2023/5783

Honoring God and the Mizbeach HaZahav

By Eitan Mermelstein (‘23)

This week’s Parashah deals heavily with the Bigdei Kehunah and the

procedure in the Mishkan. However, at the end of this Parashah,

Hashem commands Moshe, “VeAsita Mizbeach Miktar Ketoret,” “And

you will make an altar to bring incense” (Shemot 30:1). This command

seems out of place as the Mizbeach HaZahav is one of the inner

sanctum vessels which should have been enumerated with other inner

sanctum vessels such as the Menorah and the Shulchan that appear in

Parashat Terumah. In fact, when the Torah enumerates the building of

the Mishkan in Parashat Vayakhel, the Torah records the building of

the Mizbeach HaZahav immediately after the Menorah and Shulchan

are recorded. Thus, the question arises: Why did the Torah record the

commandment to build the Mizbeach HaZahav separate from the

commandment to build all of the other Keilim?

Ramban, Shemot 30:1 s.v. VeAsita Mizbeach Miktar Ketoret,

writes that the reason the Mizbeach HaZahav belongs here is that

immediately preceding this command, the Torah writes “VeNodati

Shamah LiBnei Yisrael VeNikdash BeKevodi,” “I will be meet there with

Bnei Yisrael and it shall be sanctified in my name” (Shemot 29:43).

Furthermore, shortly thereafter, the Torah writes: “VeShachanti Betoch

Bnei Yisrael” “And I will dwell amongst Bnei Yisrael” (Shemot 29:45).

Therefore, the Ketoret, which is an important element of being

Mekabed Hashem is recorded now. Thus, it is heavily related to the

above Pesukim which emphasize the connection between the Mishkan

and Hashem being close to Bnei Yisrael In contrast, the Sforno,

Shemot 30:1 s.v. Mizbach Miktar Ketoret, writes that the reason the

Mizbeach HaZahav was recorded here is that unlike the other Keilim

recorded in Terumah which are about Hashem’s dwelling among Bnei

Yisrael, the Mizbeach HaZahav served a different purpose. This is why

the Torah writes: “VeShachanti Betoch Bnei Yisrael,” “And I will dwell amongst Bnei Yisrael” (ibid) before it records the instructions to build

the Mizbeach HaZahav. Furthermore, the instruction to build the

Mizbeach HaZahav did not belong with the Korbanot earlier in the

Parashah because the Mizbeach HaZahav’s purpose wasn’t to bring

Hashem’s presence into this world. This too is why the Torah wrote:

“VeNodati Shamah LiBnei Yisrael VeNikdash BeKevodi,” “I will meet

there with Bnei Yisrael and it shall be sanctified in my name” (Shemot

29:43) before it recorded the command to build the Mizbeach

HaZahav. Rather, the purpose of the Mizbeach Hazahav was to

Mechabed Hashem once He entered into the Mishkan.

Ultimately, let us all take the message of the Mikdash and the

Mizbeach Hazahav to take every element that they represent into our

lives.