Tafsiran Imamat 6:5: Rashi, Siftei Chakhamim, Rav Hirsch & Chizkuni

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.

V. 5. והאש על המזבח תוקד בו siehe zu V. 2. ובער עליה הכהן siehe zu Kap. 1, 7. בבקר בבקר ist nach Joma 33a eine Verstärkung des Morgenbegriffs: am frühen Morgen.

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).