[Par-reg] for Parshat Tezaveh - shiur
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Wed Feb 29 14:04:56 EST 2012
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THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag
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PARSHAT TETZAVEH - The mizbach
ha'ktoret
Order in the 'court-yard'? Certainly
that's what we'd
expect to find when the Torah presents the
laws of the
mishkan; and that is exactly what we do find
- most of the
time.
However, there is one glaring exception
- that relates to
the placement of the laws of the mizbach
ha-ktoret at the end
of Parshat Tetzaveh (instead of at the
beginning of Parshat
Teruma).
In the following shiur, we will first
clarify our
question; afterward we will offer an
explanation that relates
once again to the thematic connection between
the mishkan and
Ma'amad Har Sinai.
INTRODUCTION
Recall, from last week's shiur how
Parshat Tetzaveh forms
part of the larger unit (chapters 25 thru
31), which we
referred to as tzivui ha-mishkan [the
commandment to build the
mishkan]. This unit contains a complete set
of laws in which
God explains to Moshe how the mishkan is to
be built and how
it will operate.
In that shiur, we discussed the
controversy concerning
when and why this set of laws was first given
to Moshe
Rabeinu. In the following shiur, we analyze
the internal
structure of this unit, to show how (and why)
it actually
contains two distinct units - that overlap in
a very special
manner.
A VERY LONG 'DIBBUR'
Before we begin, we must make one
general observation
concerning why parshiot Teruma and Tetzaveh
(i.e. Shmot 25:1-
30:10) should be considered a distinct
'sub-unit'. Note how
Parshat Teruma begins with God's commandment
to Moshe to
"speak to Bnei Yisrael and tell them..."
(25:1) - followed by
a lengthy set of instructions that continues
all the way until
the end of Parshat Tetzaveh (i.e. 30:10). To
prove this,
simply note how the next "dibur" doesn't
begin until the
opening pasuk of Parshat Ki Tisa. [See the
new "dibur" in
30:11, while noting that there has not been
any similar
opening statement since 25:1. However, from
30:11 till the
end of chapter 31, every parshia in a
separate "dibur"! We'll
return to this observation later in the
shiur.]
Therefore, we begin our study with an
analysis of this
first 'sub-unit' (i.e. 25:1 thru 30:10).
Afterward, we will
discuss how the six short 'parshiot' in
Parshat Ki Tisa (30:11
thru 31:18) that follow, even though they are
outside this
unit, complete the larger unit of "tzivui
ha-mishkan" - the
commandment to build the Mishkan.
AN OUTLINE OF TERUMA/TETZAVEH
The following outline summarizes the
topic of each
parshia within this unit of parshiot
Teruma/Tetzaveh. Study
it carefully, noting how it appears to follow
in a rather
logical order (at least until the very end).
It will clarify
our opening question.
[Follow this chart with a Tanach Koren
at hand.]
Introduction - Donation of the materials
(25:1-7)
& the purpose of this project:
"Ve-asu li mikdash ve-shachantI
betocham" (25:8-9)
Vessels in the Kodesh Kodashim (innermost
sanctuary)
Aron - the ark to house the "luchot"
(25:10-16)
Kaporet - the special lid for the ark
(25:17-22)
Vessels in the Kodesh (main sanctuary)
Shulchan - the table for the show-bread
(25:23-30)
Menora - the candelabra (25:31-40)
The Ohel Mo'ed [The tent housing these
vessels] (26:1-37)
Yeriot - The canvas of the tent - from
cloth & goatskins
Krashim - the wooden beams supporting
this tent
Parochet - the curtain to partition the
Kodesh Kdoshim
The Chatzer [The outer courtyard & its
vessels]
Mizbeiach Ha-Ola (the altar / 27:1-8)
Chatzer - the outer courtyard
its curtains and poles (see
27:9-19)
Oil For The Menora (27:20-21)
[A priori, we would have expected to find
this commandment
with the menorah. See further iyun.]
The 'Bigdei Kehuna' - (28:1-43)
Six parshiot describing the priestly
garments
The Seven-Day Inaugural Dedication Ceremony
(29:1-37)
Olat Tamid (29:38-46)
The daily offering on the altar (after
its dedication)
The Mizbach Ha-Ktoret - the incense altar
(30:1-10)
[This seems 'out of place', as we will
discuss.']
