The verse says, "And Hashem smelled the sweet savor (lit. fragrant scent)." But notice something: it doesn’t say "the scent of the sacrifice," but simply "the fragrant scent." There’s a reason for this, a secret whispered within the ancient texts.
The Idra Zuta, a profoundly important section of the Zohar, tells us that all Gvurot, all the powers of judgment and strength, are connected to the nose. The nose, the organ of smell, linked to divine power and judgment. It's a powerful image.
According to this teaching, all those judgments attached to the nose are sweetened. Imagine a torrent of force, of strictness, being transformed into something gentle, something pleasing. How does this happen? Many Gvurot join together. It’s a cosmic convergence of forces, as the verse in Psalms (106:2) asks, “Who can utter the mighty acts (Gvurot) of Hashem? Who can declare all his praise?”
The text goes on to paint a vivid picture. A fire-devouring fire emanates from one nostril. This, we are told, represents the judgments of the "Lock" (an esoteric concept) within the curtain of Chirik, a specific vowel point that itself holds deep symbolic meaning. And from the other nostril, smoke arises, symbolizing the judgments of the left side, kept separate from the right, though ultimately connected to the judgments within the curtain.
But here’s the key: both the fire and the smoke, both sets of judgments, are sweetened by the fire and smoke of the altar. It’s a transformative process, a divine alchemy.
Then, Atika Kadisha—the Holy Ancient One, representing the most primordial aspect of the Divine—appears with its Chassadim, its loving-kindnesses. And as the loving-kindnesses flow, all judgments subside. The left, representing strictness and judgment, is incorporated within the Chassadim, and all judgments within it are essentially erased.
This is alluded to in Isaiah 48:9: "for my praise will I refrain (lit. nose) for you." The text points us to the "nose" of Atika, as explained in the Greater Gathering (Idra Rabba). (You can find further explanation in the Sulam commentary on section 234 of the Idra Rabba).
So, what are we left with? A picture of divine transformation. A reminder that even the harshest judgments can be sweetened, softened, and ultimately, integrated into a greater flow of loving-kindness. It suggests that even in the face of difficulty, there is always the potential for sweetness, for transformation, and for a deeper connection to the Divine. It’s a message of hope, woven into the very fabric of the cosmos.