Kommentar zu Wajikra 6:5

והאש על המזבח תוקד בו AND THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR SHALL BE BLAZING IN IT — Scripture uses here (in this section) many expressions from the root יקד “to ignite”: (Leviticus 6:2) “on the fire-place (מוקדה); (Leviticus 6:2) “and the fire upon the altar shall be blazing (תוקד) on it”; (Leviticus 6:5) “and the fire upon the altar shall be blazing (תוקד) on it”; (Leviticus 6:6) “a continual fire shall be blazing (תוקד) upon the altar” — all these passages have been expounded in Treatise Yoma 45b where our Rabbis state their different opinions as to the number of מערכות (wood-piles — fire-places) that were there (on the altar).

Our Rabbis differed on the number. The largest number of all [these views was that] each day there were four woodpiles: One was the large woodpile upon which they arranged the burntofferings [and all the sacrifices burnt that day]. Afterwards he placed two wooden logs upon that large woodpile; this was the woodpile for the sake of maintaining the fire, because if the [fire of the] large woodpile did not prevail over [the sacrifices], then this additional woodpile of two wooden logs would maintain the fire and prevail. Afterwards, he arranged another woodpile on the altar to burn the limbs that had not been consumed [whether because they had not been placed on the large woodpile or because they had not yet been consumed — thus, three woodpiles were placed one after another in the surrounding area of the large woodpile]. Before the placement of the two wooden logs they would arrange a second woodpile for the incense alongside the large woodpile, on the southwest corner, at a distance of four amos north of the corner. It was called “[the woodpile] of incense” because the kohein would rake the coals from there to bring to the inner altar in the morning and evening for the purpose of burning the incense upon these coals.

והאש על המזבח, “and the fire on the altar, etc.;” the Torah reverts now to a statement made by Rabbi Yehudah in the Talmud Yuma folio 45 according to which the wood used for kindling may be burned only on the top part of the altar, i.e. על המזבח. This was used to kindle the major stack of wood that burned around the clock on the altar. (This is the way Rashi explains the word .(אליתא

וערך עליה העלה AND HE SHALL SET THE BURNT OFFERING IN ORDER UPON IT — The morning continual burnt offering had to come first (Menachot 49a; cf. also Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 2 10 and Rashi on Leviticus 3:5).

If [a peace offering] is brought. Rashi is answering the question: It is understandable [for Scripture to mention] a burnt-offering [since] every day there was a continual burntoffering, but perhaps there was no peace offering! Therefore he explains: If a peaceoffering is brought there, they should burn it after the morning’s continual offering.

וערך עליה, to the question where on the altar all the parts of the burnt offering are to burned up, the Torah answers with the word: עליה; to the question where the relevant parts of the sin offerings and peace offerings are to be burned up, the Torah adds the words: חלבי השלמים, “the best parts of the peace offerings.” [fat parts listed previously, mainly above the kidneys and liver of the animal. Ed.] To the question where the fistful of meal offerings and frankincense, and libations etc. are to be burned up, the Torah answers with the word: והקטיר. To make sure that we do not get the impression that the incense is also to be burned up on the large altar in front of the Temple, the Torah adds: ובער עליה וערך את העצים, “that the priest is to set a special fire on the golden altar where the incense will be burned up.”

‎‎‏ השלמים‎חלבי [AND HE SHALL CAUSE TO ASCEND IN FUMES THERÈON] THE FAT OF THE PEACE OFFERINGS — if people are bringing peace offerings there that day (this is no command that peace offerings must be placed on the altar after the daily burnt offering; if, however, any are being sacrificed on a particular day, it must be done at this point of the day’s work). — Our Rabbis, however, derived from here the following Halacha, taking the word השלמים in the sense of השלם “to complete”, “to finish”: עליה upon it — upon the continual burnt offering of the morning — complete the offering of all sacrifices; it follows therefore that no thing should be offered later than the continual burnt offering brought in the afternoon (Yoma 33a; Pesachim 58).

Learned from here. Our Sages were answering the question: If so, it should say חלבי שלמים, why does it say השלמים with the ה? Therefore, they removed it from its plain meaning and explained it as referring to the matter of “completing” [all the sacrifices].