The Secret of the Angel of Death
A thought on Parashas Korach
Note: This was initially written for the Shalom Zachor of my son Yair Simcha 7 years ago on Parashas Korach. I dedicate this Dvar Torah to Yair Simcha in honor of his birthday!
There is a custom not to have the same person be honored as a sandek twice in one family. The Rama1 quotes the Maharil who likens a sandek to a kohen who brings the ketores in the Mikdash. The ketores was considered an important mitzvah and was a segulah for wealth. In order to create a fair society amongst the kohanim, they created a system so that no kohen should be able to bring the ketores more than once. During the daily lottery, they would announce that only those kohanim who have not brought the ketores should participate in the lottery.
Similarly, being sandek at a bris is a segulah for wealth, and like the kohen offering ketores, it is limited to once per family.
The Chida2 references a Midrash3 that when Hashem went to visit Avraham Avinu after his bris mila, He told the malachim that the mila is as dear to him as the bringing of the ketores.
Why is bringing a baby to the bris likened to offering ketores? What is the deeper connection between the bris mila and ketores which causes them to be equated?
To understand the power of ketores, let’s first take a look at the Parashah. After Korach and his cohorts are punished for their rebellion, Bnei Yisroel complained that Moshe and Aharon were responsible for killing the nation of Hashem. As a result, Hashem sends a plague to punish the Jewish people.
Moshe tells Aharon to offer ketores to atone for the Jewish people. Why did Moshe suddenly pull out the ketores? What is the connection to the impending plague? The Gemara4 explains that when Moshe was on Har Sinai to receive the Torah, each of the angels presented Moshe with a gift. Even the angel of Death gave Moshe a gift, teaching Moshe the following secret: The ketores has the ability to stop a plague5. When Aharon burnt the ketores amongst the Jewish people, the Malach Hamaves halted in his tracks, bringing the plague to its end.
What is the unique power of ketores that it can stop a plague, even when the Jewish people seemingly deserved to be punished?
I once heard that the Baal HaTanya6 explains that ketores represents a very deep relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. Unlike a korban which comes from the word karev suggesting an external closeness with Hashem; the word ketores is related to the Aramaic ketar — meaning a knot, suggesting a state of absolute oneness.
Ketores represents the innermost connection which a Jew has with Hashem7. This connection exists at the very core of our neshama, which is a part of Hashem. This connection is deeper than the connection to Hashem which is forged through keeping Torah and Mitzvos. It is like the love of a parent to a child which cannot be tainted by the child’s behavior, no matter what they do.
This was the secret of the angel of Death! The offering of the ketores arouses this deep love and causes Hashem to shower His deep love on the Jewish people, no matter what they have done.
This is why the central avodah in the Beis Hamikdash on Yom Kippur was the offering of ketores in the Kodesh Hakodoshim. As the day of atonement, our short-fallings in keeping the mitzvos are erased when this deepest connection to Hashem is revealed.
Back to the bris
The Baal HaTanya explains that the bris mila is even greater than Torah. Through Torah we relate to Hashem on the level of intellect — the Torah coming from the attribute of chochma. A bris, though, represents a relationship with Hashem which is deeper and higher than intellect.
This is like two friends who make a pact (bris) to retain their love for one another. Even when logic and circumstance may be reason for their love to dissipate, the bris between them binds them together beyond logic and reason.
The bris mila, like the ketores, represents our essential bond with Hashem. May we merit to clearly see the continued berachos and love of Hashem as the unbreakable bond between us is revealed.
Yoreh Deah 265
Shiurei Bracha ibid
Yalkut Shimoni- Lech Lecha
Shabbos 89a
Rav Moshe Dovid Vali on Korach speaks about this strongly and emphasizes that this is to be done only during the plague and not to prevent the plague. Additionally, he cautions that the ketores should only be said during a time of Tefilla.
I was unable to find the source for this, if you know it please share in the comments.
This idea is expressed at length by Rav Kook - Olas Reiyah V1 Pg 136 - 138