As you review this outline, note the
logical order of its
progression. It begins by describing the
'aron' - the most
sacred object in the mishkan, situated in the
'kodesh
kodashim'; then continues with the vessels
located in the
'kodesh', followed by the 'ohel mo'ed' [Tent
of Meeting],
which houses these vessels. Afterward we
find the 'mizbach ha-
ola' - which is located outside this tent -
and the courtyard
['chatzer'] that surrounds it. This unit
concludes with the
'bigdei kehuna' - the special garments for
the kohanim who
will officiate in the mishkan, followed by
the details of its
seven-day dedication ceremony (and the daily
sacrifice that
will be henceforth offered).
However, the final parshia describing
the "mizbach ha-
ktoret appears to be totally 'out of place'.
After all, this
golden altar is one of the three vessels
situated in the
kodesh. Clearly, this parshia should have
been recorded in
chapter 26 together with the laws of the
"shulchan and menorah
- the other vessels located in the ohel
mo'ed.
To verify this point (that the mizbach
ktoret is recorded
out of place), simply note the parallel
mention of these
vessels in Parshat Vayakhel (see 35:13-15,
37:10-29, &
39:35-39). There the laws of the mizbach
ktoret are
consistently recorded together with the laws
of the menorah
and the shulchan.
Furthermore, this 'displacement' of the
mizbach ha-ktoret
is only half the problem. We will now
explain how the psukim
that precede this parshia place this golden
altar in even
greater 'isolation'!
OUT OF 'PLACE' and 'OUT' OF PLACE
Review the above outline once again,
noting how the
parshia of the olat tamid (29:38-46) forms
what 'should have
been' the conclusion of this unit. Let's
take a closer look
at this parshia, noting how its concluding
verses forms a
beautiful summary for this entire unit (see
29:42-44):
"Olat tamid for all generations, in front
of the ohel mo'ed
- the place where we will meet to speak to
you from there."
[note how this pasuk 'matches' 25:22!]
And I will sanctify the OHEL MO'ED (& its
vessels),
[summarizing chapters 25 & 26]
the MIZBEIACH (i.e. the chatzer),
[summarizing chapter 27)
and the KOHANIM... (i.e. their garments
& dedication)
[summarizing chapters 28 & 29]
(see
29:44)
As you review these psukim, note how the
words in CAPS
correlate to the primary topics in the above
outline! But
that's not all, for the next pasuk forms
almost a perfect
'bookend' for this entire unit: "ve-shachanti
betoch bnei
Yisrael..." (see 29:45) - matching: "ve-asu
li mikdash ve-
shachanti betocham" (see 25:8) -the opening
commandment of
this entire unit - found at the beginning of
Parshat Teruma!
Finally, to top it off, this parshia
concludes with its
'grand finale' - that connects the purpose of
this mishkan to
the very purpose of the entire process of
Yetziat Mitzrayim:
"And they shall know that I am their God
who took them out
of Egypt - le-shochni betocham - in order
to dwell among
them; I am the Lord their God" (see
29:42-46).
Thus, chapters 25 thru 29 form a clearly
defined unit
with 'matching bookends'. But this only
magnifies our opening
question regarding the placement of the laws
concerning the
mizbach ha-ktoret (in the next parshia / see
30:1-10) - for it
is not only 'out of place' - it is totally
isolated - outside
this 'shechina' unit!
This total isolation of the mizbach
ha-ktoret forces us
to search for a thematic reason for the
Torah's intentional
placement of these laws after the closure of
the shechina
unit.
BACK TO HAR SINAI
To suggest an answer to this question,
let's return once
again to the conceptual parallel between the
mishkan and Har
Sinai, as discussed in last week's shiur, and
as explicated by
Ramban:
"... the hidden purpose ['sod'] of the
mishkan is for God's
glory which dwelled ('shachan') on Har
Sinai to dwell upon
it..." (Ramban on 25:1, see TSC shiur on
Teruma).
According to Ramban, the very purpose of
the mishkan was
to serve as a vehicle that could perpetuate
the Sinai
experience! This purpose is reflected in the
numerous
parallels that exist between Ma'amad Har
Sinai and the
mishkan. For example:
* The aron:
contains the luchot ha-eidut (25:21), the
everlasting
testimony of the covenant forged between
God and bnei
Yisrael at Har Sinai (see 24:3-12).
* The keruvim:
situated above the kaporet (on top of the
aron), serve as
the site from where God will continue to
speak to Moshe.
