UP IN SMOKE
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
11/1/2025
Special thanks to Lee Bramlett whose input provided the idea for this study.
The act of sacrifice is a key element in the worship event, yet it is one that is largely alien to most believers. For almost two-thousand years the Temple and its sacrifices have been absent from the midst of mankind. Prior to that, sacrifice was a commonplace means for man to interact with the One who made him. The multi-millennial lack of such experiences has inevitably made the sacrificial act largely a foreign concept in the minds of even the most earnest of believers.
This is unfortunate, for it was intended to be an intimate expression of a believer’s relationship with the Holy One. The foundational purpose of sacrifice is thus worth contemplating as it is presented in the Word. The Torah introduces the concept along with what it accomplishes in the post-Flood account of Noah after he exited the ark.
His actions are recorded in Genesis 8:20-21.
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20 And Noach built an altar to YHWH and took [some] from every clean beast and from every clean bird and elevated them as elevations on [the] altar.
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21 And YHWH smelled the soothing scent, and YHWH said to His heart, “No further shall I curse again the earth for the sake of the man. Although [the] inclination of the heart of man is evil from his youth, yet no further again shall I strike all the living, as which I have done.”
Noah was the sole living reason humanity was spared, and at that moment when mankind was once more standing on solid ground, he sincerely sought to express his gratitude to the One who had so mercifully spared him and his family from the doom that befell the rest of the world. The sacrifices he offered were graciously received by the Creator with a promise established for all creation that has endured to this very day.
The above Hebrew text has been carefully translated to clarify for the reader what occurs during the event of a sacrifice. Most translations will render the words of verse 20 something like “and offered them as burnt offerings.” It may thus come as a surprise to learn the Hebrew does not use that specific language. While the sense is not wrong in such a rendering, the literal reading possesses a concept that helps us to appreciate what is really happening when a sacrifice is offered to the Creator according to Biblical standards.
The Hebrew phrase is actually VAYA’AL OLOT—both terms being conjugations of the world ALAH “ascend” / “elevate.”
The concept is that an offering must “go up” from this earthly realm into a heavenly realm. The sacrifice cannot remain solely in the world of man, for it is a communicative act originating in the spirit of man to address the Creator. For this reason, it is burnt with fire to transform the material flesh into immaterial smoke and cause it to ascend from this dimension.
Hence, a “burnt offering” is literally OLAH, an “elevation offering.”
This is evidenced also in verse 21 that records the reaction of the Holy One to the reception of the sacrifice. It is described in Hebrew as REI’ACH HANNICHOACH “the soothing scent.”
This phrase holds an implied richness in its Hebrew form. First, the term REI’ACH “scent” is merely a conjugation of the word RUACH “spirit” and “wind.”
This usage of REI’ACH and its intrinsic link to RUACH “spirit” immediately shows the connection of the physical sacrifice to a metaphysical reality. While it begins in a tangible world, the burnt offering ascends beyond the realms of this place and touches the spiritual domain of the heavens.
Its trans-dimensional reach results in a definite atonement, which is seen when the second part of the Hebrew phrase is considered: REI’ACH HANNICHOACH “the soothing scent.”
Here, the word HANNICHOACH is a hint to Noah, whose name in Hebrew is NOACH. NOACH is simply another conjugation of HANNICHOACH, with both terms ultimately just phonetic variations meaning “To Rest” or “To Be Soothed.”
It is vital to clarify that while the Creator relented from further judgment upon the world once He received “the soothing scent” of the ascended smoke of the burnt animals, it was most assuredly not the animals that caused Him to proclaim mercy for the world. Rather, it all had to do with the incredible personal spiritual merit of Noah.
This is seen in the assessment found in Genesis 6:9.
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Noach was a Tzaddik man—he was perfect in his generation.
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The reason the scent of the animals was “soothing” was due to Noah being a TZADDIK a “righteous one” in the earth. His merit brought salvation to the world that exists to this very day. The smoke that went up as an elevation and was accepted was a direct result of Noah’s spiritual standing as a TZADDIK before the Holy One.
