Parshas Titzaveh

The end of this weeks parsha has a description of the Mizbeach Hakitores.

The kitores created a beautiful aroma in the mishkan and beis hamikdash. The gemarah in Yoma says that the smell was so special that the women of Yerushalayim did not need to put on perfume!

However, the kitores did not only helped beautify the inside of the mishkan, but also helped one after they visited the mikdash. Smell is a very strong sense. Do you still remember how your grandmother’s cookies smelled? Do you remember what erev shabboss smelled like in your mother’s house?

Perhaps the kitores was also supposed to take the experience that we had inside the beis hamikdash and bring it outside into our everyday lives. When one left the mishkan or mikdash the smell of the kitores went with them when they left and helped them remember the experience and closeness to Hashem that they felt on their visit.

May we be zocheh to take the experience of the mitzvos that we do and take them with us wherever we go.