Sweet Smell

Why does the parsha of the mizbaoch ketoret come only after the priestly garments?  The Gemorah Kerisut (6b) says the ketoret was comprised of 11 ingredients; 10 had a good scent and the חלבנה naturally had a bad scent but was absorbed in the good scent of the other ingredients.  From here the Gemorah derives א"ר חנא בר בזנא א"ר שמעון חסידא: כל תענית שאין בה מפושעי ישראל אינה תענית, שהרי חלבנה ריחה רע, ומנאה הכתוב עם סממני קטרת.  Why do we include the bad scent and the sinners in a day of fasting?  The Gemorah in Chullin (139b) says מרדכי מן התורה מנין דכתיב מר דרור ומתרגמינן מירא דכיא.  Why is Mordechai hinted to in the ketoret and specifically the מר דרור?  

The Meor Vashemesh (Rimzey Purim) says that the number 11 represents the forces of evil in the world like Haman and his 10 sons were 11.  The ketoret being ground up to obliterate the bad smell of the חלבנה represents the ability to crush the evil.  The spice that had the greatest effect in canceling out the smell of the חלבנה was the first spice, the מר דרור. Similarly, Mordechai was able to obliterate the forces of evil led by Haman.   המן is the gematria of the חלבנה.   He adds that's why Chazal use the language of לבסומי, a term generally used for spices because the ability to cancel out the arur Hamam is derived from the ketoret. 

The Torah calls the number 11 עשתי עשר.  Why use this strange expression and not אחד עשר?  (It does say אחד עשרin one place, you can find it)  The Even Ezra in Naso (7:72) says that the word עשתי עשר means וטעם עשתי כמו עשתנותיו (תה' קמו, ד), מה שיולידו מחשבותיו, כאילו העשר הוליד והוא סוד גדול.  This is the 11 that is the forces of evil in the world, it is one more than the unit of ten, it does not fit in the bundle.  That is what עשתי עשר represents.  It is that power that becomes obliterated in the ketoret. 

The Bnei Yissocher (maamer 1 #9) brings from the Arizal that the month of Adar corresponds to the nose.  He says that is why Mordechai is connected to מור דרור and Ester to haddasim, both have pleasant fragrances for it is on Purim where the evil is turned on its head and crushed.  

The mizbaoch haketoret is where the incense offering of Yom Kippur is offered.  It is the time when the sins are pushed aside and the power of the ס"א is sent up in smoke.  That is why the mizbaoch heketoret is mentioned at the end of Titzaveh.  Everything else is subject to misappropriation, to be blocked out by sin but the ketoret is able to purify the stench of sin.