Ancient Practice of Kedem SHeMeN 
Maceration of Plants for Medicinal Benefits
Maceration, also known as infusion, of plants is an ancient practice that is so simple in its method that you can carry out the process at home. According to Patricia Davis, in Aromatherapy: An A-Z, maceration of plants pre-dates the process of extracting essential oils. Ancient civilizations such as Israelites simply stood jars of plant material out in the sun to macerate. Infused, or macerated, oils hold similar medicinal properties to those extracted to produce an essential oil; however, some plants can be macerated that do not produce an essential oil too.
Some material have to sit up to 40 days and some can sit as much as 120 days such as Frankincense or Myrrh which are resin. Some a very short sitting like Roses, or Jasmine.
A highly skilled person can bring out the very best infused oils and the healing properties are equal to distilled essential oil but come with a carrier oil.
We can understand this text more clearly in the Torah that states: And he made the Moshiach Shemen and the pure ketoret of sweet b’somim, after the art of the perfumer. ויעש את־שמן המשחה קדש ואת־קטרת הסמים טהור מעשה רקח׃ ~Shemot/Exodus 30
Only a highly skilled person will use plant material such as roses, honeysuckle, jasmine, lavender, calendula, rosemary and lilac to make macerated or infused oils according to ancient Biblical Traditions. These oils are amazing smell and have a long shelf life. Essential oils have been an integral part of the daily lives of people for over ten thousand years. They have been used to heal the body, mind and spirit since before the time of record keeping as we know it.
This is an exciting time to use essential oils as a tool to awaken as a whole body, mind, and spirit (Nefesh, Neshamah, and Ruah). The Sages teach us that caring for our whole self is like “rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash kodesh” (the Holy Jewish Temple). Each part of us is a living stone of the Body’s Temple. When we start the restoration or rebuilding of our outer being, “cell by cell” and deep within, we are creating both the inner court and outer courts of our Body’s Temple. This is a step towards rebuilding the physical Beis HaMikdash.
Smell is considered the loftiest and most transcendent sense. The Jewish sage Arizal says that when the sin of Adam brought lust into the world it affected all of the senses except for that of smell. The sense of smell remained unaffected. We see that in the Gan Aden that Chava (Eve) used all her senses except one which is the sense of smell when she ate the forbidden fruit. As a result, we were left with only our divine sense of smell which still helps us know, innatley, the exact herbs and oils we need to balance and heal ourselves.
In the Torah Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve are located in a magnificent garden known as Gan aden in Hebrew was filled with the scents of healing flowers, trees and other plants. G-d, our higher power, created everything we need to heal on an emotional, physical, mental and spiritual level, including wonderful aromatic plants and Infused Essential oils. Jewish sages teach that Adam and Eve were Taught by G-d how to make infused essential oils. In the Tanach there are over 600 references to essential oils and/or aromatic plants.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that physical and spiritual healing got completely separated. Allopathic medicine does not truly heal – however, it does get us out of crisis; and therefore while it is a necessary part of modern day society, it is not a cure all. And it certainly does not address the emotional and spiritual issues of dis-ease.
For complete healing to occur it must come from within self; and be in harmony with G-d (III Chronicles 7:14). So many of us believe that our doctors can heal or cure anything, but honestly the only one that can heal you is yourself. Emuna is key to healing oneself.
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