There, Moshe will receive the remaining
mitzvot, just as he
had received the dibrot from God on Har
Sinai.
* The mizbach ha-ola: -
where Bnei Yisrael will offer their olot &
shlamim, is
similar to the mizbeiach that Bnei Yisrael
built at the foot
of Har Sinai, upon which they offered olot
& shlamim (see
24:4-8).
Following this train of thought, we
should expect to find
a parallel as well between the mizbach
ha-ktoret and Ma'amad
Har Sinai - a parallel that may shed light on
why the Torah
places the mizbach ha-ktoret after the
Shechina unit of the
mishkan was completed. To find it, we must
first consider a
more general parallel between Har Sinai and
the mishkan.
THREE MECHITZOT
One of the most striking parallels
between the mishkan
and Har Sinai relates to the concept of
'mechitzot' -
boundaries. At Har Sinai, the people are
instructed to remain
at the foot of the mountain while the kohanim
are permitted to
come a bit closer (see 19:22; 24:1-2 &
24:9). Only Moshe is
granted access to the top of the mountain
(see 19:20-24 & 24:2
& 24:12).
In regard to the mishkan, we find a very
interesting
parallel. The people are permitted to
proceed only as far as
the outer courtyard of the mishkan (where the
mizbach ha-ola
is located). The kohanim are allowed into
the "kodesh" (where
the shulchan & menorah are located), and only
Moshe (and
Aharon) can enter the "kodesh ha-kodashim"
(where the aron &
keruvim are located).
[Additionally, Bnei Yisrael may enter the
courtyard only
after first purifying themselves (i.e. they
must be
"tahor"), just as a purification process
was required in
preparation for Ma'amad Har Sinai (see
19:10-15).]
The following table summarizes this
parallel:
GROUP HAR THE FUNCTION
SINAI MISHKAN ========
===== =======
Moshe top of Kodesh dibur
mountain kodashim
Kohanim mid- Kodesh meeting
mountain (ohel moed)
People foot of Chatzer korbanot
mountain (courtyard)
So how does the mizbach ha-ktoret fit
into all this?
In our shiur on Parshat Yitro, we
discussed the dialectic
nature of the encounter between God and Bnei
Yisrael at Har
Sinai. Ideally, Bnei Yisrael should have
heard the
commandments directly from God ['panim
be-panim']. However,
as mortal man is incapable of withstanding
God's Presence (see
Devarim 5:4-5, 20-25), God found it necessary
to 'buffer' this
encounter. due to this tension, God found it
necessary to
cover Har Sinai with a cloud before revealing
himself:
"Behold I am coming to you be-av he-anan -
in the thickness
of a cloud - in order that they can hear as
I speak to
you..." (see 19:9)
"... And Har Sinai was full of smoke
['ashan'], for God had
come down upon it with fire... "
(see 19:16-18 and the TSC shiur on
Parshat Yitro).
In this manner, the anan (cloud) on Har
Sinai effectively
served as a buffer between:
- Bnei Yisrael at the foot of the mountain,
and
- God's revelation at the top of the
mountain.
One could suggest that the mizbach
ha-ktoret serves a
similar function. When the ktoret [incense]
is offered on the
coals of this small altar, it creates a cloud
of smoke (see
Vayikra 16:13) in the "kodesh". In this
manner, this "anan"
[cloud of smoke] forms a buffer between Bnei
Yisrael, who
stand outside in the chatzer - and God, whose
presence dwells
in the "kodesh ha-kodashim".
THE AXIS: -Aron -- Mizbach Ktoret -- Mizbach
Ola
This interpretation is supported by two
key psukim that
describe the relationship between the mizbach
ha-ola, mizbach
ha-ktoret, and the kodesh kodashim.
The first pasuk stresses the connection
between the
mizbach ha-ola and the ohel mo'ed. As you
study this pasuk,
note how redundant it appears to be:
"olat tamid [the daily offering on the
mizbach ha-ola]
- for all generations,
- in front of the entrance to the ohel
mo'ed -
- before God [lifnei Hashem]
- from where I will meet you
- to speak to you there" (see 29:42).
Surely, the Torah could have explained
where this public
offering is brought in half the words; yet
for some reason the
Torah wishes to emphasize a thematic
connection between the
"olat tamid" and the place where God will
speak to Bnei
Yisrael.
