"To start with one example, incense is big these days. (It was a pretty hot spiritual item in the Temple era thousands of years ago, but that's another story.) Hasidism, as a mystical movement that grasped that our senses have as much power as our brains in unlocking the doors to transcendence, has a great deal to say about preparation for observance — about setting the right mood. Most of us know that you can't really have an intense and successful weight-training or cardio workout without getting your body ready beforehand with some serious stretching exercises. And you don't get the most out of the Shabbat experience without putting in similar prep work on your soul. The use of incense has proven to be an effective spiritual warm-up technique for a long time, particularly in mystical circles.
"Many of the original Hasidim, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, would light incense, or occasionally set out dishes of fragrant spices, prior to sunset on Friday afternoon. The distinctive and pleasant scent would suggest to them the special and joyous character of the Sabbath that would soon pervade their homes — just like the pleasing odor that was permeating their rooms.
"Aside from engendering this feeling of heightened anticipation, scent was also viewed as a means of expanding spiritual consciousness. The Talmud itself asks, 'What is it that the soul enjoys yet does nothing for the body?' Its answer: 'A pleasant scent.' Shabbat is supposed to be a purely metaphysical experience. What better way to prepare for it than with a tool intended to touch the spirit alone?
"Scientists have done studies on the power of olfaction, and it is clear that scent is one of the most intense and immediate of the human senses: A single odor can trigger memories, emotions, and experiences in an instant. It can take us away to distant and dreamlike places. At times, some Hasidic masters (including the movement's founder, the Baal Shem Tov) even used snuff to concentrate their minds and help carry them to supernal realms during prayer and study. One of them went so far as to claim that his own snuffbox contained nothing less than the sweet aroma of the Garden of Eden itself — it could be smelled, however, only with the advent of Shabbat, and only by a person who was receptive to it.
"Though most of us don't use snuff today, try to use incense or a spice box to create a more meaningful and personalized Shabbat. You don't need a synagogue to welcome the Sabbath Bride. Just imagine the sweet fragrance of the Garden of Eden and see where your soul transports you."
