Purpose and Placement of the Incense Altar/2

The Incense Altar – Placement and Purpose

Exegetical Approaches

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Exalted Status

The incense altar is mentioned at the end of the discussion of the Mishkan and its vessels to highlight its exalted status, being second only to the Ark in importance.

Sources:R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Shemot 30:1About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)¹

Function of the Incense Altar – R. Saba highlights the role played by the incense in attaining atonement and abating the wrath of Hashem.  As evidence, he points  to the incense brought by Aharon to stop the plague in the aftermath of Korach's rebellion (Bemidbar 17:9-13). He further suggests that the statement "וְכִפֶּר אַהֲרֹן עַל קַרְנֹתָיו אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה מִדַּם חַטַּאת הַכִּפֻּרִים" proves that the atonement of Yom HaKippurim is dependent upon it.²

Purpose of the Tabernacle – R. Saba maintains that the Tabernacle as a whole was built to atone for the Sin of the Golden Calf.³  As such, the Incense Altar, with its similar atoning function, is a central vessel.

Meaning of קטורת – R. Saba suggests that the root "קטר" means to tie, as it does in Aramaic. In its atoning role, the altar serves to tie together all the aspects of the Tabernacle.  It further connect and joins the nation to Hashem.

Placement in the Kodesh – The altar's placement in the Ohel Moed, facing the Ark, symbolizes that it is second in status only to it.

"קֹדֶשׁ קׇדָשִׁים הוּא לַי"י" – This approach might suggest that this phrase describes the altar itself. It, like the ark, has "holy of holy" status.

Morning and evening – R. Saba suggests that the incense was burned both in the morning and evening to ensure that that throughout the day the incense could counter any potential wrath of Hashem.

Comparison to the copper altar – As the sacrifices on the Copper Altar similarly serve an atoning function, one might question why the Incense Altar is considered so much more important.  R. Saba might respond that sacrificial offerings of the copper altar are never seen to actively stop plague in the manner of the incense.⁴

Last is best

Unique Function

The command to build the Incense Altar appears separately from the other vessels because it does not share their purpose.  While the Tabernacle as a whole was meant to invite and house Hashem's presence, the Incense Altar had a different function.

Sources:RambanShemot 30:1About R. Moshe b. Nachman, SefornoShemot 30:1About R. Ovadyah Seforno, Vilna Gaon, modern scholars

Purpose of the Mishkan as a whole

Function of the incense altar

Secondary Vessel

The placement of the Incense Altar after the main discussion of the Mishkan's vessels highlights its lowly status and the technical role it played.

Sources:Moreh Nevukhim3 45About Moreh Nevukhim, R. Meir Simcha of DvinskMeshekh Chokhmah Shemot 30:1About R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (Meshekh Chokhmah)

Function of the Incense Altar – These sources disagree regarding the altar's function:

• Rambam asserts that the Incense Altar functioned as a deodorizer for the Mishkan.  The odors of the animal slaughter and blood would have been overwhelming if they were not countered by the fragrance of the incense.⁵  He adds that it was necessary to ensure that there was a pleasant fragrance for, otherwise, the people would not properly honor the Mikdash.
• The Meshekh Chokhmah points out that the incense is burned even without an altar,⁶ which teaches that the golden altar, as opposed to the other vessels, is not in itself significant.  It is simply a convenient way to bring the incense.⁷

Context – Discussion of the Incense Altar is followed by a description of the water basin (כיור), a secondary vessel which played no role in any cultic rite, and only served to clean and prepare the priests for service.  This context, thus, supports this approach's position that the Incense Altar also played merely a technical role.

Morning and evening – The incense was burned both in the morning and evening, around the time of the daily sacrificial offerings whose scent it was meant to counter.⁸

Placement of the Altar in the Tabernacle – If the incense was meant to clear the air from the burning flesh, why was it placed inside the sanctuary? Should it not have been placed outside, near the copper altar where the animals were being sacrificed?  Rambam might respond that it is specifically in the enclosed space of the Tabernacle that the odor would have been overwhelming. The altar was, thus, placed inside but close to the outside curtain so as to most effectively accomplish its its goal.

Golden materials – If the altar was simply a deodorizer, it is not clear why it needed to be made of the most precious of metals, gold.  The Rambam could reply that everything in the Tabernacle needed to be made of the highest quality materials both to honor of God and to ensure that the people felt that the Tabernacle was worthy of glory.⁹

Can laws be utilitarian in nature? One might question whether it is possible that laws might be ordained for purely practical purposes, with no spiritual benefit. Rambam, though, is consistent in reading various laws as being utilitarian in nature. See, for example, his understanding of the laws of Shemittah and Kashrut.

Incense on Yom HaKippurim – The Yom HaKippurim service mandates that the high priest light incense and bring it to the Holy of Holies.  It is difficult to say that this, too, was necessary merely to freshen the air;¹⁰ in fact, it suggests that the incense was one of the most exalted of offerings.¹¹

Incense in the story of Korach – One might further question this position's view of the incense from the story of Korach's rebellion.  If the incense played such an insignificant role in the Tabernacle, why was it chosen to test  who merited the priestly position?

Change in Plan

Technicalities

The placement of the unit discussing the Incense Altar says nothing about the function or intrinsic worth of the vessel.  It is simply the result of technical, literary concerns.

Sources:Ibn EzraShemot First Commentary 30:10Shemot Second Commentary 25:22Shemot Second Commentary 27:8About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Y. Rock

¹ See also TanchumaTetzaveh 15About the Tanchuma and Ibn Ezra Shemot First Commentary 30:10About R. Avraham ibn Ezrawho similarly point to the beloved and exalted nature of the incense altar/ offering, but do not use this to explain the placement of the command.

² This, though, is not the simplest way to understand the phrase.  The verse appears to be saying only that on Yom HaKippurim blood was sprinkled on the altar as part of the general atonement of the Mikdash, not that the altar itself served to atone for the Mikdash. Nonetheless, as the golden altar is the only vessel besides the kaporet (the cover of the ark) on which blood is sprinkled, it is fair to say that it, more than the other vessels, played a role in the atonement of Yom HaKippurim. Moreover, as the incense is brought into the Holy of Holies, it clearly plays some significant function in the atoning service.

³ See Purpose of the Mishkan

⁴ At the same time, we do see that the plague that comes in the aftermath of David's counting of the nation in Shemuel II 24 is stopped after David builds an altar and offers sacrifices.

⁵ See also R"Y Bekhor ShorShemot 30:1About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor  who compares the incense to the מוגמר of a king.

⁶ See Bavli ZevachimZevachim 59aAbout the Bavli, "והאמר רב גידל אמר רב מזבח שנעקר מקטירין קטרת במקומו. "

⁷ He does differ from the Rambam, though, in viewing the incense itself as being more significant.

⁸ It should be noted, however, that the verse does not make this association, instead connecting the timing of the incense burning with the lighting of the Menorah. (See verses 7-8: "בַּבֹּקֶר בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה. וּבְהַעֲלֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַנֵּרֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה").

⁹ This is a theme that Rambam stresses throughout his discussion of the Tabernacle and its service.  Many aspects of service in the Mishkan were mandated to ensure that the people felt the proper respect towards the building and, thus, towards the Divine.

¹⁰ This is especially true given the fact that the verse says that the consequences of not bringing the incense is death.

¹¹ Rambam might respond that it was only this one day a year where the incense functioned in this manner, while its normal usage was much more mundane.