וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
I wystawią Mi świątynię, abym zamieszkał w pośród nich.
Ramban
AND MOSES ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. The expression all the congregation of the children of Israel includes the men and women, for all donated to the work of the Tabernacle. Thus Moses, after having commanded Aaron, and the rulers and all the children of Israel — the men — all that the Eternal had spoken with him in Mount Sinai,1Above, 34:32. following the breaking of the Tablets, and after he had put the veil on his face2Ibid., Verse 33. [as all this is narrated in the preceding section], again commanded that the people be assembled, whereupon the whole congregation gathered to him — men, women, and children.
It is possible that this occurred on the day following his descent from the mountain, and he told all of them the subject of the Tabernacle which he had been previously commanded, before3Ramban follows [here as elsewhere] the natural sequence of Scripture which tells of the command to build the Tabernacle [in Chapters 25-30] before the people’s sin with the calf [in Chapter 32]. The actual building thereof was delayed until after Moses’ intercession and the complete reconciliation of G-d with Israel. Rashi, however, following the principle that there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah, clearly writes: “The incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the building of the Tabernacle was given” (Rashi above, 31-18). See my Hebrew commentary, p. 526, for further elucidation of this point. the breaking of the Tablets. For since the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them and gave Moses the second Tablets, and also made a new covenant that G-d would go in their midst,4See Ramban above, 34:9. He thereby returned to His previous relationship with them, and to the love of their “wedding,”5See Jeremiah 2:2. and it was obvious that His Presence would be in their midst just as He had commanded him at first, even as He said, And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them.6Above, 25:8. Therefore Moses now commanded them all that he had been told at first.
It is possible that this occurred on the day following his descent from the mountain, and he told all of them the subject of the Tabernacle which he had been previously commanded, before3Ramban follows [here as elsewhere] the natural sequence of Scripture which tells of the command to build the Tabernacle [in Chapters 25-30] before the people’s sin with the calf [in Chapter 32]. The actual building thereof was delayed until after Moses’ intercession and the complete reconciliation of G-d with Israel. Rashi, however, following the principle that there is no strict chronological order in the narrative of the Torah, clearly writes: “The incident of the golden calf happened a considerable time before the command regarding the building of the Tabernacle was given” (Rashi above, 31-18). See my Hebrew commentary, p. 526, for further elucidation of this point. the breaking of the Tablets. For since the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled with them and gave Moses the second Tablets, and also made a new covenant that G-d would go in their midst,4See Ramban above, 34:9. He thereby returned to His previous relationship with them, and to the love of their “wedding,”5See Jeremiah 2:2. and it was obvious that His Presence would be in their midst just as He had commanded him at first, even as He said, And let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them.6Above, 25:8. Therefore Moses now commanded them all that he had been told at first.
Tur HaArokh
ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל, “Moses assembled the entire community of the Children of Israel. The comprehensive term עדה includes both men and women. Seeing that both the men and the women had contributed of their belongings for the work on the Tabernacle they were all entitled to be addressed here directly. The assembly mentioned here, occurred on the day after Moses had returned from his last trip to the Mountain on Yom Kippur and had informed the people that the instructions to build a Sanctuary for G’d were living proof that they were back in G’ds favour. While it is true that Moses himself had already received such instructions on his first ascent to the Mountain, to wit chapter 25,8 ועשו לי מקדש, seeing that the sin of the golden calf had intervened, and G’d’s manifest Presence had withdrawn in the interval, these instructions now had to be renewed.
Sforno
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!”
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!”