Then, in the next 'parshia', the Torah
provides explicit
instructions concerning where to place the
mizbach ha-ktoret.
Note once again the 'wordiness' of this
pasuk, and how it
relates to the pasuk above:
"And you shall place it [the mizbach
ktoret]
- in front of the parochet,
- which is over the aron ha-eidut,
- in front of the kaporet which is upon
the eidut
- from where I will meet with you." (see
30:6).
It is for this reason that the Torah
emphasizes that the
mizbach ktoret must be located between these
two focal points,
i.e. along this very same axis that connects
the mizbach ha-
ola with the kodesh kodashim.
In fact, later on in the same chapter, when
the Torah
explains how the ktoret was made, it
emphasizes this point
once again:
"...and you shall grind it very fine, and put
it:
- before the testimony [lifnei ha'eidut]
- in the tent of meeting [ohel moed],
- where I will meet with you; - it shall be
for you most
holy." (see 30:36)
A 'PROTECTED' DIVINE ENCOUNTER
In a manner very similar to what took
place at Har Sinai,
God 'comes down' from the heavens, as it
were, to the kodesh
kodashim; while Bnei Yisrael come from their
camp, to stand
before God in the chatzer of the mishkan.
Hence, the main section of the ohel
mo'ed serves as a
buffer between God and Bnei Yisrael. There,
the ktoret must
be offered each time the kohen enters to
perform his service,
which creates an anan [cloud of smoke] to
'protect' the kohen
when he enters the kodesh:
"And Aharon shall offer the ktoret daily,
in the morning
before tending to the menorah, and when
lighting the menorah
in the evening..." (30:7-8).
[Note also Vayikra 16:2, where Aharon must
also offer
ktoret to create a similar cloud of smoke
to protect
himself before entering the kodesh
ha-kodashim on Yom
Kippur!]
With this background we can answer our
opening question.
One could suggest that by placing the
commandment to build the
mizbach ha-ktoret after the summary psukim at
the very end of
this unit, the Torah alludes to its unique
function as a
'buffer' in this covenantal encounter. As -
'realistically' -
Bnei Yisrael may not be worthy of this
encounter, the Torah
commands Bnei Yisrael to place the mizbach
ktoret in the
kodesh to serve as a buffer, to protect them
for the Shechina
that dwells in the kodesh kedoshim.
[Note the similarity between the nature of
this 'protected
encounter' in the mishkan and what we
referred to in our
shiur on Parshat Yitro as 'plan A,' by
which God speaks to
Moshe while 'covered by a cloud' so that
the people can only
overhear their conversation. See Shmot
19:9! See also
Devarim 5:5.]
Furthermore, the dialectic nature of
this encounter is
highlighted by the placement of the laws of
the mizbach ha-
ktoret outside this Shechina unit, yet within
the same dibur!
THE KTORET UNIT
Up until this point, we have treated
parshiot
Teruma/Tetzaveh as one, integrated unit, as
indicated by the
single dibur that introduces these two
parshiot. Now we must
consider the remaining parshiot (in Parshat
Ki Tisa) that form
the final six paragraphs of the greater
tzivui ha-mishkan
unit.
Take a minute to review the beginning of
Ki-Tisa (i.e.
30:11-31:17), noting how it describes several
other mitzvot
concerning the mishkan that were also 'left
out' of the
Shechina unit.
When we list these parshiot in order, we
find once again
a set of 'bookends':
30:1-10 mizbach ha-ktoret (* bookend 1 *)
(as explained above)
30:11-16 Machatzit ha-shekel -
money collected to fund the
ohel mo'ed
30:17-21 Ki'yor
the faucet for the kohanim to
wash their hands
30:22-33 Shemen ha-mishcha
special oil to anoint the
mishkan's accessories and the
kohanim
30:34-38 Ktoret (* bookend 2 *)
the incense for the mizbach
ktoret
[At this point, the laws concerning the
mishkan end.
Chapter 31 discusses the appointment of
Betzalel to build
the mishkan and the prohibition to work on
Shabbat (to
preclude the possible, mistaken notion the
work for the
mishkan on shabbat is permissible).
Whereas these do not
involve laws directly relating to the
construction of the
mishkan and its accessories, we have
omitted them from this
table.]
The above table shows how (1) the
mizbach ktoret and (2)
the mitzvah to make the ktoret delineate a
second unit, which
contains several peripheral commandments
regarding the
mishkan.
