
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE KETORET INCENSE
Borit Karshina - Amount required: 9 Kabin (approx. 8 kilograms / 17.64 pounds), A type of alkaline lye, used as a cleanser. Some say Karshina was the name of the city where it was found. Others say that karshinin refers to a type of bean, typically used to feed livestock, (also known as vetch). Borit Karshina was not an ingredient of the ketoret, but was used to clean and whiten the Tziporen (onycha), which, as Rashi explains, improved its looks as well as its aroma.
Yayin Kafrisin (Cypriot wine)- Amount required: 3 Se'in and 3 Kabin (around 28 liter / 7.40 gallons), Yayin Kafrisin was a strong wine used to soak the Tziporen in order to heighten its aroma and extend its effectiveness. The Talmud mentions that even though soaking the Tziporen in urine would have benefited the fragrance even more, urine was not brought into the Temple out of respect.
Chamar Chivaryan Atik - Aged wine that is neither white nor red. This was used as a substitute when Yayin Kafrisin wine was not available.
Melach Sdomit - Amount required: a Rova. Melach Sdomit was salt taken from the Dead Sea. The Ketoret offering, like every other offering, required salt. Dead sea salt, which is rich in potassium, could have also been used to cause the smoke to rise in a pillar, (similar to the ma'aleh ashan).
Kipat Hayarden - A fragrant flower that grew near the banks of the Jordan River, quite possibly from the rose family. Only a minimal amount was required. Kipat Hayarden is mentioned only by Rabbi Natan HaBavli.


THE PRIVILEGE OF PERFORMING THE KETORET INCENSE OFFERING
A type of lottery was held each morning to determine which kohen currently serving in the Holy Temple would receive which task of the Daily (Tamid) Service to perform. Concerning the commandment to perform the incense offering, an exception was made. A lottery was held, but only kohanim who had never in their lives performed the incense offering were allowed to participate. This was to insure that every kohen would have a chance to perform the offering once in their life.
The reason was that the incense offering was considered a great privilege to perform. Firstly, it was most beloved by G-d. Midrash Tanchuma (Tetzaveh 15) states:
"And you shall make an altar to burn incense upon (Exod. 30:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart." (Prov. 27:9).
The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The offerings that you offer to Me are as desirable as incense. You know that all the offerings exist to meet the needs of Israel. How is that so? The sin-offering is brought because of sin and guilt; the burnt offering is brought because of a thought in one’s heart; the peace-offerings are brought to atone for violations of a positive commandment, while incense is brought, not because of sin or transgression or guilt, but only out of sheer joy. Hence, Ointment and incense rejoice the heart."
We further learn in Talmud Tractate Yoma (26a): "A Sage taught in the Tosefta: No person ever performed the service of the incense twice, as a new kohen was always found for this service. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that they were insistent that no kohen should be assigned this task more than once in his life? Rabbi Chanina said: It is because it brings wealth to the one who performs it. Since bringing the incense was a blessing for wealth, it was decided that as many different kohanim as possible should have an opportunity to do this service."

PERFORMING THE KETORET INCENSE OFFERING
Maimonides writes in the Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Temidin uMusafim (the Laws of the Daily and Additional (Festive) Offerings) - Chapter 3, Mishnah 1:
"It is a positive commandment to offer the ketoret incense offering on the Golden Altar in the Sanctuary twice each day, in the morning and in the afternoon, as [Exodus 30:7] states: 'And Aharon shall burn on it the incense of fragrant spices.'"
And in Mishnah 3:
"When the incense is offered in the Sanctuary every day, all of the people depart from the Sanctuary and from [the area] between the Entrance Hall and the altar. No one should be there until [the kohen] who offers the incense offering departs. Similarly, at the time when [a kohen] enters [to sprinkle] the blood of a sin-offering that is offered inside [the Temple], everyone departs from from [the area] between the Entrance Hall and the altar until he departs, as [Leviticus 16:17] states: 'And no person should be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to atone in the holy place.' [This is] a general principle [applying] to all atonement [made] in the holy place: No [other] person should be there."
Picture depicts a kohen making the daily ketoret offering upon the Golden Alter in the Temple Sanctuary (Kodesh). This picture depicts the first Holy Temple, built by King Solomon, in which Solomon had ten additional Golden Menorah's and ten additional Golden Showbread Tables placed in the Temple Sanctuary.
I Kings 7:49: "And the menorahs, five on the right (side), and five on the left, before the Sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold." Rashi explains: "Five on the right side and five on the left: It is impossible to say [these] five were on the right side of the entrance and [the other] five were on the left of the entrance, for if so, we will find a menorah on the north side and the Torah states, [specifically, the menorah should be] on the south side of the tabernacle. Therefore, Moshe’s menorah was in the middle, five on its right [side] and five on its left." Rashi is stating that the original menorah fashioned by Moshe in the desert was the central menorah of Solomon's Temple, and on either side of it were five additional menorahs, adding up to ten additional menorahs, eleven menorahs in all.

