Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

112
בלה תובשחמ
does the Torah return to command the construction of the mizbach ha-olah. The
placement of this command just does not seem to fit!
It is interesting to note that the actual construction of the mishkan and its vessels,
described in Parshiot Vayakhel and Pekudei, did not follow the order in which
the commands to build them were given. The physical structure of the mishkan
was built before the keilim, such that there would be a place for the keilim to go
immediately upon their construction (see Rashi to Parshat Pekudei, 38:22). But
if that was Hashem’s intent, why did He command the stages of construction in
a different order?
It seems likely that the commands to build the mishkan and its keilim were given
in a particular order so as to communicate the purpose and function of those
items. The Ramban (introduction to Parshat Teruma), for example, famously
writes that the purpose of the mishkan was to serve as a center for hashra’at ha-
Shechina, for Hashem’s Presence to dwell in the midst of the Jewish people. It is
for this reason that the aron and kapporet were commanded first, since Hashem
actually rested His Presence above the kapporet (see Parshat Teruma, 25:22).
With this in mind, we can return to our original question, the placement of
the command to construct the mizbach ha-ketoret. The mizbach ha-ketoret was
actually built right after the shulchan and menorah, as we would have expected
(see Parshat Vayakhel, 37:24-29). It is just the command to build it that was delayed
until after the commands to build the rest of the mishkan and to inaugurate
the kohanim. Perhaps this indicates that the mizbach ha-ketoret was meant to
function in a different way than the other keilim of the mishkan.
What was the unique function of the mizbach ha-ketoret and the ketoret service
itself and why should that function necessitate delaying the command to build
this mizbe’ach? Various approaches to this question have been suggested by the
commentators. 1 Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (30:1) explains that the commands
regarding the ketoret and its mizbe’ach were delayed until the end because they
1. See Rav Elchanan Samet’s article, available online at http://www.vbm-torah.org/parsha.60/20tetzav.htm. Rav
Samet summarizes three distinct approaches and presents his own fascinating suggestion as to the function
of the ketoret. The approach we will mention here is related to one of the approaches cited in this article, but
developed a bit differently.