זוהר, נח ל״אZohar, Noach 31

Segment 1א׳

וַיָּרַח יְיָ אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ. וּכְתִיב אִשֶּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ. אִשֶּׁה הָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא תְּנָנָא וְאֶשָׁא מְחֻבָּרִין כְּחֲדָא. דְּהָא לֵית תְּנָנָא בְּלָא אֶשָׁא כְּמָה דִכְתִיב (שמות י״ט:י״ח) וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו יְיָ בָּאֵשׁ.

AND THE LORD SMELLED THE SAVOUR OF APPEASEMENT. It is also written “a fire offering, a savour of appeasement” (Lev. 1, 13). With reference to the term “fire offering” we have heard the following. Fire and smoke are joined together, there being no smoke without fire, as it is written: “Now Mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire” (Ex. 19, 18).

Segment 2ב׳

תָּא חֲזֵי (נשא קלז, קלח) אֵשׁ נָפִיק מִלְּגָיו וְאִיהוּ דַּק. וְאָחִיד בְּמִלָּה אָחֳרָא לְבַר דְּלָאו אִיהוּ דַּק הָכִי וְאִתְאַחֲדָן דָּא בְּדָא וּכְדֵין תְּנָנָא סָלְקָא. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּאִתְאֲחִיד אֶשָׁא בְּמִלָּה דְּרָגִישׁ. וְסִימָנָיךְ חוּטְמָא דְּנָפִיק בֵּיהּ תְּנָנָא מִגּוֹ אֶשָׁא.

It is in this way. Fire, being very tenuous, issues from an inmost part, and then takes hold of some substance outside which is less tenuous, and by the junction of the two smoke is engendered: the reason being that fire has taken hold of something catching. An example is the warm breath that issues from the nostrils.

Segment 3ג׳

וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (דברים ל״ג:י׳) יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה בְּאַפֶּךָ. בְּגִין דְּאַהֲדַר אֶשָׁא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְחוֹטְמָא (אתרגיש) אִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּהַהוּא רֵיחָא לְגוֹ לְגוֹ עַד דְּאִתְאַחִיד כֹּלָּא וְתָב לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְאִתְקְרִיב כֹּלָּא לְגוֹ מַחְשָׁבָה וְאִתְעֲבִיד רְעוּתָא חָדָא. וּכְדֵין רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ. דְּנָח רוּגְזָא וְאִתְעֲבִיד נַיְיחָא.

Hence it is written, “They shall put incense in thy nose” (Deut. 33, 10), i.e. they shall act so as to cause the fire to recede to its place, since through the smell of the incense the nose contracts inwardly, till the whole odour is drawn in and brought near to the thought, producing a pleasing sensation. Hence there results “a savour of appeasement”, when the anger is appeased and calm is restored,