The sublime righteousness of such an individual has the spiritual authority to bring supernal mercy to this world when judgment should otherwise fall. The text of Proverbs 16:14 refers to the power of one who has attained righteousness by purposefully devoting their life to the obedient heart called for in the Torah.
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A king’s wrath is [as] angels of death, but a man who is a [Torah] sage shall atone for it.
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This is what we see in the act of the TZADDIK Noah as he offered elevation sacrifices as a “soothing scent” to the Creator. His spiritual weight caused the heavenly King to declare mercy that abides at this very moment for the entire world. Such is the sheer spiritual authority of a true TZADDIK “righteous one!”
By the time of the creation of the nation of Israel at Sinai, the sacrificial system became established in a codified form. This meant that the entire people could come before the Holy One with their own burnt offerings and enter into an intimate spiritual experience.
By the time of the creation of the nation of Israel at Sinai, the sacrificial system became established in a codified form. This meant that the entire people could come before the Holy One with their own burnt offerings and enter into an intimate spiritual experience.
The sacrificial system requires at its foundation a daily pair of offerings to be presented to the Creator, as decreed in Exodus 29:38-42.
38 And this is what you shall perform over the altar: lambs—two sons of a year, daily perpetually.
39 The first lamb you shall perform in the morning, and the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings,
40 with a tenth of flour mixed in beaten oil—a fourth of a hin. And a libation—a fourth of a hin of wine for the first lamb.
39 The first lamb you shall perform in the morning, and the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings,
40 with a tenth of flour mixed in beaten oil—a fourth of a hin. And a libation—a fourth of a hin of wine for the first lamb.
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41 And the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings, as the tribute offering of the morning, and as the libation of it you shall perform, for a soothing scent of fire to YHWH--
42 [as] perpetual elevations for your generations [at the] door of [the] Tent of Meeting before YHWH, where I shall meet you there to speak to you there. |
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These burnt offerings provide the Creator with the expectation of daily elevation offerings into His holy realm. It is necessary to clarify that nothing is stated in the text about these daily sacrifices going up in smoke having anything to do with sin. Rather, the text says they are for the express purpose of a REI’ACH NICHOACH “soothing scent” to the Most High. While explicit sacrifices for personal sin are commanded in the Torah, these daily offerings that are sent up in smoke to provide an enduring connection between the people and the Holy One.
The Torah returns to the topic of ascending smoke into the heavens through daily offerings, but this time the text adds the clarification that these are truly uninterrupted elevations in time.
This is laid out in Numbers 28:1-10.
1 And YHWH spoke unto Mosheh, to say,
2 “You must command the sons of Yisra’el and say to them: ‘My offering—My bread for fire [sacrifices], My soothing scent—you must guard to offer unto Me in its appointed time.’”
3 “And you shall say to them: ‘This is the fire [sacrifice] you shall offer to YHWH: two lambs—sons of a year—unblemished, for a daily perpetual elevation.
2 “You must command the sons of Yisra’el and say to them: ‘My offering—My bread for fire [sacrifices], My soothing scent—you must guard to offer unto Me in its appointed time.’”
3 “And you shall say to them: ‘This is the fire [sacrifice] you shall offer to YHWH: two lambs—sons of a year—unblemished, for a daily perpetual elevation.
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4 The first lamb you shall perform in the morning, and the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings,
5 with a tenth of an efah of flour for a tribute offering, mixed in beaten oil—a fourth of a hin. 6 It is a perpetual elevation established at Mount Sinai for a soothing scent of a fire [sacrifice] for YHWH, 7 with its perpetual libation a fourth of a hin for the first lamb. In [the] Holy Place you shall certainly pour out the alcohol to YHWH. |
8 And the second lamb you shall perform between the evenings, as the tribute offering of the morning, and as its libation—you shall perform it a fire [sacrifice], a soothing scent for YHWH.
