פירוש על במדבר 4:15

לכסת את הקדש [AND AARON AND HIS SONS FINISHED] COVERING THE HOLY THINGS — the Ark and the altar,

ואחרי כן יבאו בני קהת, after the ark and the other furnishings in the Tabernacle had been covered.

The Menorah and the service vessels. (Nachalas Yaakov) This raises a difficulty: Previously (v. 4) Rashi explained that the Holy of Holies referred to the Ark, the Table, the Menorah, the Paroches, and the service vessels, but here he does not mention the Table and the Altars. After I wrote this I found in the Midrash Rabbah “and the holy utensils” — these are the Table and the Menorah and the two Altars and their utensils.

V. 15. את הקדש bezeichnet wohl den ארון עדות als קדש in Vorzüglichkeit, dessen Beziehungen erst allem andern קדושה erteilt. כלי הקדש sind מזבחות ,מנורה ,שולחן die sich zum ארון wie zweckvollbringendes כלי zum zwecksetzenden Objekt verhalten.

ואת כל כלי הקדש AND ALL THE VESSELS OF THE SANCTUARY — the candelabrum and the vessels for service,

Since, if they touch they will be subject. Not that if they do not touch they will die, as is implied by the simple reading of the verse. The word ימותו “and they will die” is not together with the words ולא יגעו— “they shall not touch,” only with the word יגעו “touch.” Thus we are to infer “they shall not touch,” but if they do touch, then ימותו “they will die.”

ומתו [SO THAT THEY SHALL NOT TOUCH ANY THING OF HOLINESS] LEST THEY DIE — because if they do touch they become liable to death by Heaven.