ויקרא, פרק ט״ז, פסוק י״ב

At the climax of the Yom Kippur service, the sequence of sacrificial offerings pauses to prepare the High Priest for his most profound and tense moment: entering the Holy of Holies. The preparation of the incense is an absolute requirement for him to safely pass beyond the dividing curtain, where the Divine Presence is revealed. To begin, the High Priest takes a specialized pan used to scoop and transport coals. Throughout the rest of the year, coals were transferred from this pan into a separate censer, but on Yom Kippur, the pan itself is carried directly into the Holy of Holies [מלבי״ם].

The coals selected for this task must be actively glowing and burning. They cannot be dim, dying embers, nor can they be an open flame. They must burn independently without producing any smoke of their own, ensuring that the only smoke rising within the sacred chamber is the pure smoke of the incense [רלב״ג]. The primary approach among commentators is that these coals are taken from the outer courtyard altar, rather than the inner golden altar [רש״י, מזרחי, חזקוני, גור אריה]. Only the western side of the outer altar directly faces the sanctuary entrance, whereas the inner altar is entirely situated before God. Selecting coals from this specific western side is highly intentional. Since this side faces the Holy of Holies, it is most fitting that the fire destined for the innermost sanctuary originates from the deepest, westernmost point of the outer altar [רלב״ג].

The High Priest then gathers the incense using both of his hands joined together. There is no standard measurement for this; the exact amount depends entirely on the size of the officiating priest's hands, ensuring the measure is perfectly full without spilling over [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. This incense must be composed of all eleven traditional ingredients and must be purchased with public funds rather than private donations [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, while all temple incense is well-ground, the incense used on Yom Kippur must be exceptionally fine. To achieve this, it is returned to the mortar and crushed an additional time on the eve of the holy day [רש״י, רש״ר הירש]. Conceptually, this extreme fineness serves to atone for subtle, hidden transgressions, such as secret gossip, while also symbolizing the pure, refined, and spiritual nature of the human soul [פענח רזא].

Practically, the High Priest cannot carry the coal pan while both of his hands are full of incense. Therefore, he empties his hands into a designated spoon. He then steps beyond the curtain holding the pan of burning coals in his right hand and the spoon of incense in his left [רלב״ג, רש״ר הירש]. The conclusion of this process was the subject of a fierce historical dispute with the Sadducees, who mistakenly argued that out of respect, the incense should be placed on the coals outside the chamber, so the priest would enter with a cloud of smoke already billowing. However, commentators demonstrate that the High Priest first brings the separated components inside and only places the incense on the fire once he is standing within the Holy of Holies. The resulting thick smoke, enhanced by a specific smoke-producing herb, forms a dense cloud that fills the room. This cloud protects the High Priest from gazing directly at the Divine Presence, which would endanger his life [מלבי״ם, שפתי כהן, רד״צ הופמן]. Consequently, the burning of the incense must take place before the sprinkling of the sacrificial blood, as the protective cloud allows the priest to safely remain in the Holy of Holies to complete his required service [ריב״א].