9 And on [the] day of the Sabbath, two lambs—sons of a year—unblemished, and two tenths of flour for a tribute offering, mixed in oil, and its libation--
10 [the] elevation [for the] Sabbath on its Sabbath—besides the perpetual elevation and its libation.
9 And on [the] day of the Sabbath, two lambs—sons of a year—unblemished, and two tenths of flour for a tribute offering, mixed in oil, and its libation--
10 [the] elevation [for the] Sabbath on its Sabbath—besides the perpetual elevation and its libation.
Yet again, the passage confirms repeatedly that the purpose of these elevations of smoke is for REI’ACH NICHOACH “a soothing scent.” It mandates that they are to arise before Him even on the weekly Sabbath day. There is to be no disruption of offerings transcending the physical into the spiritual realm.
Every day must be elevated with the intimacy of sacrifice.
At this point in the study, we must turn attention to a few texts from Judaism about this topic. In them are details providing further historical insights that will prove to be insightful for our expanding appreciation of the significance of the daily elevations the Creator has commanded in His Word.
The Talmud Bavli, in Yoma 21a, emphasizes a unique aspect of the smoke that arose from the altar of burnt offering in the Temple.
Knowing that the smoke of the elevations offered by the priests possessed the quality of a spiritual merit arising before the Creator, it only seems proper that it would not be immediately dispersed by the winds in the open-air court of the Temple. The natural purpose for this would entail that the billowing smoke would never waft back into the faces of the worshippers who attended in focused devotion and distract them from their spiritual encounter.
This interesting detail about the stability of the rising smoke serves more than a natural purpose, however. The text of Avot d’Rabbi Natan 35:7 brings another detail about that rising smoke from the altar, revealing that it holds a nuance leading us to a deeper appreciation of that ascending and undispersed column.
This unique feature of the smoke of elevation offerings holds in it a worthy insight via the term used here for “staff.” It is the Hebrew word MAKKEIL.
It is not the most widely used term in Scripture for the object but is instead indicative of a branch taken from a tree that is not necessarily shaped with care—but is more often left in its more natural state.
The usage of this unexpected term for the shape of the column of smoke that arose from the Temple’s altar is almost certainly intentional, however, for the term MAKKEIL is spelled identically to MEIKEIL, which means “to be lenient.”
The usage of this unexpected term for the shape of the column of smoke that arose from the Temple’s altar is almost certainly intentional, however, for the term MAKKEIL is spelled identically to MEIKEIL, which means “to be lenient.”
The detail of the undisturbed “staff” of smoke, which we understand is a symbol for a righteous merit ascending into the spiritual realm before the Creator, shows that all mercy is an act of leniency. The Holy One does not have to accept man’s paltry righteousness at all, but His loving character is profoundly expressed in those moments of eager compassion towards mankind. He therefore receives the smoke as a “soothing scent” as proof that He yearns for His love to be poured out for His people.
This desire to express His kindness towards us is also exhibited in another feature of the rising smoke which has been recorded in the Talmud Bavli, Yoma 21b, which returns to the topic of the column of smoke that the winds were never able to disperse but adds an important clarification which only happened during the festival of Sukkot “Tabernacles.”
This desire to express His kindness towards us is also exhibited in another feature of the rising smoke which has been recorded in the Talmud Bavli, Yoma 21b, which returns to the topic of the column of smoke that the winds were never able to disperse but adds an important clarification which only happened during the festival of Sukkot “Tabernacles.”
This reveals that although the column of smoke was never wholly dispersed by the winds, the ascension of the burnt offerings was not always stationary. Instead, the column was prone to move in ways understood to be significant for the nation on the final day of the festival of Sukkot.
This may seem like a strange event to arrive at as an omen of things to come. However, it should be remembered that the context of the rising smoke as a “soothing scent” to the Holy One was first encountered in the actions of Noah after the Flood, where the Creator promised not to destroy the earth—as was shown earlier in the study.
