בשלש עשרה נפהSifted Thirteen Times

bi-shlosh 'esreh nafahIn Gamatria ↗

Only flour sifted thirteen times goes up on the altar.

Purity is the repair of the heart and its thoughts: 'Create in me a pure heart' (Psalms 51:12). Even the little a separate person takes from the world he should take for the good it serves, not for the pleasure. Good deeds need the same purity. The worst motive is serving to fool people for honor or money. Serving for reward is lesser, and can lead to serving for its own sake. Hardest to catch is the mixture: a true mitzvah with a stray wish for praise, like Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon's daughter, who stepped more gracefully once she heard her steps admired. Such a deed is not wholly pure. Only fine flour sifted through thirteen sieves went up on the altar below, and only the purest service rises to the altar above. 'The Merciful One wants the heart.'

Hover the image to look closer.Tap the image to look closer.