Kommentar zu Schemot 30:1

מקטר קטרת FOR THE BURNING OF INCENSE — to raise smoke (קיטור) on it, viz., the smoke of incense.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE AN ALTAR TO BURN INCENSE UPON. Now the altar of incense being one of the articles in the inner part of the Sanctuary, it should have been mentioned with the table and the candelabrum together with which it was placed, as indeed they are mentioned at the actual construction in the section of Vayakheil.²³²Further, 37:25 — next to the making of the candelabrum. But the reason for mentioning it here after the Tabernacle and all its vessels and the sacrifices [for the seven days of consecration], is because of what He said at the completion of them all, and the Tent shall be sanctified by My Glory;²³³Above, 29:43. and I will dwell among the children of Israel.²³⁴Ibid., Verse 45. Therefore He now said that they will yet be obliged to make an altar for the burning of incense — to burn it for the glory of G-d. This was a secret which was transmitted to Moses our Teacher,²³⁵Shabbath 89a. that the incense checks the plague.²³⁶Numbers 17:11-13. For the incense is of the attribute of justice, as it is said, they shall put incense ‘b’apecha’,²³⁷Deuteronomy 33:10. It is generally translated: “before Thee,” but Ramban suggests that b’apecha is of the root aph (anger). which is of the root v’charah api (My wrath shall wax hot).²³⁸Above, 22:23. It is for this reason that He said of strange incense, and before all the people I will be glorified,²³⁹Leviticus 10:3. meaning that they will know My glory, for He will not pardon your transgression.²⁴⁰Above, 23:21. For this reason too He said here [of the altar of incense], And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the Testimony, before the ark-cover that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee.²⁴¹Verse 6. For why is it necessary to speak at length of all these matters, and why did He not say briefly, “and thou shalt put it before the ark of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting,” as He said in the section of Vayakheil?²⁴²It is found in the section of Pekudei (further, 40:5). But the extended form of the verse here indicates the purport [of the altar of incense].

מזבח מקטר קטורת, he will put only a minimal amount of fire on that altar in order to burn the incense thereon. This altar did not have to be hollow, filled with earth, as was the copper altar which was filled with earth in order that the supply of fire be on the earth, literally. On this altar the fire was kept on the gold overlay. Seeing that there was only a minimal amount of fire kept going thereon this did not damage or burn wood underneath the gold overlay.
The reason that this altar has not been mentioned together with the major altar standing outside the sanctuary, details of which the Torah described in Parshat Terumah, is that this altar was not intended to ensure that the Shechinah made its permanent home among the Jewish people. The purpose of all the other furnishings in the Tabernacle was just that. (compare how G’d defined this purpose in Exodus 25,8-9) Its purpose was also not to attract the glory of the Lord into the Tabernacle, as was the purpose of all the other communal sacrifices burnt-offering, gift offerings, etc. Concerning G’d’s response to those offerings we had read in Exodus 29,43 ונועדתי שמה לבני ישראל, “and there I will meet with the Children of Israel.” Moses himself had confirmed that this was the purpose of the furnishings, etc., in the Tabernacle when he said: (Leviticus 9,6) “and as a result the glory of the Lord will become manifest to you.”
The sole purpose of the golden altar was to honour G’d after He had accepted our service with goodwill mornings and evenings. We used this as a means to welcome His presence by presenting the incense. We find that Chronicles I 16,29 expresses this thought, David saying:הבו לה' כבוד שמו ובאו לפניו, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name!”

ועשית מזבח מקטר קטורת, "You shall construct an altar for offering up incense, etc. I have already explained (Exodus 25,9) why the construction of this altar was mentioned last. The reason for the word תעשה (in addition to the directive "you shall make"), is to prevent something which Solomon did when he had no acacia wood and constructed the altar for incense completely out of gold.

ועשית מזבח מקטר קטורת, You are to construct an altar for the burning up of incense.” Nachmanides writes that seeing that the golden altar was considered one of the pieces of furniture of the Sanctuary, it should have been mentioned in the same chapter as the Table, the Menorah, and the ark. In fact, in Parshat Vayakhel the golden altar has indeed been listed together with the other furnishings of the Tabernacle, (compare chapter 37). The reason why here the golden altar, primarily used for the burning of the incense, has been mentioned only after the details of the construction of the Tabernacle have all been recorded, as well as details of the sacrifices, is to inform the reader that after all said and done, the crucial element in securing the presence of the Shechinah in the Tabernacle, i.e. within the encampment of the Jewish people was that the presentation of the incense on that altar was of such importance to Hashem, as we know already from Moses’ own reference to this importance of the presentation of incense in order to defuse G’d’s anger at His people. *Deuteronomy” Presentation of the incense repre-sented not a prelude to something that the Israelites expected from G’d in return, but was meant solely as an expression of honour and reverence for G’d. It was an expression of appreciation for being allowed to house the Shechinah on earth. [I added a few words of my own in order to make the concept clear. Ed]

To raise up on it burning. . . [Rashi knows this] because it does not say מזבַח as it does with מזבַּח העולה (38:1). Consequently, מזבֵּחַ is not connected with מקטר קטרת . It can connect only if we add the word להעלות (to raise up), so that it conveys: “An altar which is in order to raise up on it burning incense.” This is as Rashi explains: “Burning — smoke of incense.”