This may seem like a strange event to arrive at as an omen of things to come. However, it should be remembered that the context of the rising smoke as a “soothing scent” to the Holy One was first encountered in the actions of Noah after the Flood, where the Creator promised not to destroy the earth—as was shown earlier in the study.
Let us therefore return to that passage and pick up in the very next verse from where we left off and note what was stated by the Most High in Genesis 8:22.
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Unto all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.
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The Creator honored the merit of Noah the righteous one in that “soothing scent” of the ascending sacrifices and vowed to never again allow a weather-based catastrophe to wipe out His entire world. The festival of Sukkot is notable in that it is the only festival in Scripture where the entire world is also represented in the number of sacrifices (70 bulls) that are offered up throughout the week, and that it is also the only festival all nations of the world are expected to eventually observe during the Messianic reign [see: Zechariah 14:16-19].
In these matters the foundational significance of sacrifice is revealed and how it spiritually impacts the whole world becomes evident. The elevations of smoke from the burning animals are more than a chemical reaction, they are supernatural reality expressed in physical act.
In these matters the foundational significance of sacrifice is revealed and how it spiritually impacts the whole world becomes evident. The elevations of smoke from the burning animals are more than a chemical reaction, they are supernatural reality expressed in physical act.
This is perhaps best seen in a passage from Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Sefer Vayikra, Torah Ohr, Kedoshim 72.
The ability of the sacrificial smoke to transcend this realm and affect the Creator in a supernal place means that the smoke possesses so much more than mere particulates that cannot pass beyond the boundaries of our atmosphere. Instead, it holds in its ethereal state the spiritual merit that is infused into a very soul! For this reason, its ascension is efficacious in surpassing all intermediary realms to reach the very throne of our compassionate Creator.
We live within the reality of His leniency and look to the merit that is beyond ourselves. But the grim truth is that the sacrifices ascending in smoke have ceased now for almost two thousand years. How, therefore, does spiritual connection occur in our present state?
The answer has already been mentioned in this study. It is the merit of the TZADDIK “righteous one” who carries the souls of the world on his shoulders and secures mercy for mankind. Note what was stated about the TZADDIK in 2nd Samuel 23:1-3.
We live within the reality of His leniency and look to the merit that is beyond ourselves. But the grim truth is that the sacrifices ascending in smoke have ceased now for almost two thousand years. How, therefore, does spiritual connection occur in our present state?
The answer has already been mentioned in this study. It is the merit of the TZADDIK “righteous one” who carries the souls of the world on his shoulders and secures mercy for mankind. Note what was stated about the TZADDIK in 2nd Samuel 23:1-3.
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1 And these are [the] words of David—the last ones. David, the son of Yishai, spoke, and the fellow raised up high spoke—the Messiah of the Deity of Ya’akov—and the singer of Yisra’el said:
2 “[The] Spirit of YHWH spoke by me, and His Word was upon my tongue. |
3 The Deity of Yisra’el said to me—the Rock of Yisra’el spoke: ‘Him ruling among men—the Tzaddik—he rules [in] the awe of [the] Deity.’”
Here we see that the TZADDIK "Righteous One" is the person authorized to rule, and is clearly identified in verse 1 as "the Messiah of the Deity of Ya'akov." While these were David's words concerning himself, his role was a precursor to the one person whose righteousness abides and enlivens the souls of every generation. It is to the Messiah Yeshua, the son of David, whom we must turn and whose merit we must inhabit to be received as a soothing scent to the Holy One through a spiritual transformation that elevates us, as well.
The words of Ephesians 4:32—5:2 as they have been preserved in the Aramaic of the Peshitta portray beautifully the elevated state we find ourselves in and the response we must live due to it.
