Class 22 Wednesday 27 Adar 2 5776/ April 6 2016. Ketores_Atah Hu…

אתה הוא... prayer introducing the קטרת Note: on the first page of the pdf four or five different Nuschaos appear for this (little) prayer. Four reasons why קטרת needs an introduction: A) Since the Biblical passage that follows is from two places and the word ונאמר must be placed in the middle, a larger opening (identifying the Biblical source for קטרת) is also added. B) So that extra Kavana be applied here and it not be recited simply as part of the Torah read after the ברכת התורה. C) In lieu of what we have by קרבנות where we invoke ונשלמה פרים שפתינו- that the prayers take the place of the actual sacrifices. In fact in the Ashkenaz Siddur of Reb Shabsai he has a Nusach for קטרת that has that message (see the pdf). D) To underscore the intimacy of the act of bringing the קטרת- it was the Kohen and God and no one else.