Kap. 30. V. 1. Erst nach völligem Abschluss der Herrichtungs- und Einweihungsvorschriften des ganzen Instituts des Heiligtums, und unmittelbar nach der Zusicherung der höchsten Zweckerreichung des ganzen Heiligtums, wird die Herstellung des Räucheraltars, und damit die Vervollständigung der Hechalstätte angeordnet. Beides ist tiefcharakteristisch für die Bedeutung des Räucheraltars. Schon seine Stellung im Hechal, und nicht im Vorraum, reiht ihn in den Kreis derjenigen Herstellungen ein, die zur Vergegenwärtigung des Ideals der jüdischen Aufgabe dienen, nicht aber, wie die Bestandteile des Vorraums, erst den Weg zu diesem Ideale zeigen wollen. Er gehört daher auch zu den כלים und nicht wie der eigentlich nur als erhöhte רצפה zu begreifende Opferaltar zu dem Gebäude des Heiligtums (Sebachim 27 b) und, in die Mitte zwischen ארון שולחן, Tisch und Leuchter vorgerückt, dem Gesetzeszeugnis gegenüber gestellt: מנורה מזכח הזהב lässt diese Stellung in ihm die Vereinigung der von der תורה gewährten materiellen und geistigen Güter in der Verwirklichung des von der הורה gelehrten Ideals erblicken. Der ארון gibt שלחן und מנורה, damit beide im מזבח הזהב dann vereinigt den Zwecken des ארון wieder zugewendet werden.

ועשית מזבח מקטר קטורת, “you will make an altar for burning incense;”Up until now he had only heard about the altar on which burnt offerings, etc. were to be offered up. The reason was that G-d wished to tell Moses that on that altar unauthorized incense must be offered, nor any libations or gift offerings. Moses had alluded to this altar after describing making of thecandlestick (35,14) when prohibiting the offering of “alien” incense on it, and again in 35,14, when the construction of this altar is discussed. It is mentioned again in verse 8 of our chapter after the time for lighting the lamps on the candlestick has been given. This was necessary as the lamps on the candlestick were also permitted to be lit by an ordinary priest. This is clear from 27,21, which refers to both Aaron and his sons.

Die Bedeutung des Vorraums des Heiligtums gipfelt in dem immer wiederkehrenden Ausdruck אשה ריח ניחוח לד׳. Die Höhe der עזרה ist die מערכה, der אריאל, die Stätte, auf welcher das Gesetzesfeuer mit der Anforderung hinausleuchtet, alles Irdische aufgebend und hingebend und hinanstrebend also emporzuläutern und zu weihen, dass es Nahrung des Göttlichen auf Erden und Wohlgefallen Gottes in der Höhe werde. An die völlig noch unveredelte Stufe (נחשת) knüpft das Werk der עזרה an, und lehrt durch הקטרה ,זריקה ,קבלה ,שחיטה, die Wege zum רוח ניחוח לד׳. Das jüdiche Ideal ist aber jene schlackenlose, gediegen reine, goldene (זהב) Stufe, auf welcher es nicht erst noch des läuternden Aufgebens und Hingebens bedarf, auf welcher bereits das ganze irdische Wesen und Dasein also vom Göttlichen durchgeistigt ist, dass es, ohne Substrat, durch und durch ריח ניחוח לד׳ ist, und diesem Ideale dient das קטרת על מזבח הזהב zum Ausdruck. Der מזבח הזהב ist somit in Wahrheit ein קרן des מזבח הנחשת, er ist die Höhe, zu der erst der מזבח הנחשת hinanstrebt. Jecheskeel 43, 13 wird auch — nach der Menachot 97 b und Eruwin 4 a gegebenen Erläuterung — der מזבח הזהב geradezu גב המזבח, die Altarhöhe des מזבח הנחשת genannt. So ausdrücklich (Joma .95): כוליה מזבח פנימי במקום חדא קרן דחיצון קאי.

Darum steht seine Herstellung auch erst nach dem zum Ausspruch gekommenen idealen Höheziel der durch die Wirksamkeit des Heiligtums zu erstrebenden Wiedergewinnung der שכינה auf Erden und im innigen Zusammenhang mit diesem. Beide zusammen bilden die vollendete Höhe des jüdischen Ideals. Eine vollendete Durchgeistigung des ganzen irdischen Daseins in allen seinen Fugen ohne Substrat, לריח ניחוח לד׳, ganz קטרת ohne שחיטה usw., die innige Durchdringung des שולחן durch מנורה. Und dem gegenüber und unmittelbar dadurch bedingt und gewonnen: die Gegenwart der Gottesherrlichkeit inmitten des irdischen Lebens, die durch das Aufblühen alles Irdischen zur abzugslosen Heilesblüte erfahren wird, ושכנתי בתוך בני ישראל וגו׳ וידעו כי אני ד׳ וגו׳.