. He would say: "Every sixty or seventy years, the accumulated leftovers of those three maneh, from which the High Priest took his full handful, amounted to half of the quantity prepared for the entire year." And Bar Kapara further taught: "If a small amount of fruit honey had been added to it, no one could withstand its fragrance; so why is honey not mixed into it? Because the Torah says: 'You shall not burn any leaven or any honey as a fire-offering to the L-rd.'" יי צְבָא׳׳וֹת עִמָּנוּ מִשְׂגָּב לָנוּ אֱלֹקי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה Ado-nai Tzeva'ot imanu, misgav-lanu Elohei Ya'akov selah. The L-rd of Hosts is with us; the G-d of Jacob is our stronghold forever. יי צְבָא׳׳וֹת אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ Ado-nai Tzeva'ot, ashrei adam bote'ach Bach. L-rd of Hosts! Happy is the man who trusts in You! יי הוֹשִׁיעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ Ado-nai hoshi'ah, haMelech ya'anenu veyom kor'einu. L-rd, save us! O King, answer us on the day we call! [According to the Arizal, the "Ketoret" prayer ends here] וערבה ליי מנחת יהודה וירושלים כימי עולם ועשנים קדמוניות Ve'arva LaAdo-nai minchat Yehuda viYerushalayim kimei olam ucheshanim kadmoniyot. May the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the L-rd, as in the days of old and as in former years.   The Prayer Ana BeKoach (the 42-Letter Name of Hashem) 1. Ana BeKoach Gedulat Yeminecha Tatir Tzerurah! 2. Kabel Rinat Amcha, Sagveinu Taharenu, Nora! 3. Na Gibor Dorshei Yichudcha KeVavat Shomrem! 4. Barchem Taharem Rachamei Tzidkatcha Tamid Gomlem! 5. Chasin Kadosh Berov Tuvcha Nahel Adatecha! 6. Yachid, Ge'eh, Le'amcha Peneh, Zochrei Kedushatecha! 7. Shav'atenu Kabel Ushma Tza'akatenu, Yode'a Ta'alumot! (Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto Le'olam Va'ed).   Prayer after reciting Pitum HaKetoret (when read as a segula) "Yehi ratzon milfanecha Ado-nai Elo-heinu velo-hei avoteinu, shetitmale rachamim aleinu, vetatzilenu lanu ulechol benei veiteinu ulechol Yisrael, me'ayin ra'ah umikol minei kishuf. Vetavriach ha'yetzer hara vehasatan mimenu. Uchshem sheparasta kenafecha al avoteinu bamidbar vehitzaltam me'eina bisha deBil'am harasha, ken tifros kenafecha aleinu berachamecha harabim venihyeh mechusim bemichseh uve'anhaga bishmotecha hakdoshim, Amen Netzach Selah Va'ed."   "Pitum HaKetoret" according to the sefer "Mi-Zahav umi-Paz" by Rav Pinchas Zabichi “Pitum HaKetoret” According to the Sefer “Mi-Zahav Umi-Paz” by Rabbi Pinchas Zabihi     (Nusach of the Arizal according to the book "Mi-Zahav umi-Paz" by Rav Pinchas Zabichi, published by "Beit Malkiel", text according to the siddur "Tefilat Moshe" by Rav Baruch Malaev)

Was this helpful?

99% of readers found this article helpful (905 votes).

Please note: some articles on our site contain the holy Names of the Almighty. If you print these articles, they may not be thrown away or destroyed. Please handle printed copies with care and respect.

Tags: Prayer, Ketoret, Pitum HaKetoret, The Pitum HaKetoret Prayer, The Pitum HaKetoret Prayer According to the Zohar HaKadosh, The Text of the Pitum HaKetoret Prayer, Transliteration of the Pitum HaKetoret Prayer, The Order of Pitum HaKetoret According to the Arizal — Prayer Text with Transliteration, “Mi-Zaav Umi-Paz” Rabbi Pinchas Zabihi

07 Dec 2016
Share

Related articles