A PARALLEL STRUCTURE
As your review these parshiot, note how
a rather amazing
parallel structure emerges; pointing to the
direct connection
between this Ktoret unit and the previous
Shechina unit. Note
how each of these peripheral commandments in
the Ktoret unit
corresponds (in the same order!) to a related
topic in the
Shechina unit!
The following table illustrates this
parallel:
TOPIC SHECHINA KTORET
UNIT UNIT
Accessories aron, mizbach
in the kaporet, ktoret
mishkan shulchan,
menorah
Ohel Mo'ed yeriot, machatzit
krashim ha-shekel
le-avodat
ohel mo'ed
Chatzer mizbach kiyor
ha'olah
Dedication bigdei shemen ha-
kehuna & mishcha
milu'im
(to anoint
the kohanim)
Daily korban ktoret
Offering tamid on tamid on
mizbach ha-ola mizbach ha-ktoret
The mitzvot found in the Shechina unit,
which focus on
God's 'hitgalut' in the mishkan, are
complemented by the
mitzvot in the Ktoret unit, which focus on
the need to protect
Bnei Yisrael in this special encounter.
Note as well how all of the mitzvot in
the Ktoret unit
emphasize either kapara (see shiur on Yom
Kippur, where we
explained how kapara involves protection from
God's hitgalut)
or warn of impending death if not performed
properly (see
30:10; 30:12; 30:21; 30:33; 30:38; relate to
Devarim
5:21-23!). Protection is required from the
potential
punishment enacted should man not prepare
himself properly for
this encounter with God in the mishkan.
In this manner, the laws of the mizbach
ktoret can serve
as an eternal reminder of how man must not
only value his
ability to enjoy a relationship with God, but
also remain
aware of the natural limits of this
encounter.
shabbat
shalom,
menachem
==================
FOR FURTHER IYUN
A. Be sure to see Ramban on 30:1, where he
explains why the
mizbach ha-ktoret is at the end of the unit.
See also Seforno
& Chizkuni. Relate these approaches to our
analysis of this
unit in the above shiur.
B. In our discussion of the overall
structure, we noted that
(B) comprises the complete unit of tzivui
ha-mishkan. Note
that this complete unit includes seven
dibur's. [A dibur is
each time the Torah introduces God's speech
to Moshe with, "Va-
yedaber Hashem el Moshe leimor" or "va-yomer
...", etc.
[See 25:1, 30:11, 30:17, 30:22, 30:34,
31:1, and 31:12.]
One could view these dibur's as
allusions to the seven
days of creation. The first dibur, covering
the entire
Shechina unit, may reflect the concept of
God's creation of
light / Shechina (see Rashi on Breishit 1:3).
The next four
deal with other mitzvot of the mishkan.
[Admittedly, they
don't work out as good as the rest.] The
sixth dibur
describes the appointment of Betzalel to
build the mishkan.
This may parallel God's creation of man on
the sixth day.
Just as man in Creation [perek aleph] was to
master the
material world and utilize his God-given
talents towards a
divine purpose, so must Betzalel organize the
materials
collected and use his God-given talents to
oversee the
construction of the mishkan. To do so, he
requires 'ruach
Elokim' (31:3/ relate to the creation of man
'be-tzelem
Elokim').
The seventh dibur is the mitzvah to keep
Shabbat! (See
31:15.) This may serve as the basis for the
many Midrashim
that describe the mishkan as the pinnacle of
the creation
process. This reflects, once again, the
biblical theme that
the natural world needs to be directed
towards a divine
purpose. This is the duty of man not only in
the mishkan, but
also throughout his daily life, as well.
C. A FULL TIME JOB
Recall from our original outline how the
first two psukim
of Parshat Tetzaveh (i.e. the mitzvah to
light the menorah
/see 27:20-21) also appears out of place. If
we follow the
logic of the structure of the Shechina unit,
it should have
been recorded together with the mitzvah to
build the menorah
(just as the mitzvah to offer the lechem
ha-panim is included
with the mitzvah to build the shulchan / see
25:30).
Nevertheless, the Torah transfers these
psukim from
chapter 26 and juxtaposes them with the
mitzvah to make the
bigdei kehuna (in chapter 28). Why?
One could suggest that in doing so, the
Torah alludes to
a more important role of the kohanim. Aside
from the honor
and glory of their position, as reflected by
their special
garments, their primary job is to 'spread the
light' of Torah
- the message of mishkan, as represented by
the aron ha-eidut
at its focal point - to Bnei Yisrael.