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4:32 And be sweet one towards the other, and compassionate, and be forgiving one to the other, as that the Deity—in the Messiah—has forgiven us. 5:1 Be imitators of the Deity, as beloved sons, 5:2 and you must walk in love, as even the Messiah loved us, and gave up his soul concerning us—the offering and the sacrifice to the Deity for a sweet scent. |
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The Creator has expressed His loving-kindness to mankind in all His grand compassion and leniency for ages and ages. We can respond in like manner because of the Messiah—the Righteous One who went so far as to offer his own soul up. The text states these concepts and then amazingly links them to all that we have learned in this study by proclaiming that Messiah’s act was “a sweet scent.” This is the English for the Aramaic phrase RICHA BASIMA and is essentially the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew REI’ACH NICHOACH.
However, the link becomes even stronger when it is understood that the Aramaic term BASIMA has an alternative meaning that reinforces the insights of this study in a profound way. While BASIMA is most often used in a “sweet” sense, it is also used to refer to something that is “lenient” in nature!
With this expanded definition in mind, the Ephesians passage can be returned to and understood in its fuller sense.
4:32 And be sweetly lenient one towards the other, and compassionate, and be forgiving one to the other, as that the Deity—in the Messiah—has forgiven us.
5:1 Be imitators of the Deity, as beloved sons,
5:2 and you must walk in love, as even the Messiah loved us, and gave up his soul concerning us—the offering and the sacrifice to the Deity for a sweetly lenient scent.
5:1 Be imitators of the Deity, as beloved sons,
5:2 and you must walk in love, as even the Messiah loved us, and gave up his soul concerning us—the offering and the sacrifice to the Deity for a sweetly lenient scent.
The role of Yeshua as the TZADDIK by whose merit ascends the “sweet / lenient scent” to the Holy One means that he holds an incredible spiritual authority to change how the Creator responds to the sinfulness of this world, and it is because of this authority that we should earnestly seek him out so that we can also be similarly raised to his unmatched level.
This is expressed well in the words of Likutei Etzot, Tzaddik 19.
This is what Yeshua has done for those who bind themselves to his righteousness. He is the one whose selfless offering of his own soul elevated himself and all who attach to him to the highest of the heavens because of the unfathomable love of the Holy One towards us.
This is explained in Ephesians 2:4-7.
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4 Yet, the Deity, who is abundant in His mercies, on account of His great love by which He loved us--
5 while we were dead in our sins, He enlivened us with the Messiah, and by His goodness He rescued us, 6 and raised us with him, and seated us with him in the heavens—with Yeshua the Messiah, 7 that He should show the worlds to come the greatness of the abundance of His goodness and His sweet leniency, which has been upon us in Yeshua the Messiah. |
The incredible merit of the Messiah as the TZADDIK means he can bring deliverance to all who put their trust in his exalted level of acceptance before the Creator. He ascends as an elevation offering—a “sweet scent” that brings compassion to all who are attached to his favored nature.
It is this unified meaning of “sweet” / “lenient” that aligns incredibly with the revelations in this study and connects beautifully to the promise of the Most High to His people when all is at last restored, as recorded in Ezekiel 20:40-41.
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40 “For on [the] mountain of My holiness—on [the] mountain of [the] height of Yisra’el,” says Master YHWH, “there shall all [the] House of Yisra’el serve Me—the entirety in [the] land. There I shall accept them, and there I shall require your contributions, and [the] first-fruits of your presents, with all your holy [sacrifices].
41 With a soothing scent I shall accept you when I bring out from the peoples and gather you from the lands wherein you have been scattered. And I shall be sanctified in you before the sight of the Gentiles.” |
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The Creator foretells the day when all His people are gathered in the holiness of the Temple, united in the inheritance of the Promised Land and worshipping Him as man has been called to do. In that grand moment of His love expressed to us, we will be accepted “with a soothing scent.”
It is then that His unfathomable mercies are revealed in all their magnitude, when the merit of the Righteous One—like an elevation offering going up in smoke—will connect the earth to the heavens forevermore.
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.