THE BAZIK INCENSE CHALICE
Mishnah Tamid 5:4 describes how the kohanim performed the ketoret offering:
The kohen who won the lottery to burn the incense would take the spoon used for carrying the incense. And the spoon was similar to a large gold vessel that held three kav, and the smaller vessel was placed inside the spoon. The vessel (called a bazik) was filled to overflow with incense. And it had a cover to prevent spillage of the incense, and there was a type of cloth placed upon it from above, to preserve the fragrance of the incense.
A vessel called the bazik held the incense. It sat upon a tray that would capture any incense that spilled from the bazik. At the top of the bazik was a small bell. Some feel that the purpose of the “bell” atop the bazik was to fulfill the verse, “Its sound shall be heard when he enters the sanctuary.” (Exodus 28:35)

PERFORMING THE KETORET INCENSE OFFERING
From Mishnah Tamid 6:2: “The kohen who had been chosen for the firepan (at left) made a heap of cinders [from the large altar] atop the [inner golden] altar, then spread them about with the end of the firepan, prostrated himself, and went out. The kohen chosen to offer the incense (center) took the dish (after taking a handful of incense) from the bowl (held by the kohen at right) and gave it to his friend or relative (at right). If some of the incense spilled into the bowl, the friend would put it into the (center) kohen’s hands... He would then begin to scatter the incense [over the coals] and would then go out. The one who burnt the incense did not do so until the superior said to him, ‘Offer the incense.’ ... The kohanim departed [from the Sanctuary], and he would offer the incense, prostrate himself, and go out.”

A kohen is demonstrating the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple.

Left: A kohen holds open the gold Bazik, which contains the Temple incense.

THE GOLDEN INCENSE ALTAR
"You shall make an altar for burning incense; make it of acacia wood. It shall be a cubit long and a cubit wide—it shall be square—and two cubits high, its horns of one piece with it. Overlay it with pure gold: its top, its sides round about, and its horns; and make a gold molding for it round about. And make two gold rings for it under its molding; make them on its two side walls, on opposite sides. They shall serve as holders for poles with which to carry it. Make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. Place it in front of the curtain that is over the Ark of the Covenant — in front of the cover that is over the Covenant — where I will meet with you. On it Aharon shall burn aromatic incense: he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps, and Aharon shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps—a regular incense offering before HaShem throughout the ages. You shall not offer alien incense on it, or a burnt offering or a meal offering; neither shall you pour a libation on it. Once a year Aharon shall perform purification upon its horns with blood of the sin offering of purification; purification shall be performed upon it once a year throughout the ages. It is most holy to HaShem." (Exodus 30:1-10)
As seen above, the golden incense altar made for the desert Tabernacle was made of acacia wood. However, in the Temple built by King Solomon, it was fashioned out of cedar, as is written in Kings I (6:20): “He covered the altar with cedar.” In light of this, the Temple Institute altar, seen in the photos, was likewise fashioned from cedar. The gold-plating of the Institute's incense altar was achieved via a method used by the kings of Egypt thousands of years ago.