It is this mitzvah of the kohanim, to
disseminate the
Torah, which may explain why it referred to
as a "chukat olam
le-doroteichem - an everlasting law for all
generations" (see
27:31). Even when the mikdash lay in ruins,
this mitzvah
forever remains the obligation of our
religious leaders.
D. ADDITIONAL SOURCES & RESEARCH
Re: The 'displacement' of the mizbach
ha-ktoret
We explained that the Torah
'transferred' the discussion
of the mizbach ha-ktoret to the end of the
mishkan unit to
emphasize its role as a 'buffer', protecting
Bnei Yisrael from
the 'hashra'at ha-Shechina' that occurs in
the mishkan. This
general idea appears in the Vilna Gaon's
"Aderet Eliyahu".
The Gaon explains that neither the ktoret nor
the machatzit ha-
shekel (which the Torah discusses immediately
following its
discussion of the mizbach ha-ktoret) was
indispensable for
'hashra'at ha-Shechina'. They come into play
once the
Shechina has already descended, in order to
bring kapara for
Bnei Yisrael. Though the Gaon does not
mention the 'buffer'
idea developed in the shiur, his explanation
does feature the
concept of a need for kapara when the
Shechina descends and
the mizbach ha-zahav as filling that role.
Like the Gaon, the
Seforno also writes that the mizbach ha-zahav
is not necessary
for the Shechina to descend. However, rather
than pointing to
atonement as the ktoret's primary function,
the Seforno views
it as an expression of kavod to Hashem, and
hence a prayer of
sorts asking the Almighty to accept the
korbanot offered on
the other mizbeiach. The Ramban also writes
along the lines,
describing the mizbach ha-zahav as an
expression of kavod
rather than a means of bringing the Shechina.
This point, whether or not the ktoret is
required to
bring the Shechina, appears to be subject to
dispute. The
Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 15, writes clearly
that the
Shechina would not descend into the mishkan
until after the
ktoret was offered. This is also the view of
the Da'at
Zekeinim mi-Ba'alei ha-Tosafot on Shmot 25:6.
This view would
oppose the position of the Seforno and Vilna
Gaon.
Several different answers to the
question of this
parsha's location appear in other mefarshim.
Some Acharonim,
including the Meshech Chochma (30:1), view
the location of
this parsha as an allusion to the halacha
allowing the
offering of ktoret even without the mizbach
ha-ktoret. The Or
Ha-chayim (25:9) also sees here a subtle
allusion to a
technicality, that Shlomo Ha-melech built his
own mizbach ha-
ktoret rather than using Moshe's. (This
assumption is
somewhat controversial - see Torah Shleima,
milu'im to Parshat
Tetzaveh, 29.) The Tzror Ha-mor (30:1)
writes that the Torah
places this parsha last to indicate the
unique stature of the
mizbach ha-ktoret as the most important of
all the klei ha-
mikdash. A similar theory is advanced by Rav
Dov Rabinowitz
("Da'at Sofrim"), who claims that Bnei
Yisrael are worthy for
the ktoret, the most exalted of all the
offerings, only after
they have loyally executed all the commands
of the previous
chapters and the Shechina has taken it
residence in the
mishkan. Rav Zalman Sorotzkin (Oznayim
la-Torah 30:1)
suggests precisely the opposite: lest one
afford too much
importance to the mizbach ha-zahav over the
mizbach ha-
nechoshet, the Torah extracted the former
from the discussion
of the klei ha-mikdash in order to emphasize
that the mizbach
ha-nechoshet actually constitutes the primary
altar. The
Netziv understands the Torah's structure as
intended to
underscore the distinct themes symbolized by
the two
mizbachot. The mizbach ha-nechoshet - along
with the menorah
- represents Torah, whereas the mizbach
ha-ktoret symbolizes
gemilut chasadim. The Torah emphasizes their
symbolic
distinction by separating them; their
coexistence in the
heichal points to the need for the two to
work in tandem. The
Malbim, who develops an elaborate system of
symbolism with
regard to the mishkan and its accessories,
views the mizbach
ha-ktoret as representing the spiritual
result of the avoda
performed in the mishkan. It is therefore
presented last and
apart from the rest of the mishkan's
components, as it
represents that which is attained as a result
of that was
discussed beforehand.
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