Tetzaveh Torah Study 2-18-23

You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly. Aaron and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over [the Ark of] the Pact, [to burn] from evening to morning before יהוה. It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages.

You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.

Then take two lazuli stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. On the two stones you shall make seal engravings—the work of a lapidary—of the names of the sons of Israel. Having bordered them with frames of gold, attach the two stones to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, as stones for remembrance of the Israelite people, whose names Aaron shall carry upon his two shoulder-pieces for remembrance before יהוה.

(1) כתולדתם ACCORDING TO THEIR BIRTH — in the order in which they were born: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali upon one, and upon the other Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin — the last name being written full (plene, with a י before the last letter, thus: בנימין) for that is how it is written in the passage that tells of his birth (Genesis 35:18). This gives twenty-five letters on each stone (cf. Sotah 36a).

(1) לזכרון FOR A MEMORIAL — so that the Holy One, blessed be He, will see the names of the tribes written before Him and He will remember their righteousness (cf. Exodus Rabbah 38:8).

You shall make a breastpiece of decision, worked into a design; make it in the style of the ephod: make it of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.

(17) Set in it mounted stones, in four rows of stones. The first row shall be a row of carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald; (18) the second row: a turquoise, a sapphire, and an amethyst; (19) the third row: a jacinth, an agate, and a crystal; (20) and the fourth row: a beryl, a lapis lazuli, and a jasper. They shall be framed with gold in their mountings.

The stones shall correspond [in number] to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, corresponding to their names. They shall be engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.

איש על שמו EVERY ONE WITH HIS NAME — As the order in which they were born shall be the order of the stones: a sardius for Reuben, a topaz for Simeon, and so in the case of all of them.

Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, for remembrance before יהוה at all times. Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the Urim and Thummim, so that they are over Aaron’s heart when he comes before יהוה. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before יהוה at all times.

את האורים ואת התמים THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM — This was an inscription of the Proper Name of God which was placed between the folds (i. e. the two pieces forming the front and back) of the breast-plate through which it (the breast-plate) made its statements clear (lit., illuminated its words; מאיר from אור, light, this being an allusion to the אורים) and its promises true (מתמם from the root תמם, an allusion to תמים) (Yoma 73b). In the second Temple there was certainly the breast-plate (although other objects employed in the Temple Service were missing) for it was impossible that the High Priest should have lacked a garment, but that Divine Name was not within it. It was on account of the inscription which constituted the Urim and Thummim and which enabled it to give decisions that it was called “judgment”, as it is said, (Numbers 27:21) “And he shall enquire for him by the judgment of the Urim” (Numbers 27:21).

AND THOU SHALT PUT IN THE BREASTPLATE OF JUDGMENT THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra thought to display wisdom in the matter of the Urim and the Thummim, by saying that they were made by a craftsman from gold and silver, and he continued his discussion of them in this vein, for he thought that they were akin to the forms which the astrologers make in order to know the thoughts of the one who comes to ask of them [about the future]. But what [Ibn Ezra] said is of no import. Rather, the Urim and the Thummim are as Rashi has written: “This was an inscription of the Proper Name of G-d which was placed between the folds of the breastplate.” It was for this reason that the breastplate had to be double [i.e., made of a material that was folded in order to form a sort of bag, into which the Urim and the Thummim — the sacred Names of G-d, as explained further on, — were placed by Moses]. The proof for this is that in the work of the craftsmen the Urim and the Thummim are not mentioned at all, neither in the command nor in the [description of the] making thereof. Now concerning the garments He details: And he made the ephod, and he made the breastplate, but it does not say, “and he made the Urim and the Thummim.” And if it were the work of a skilled engraver He would have dealt with it in greater length than with all [the garments]. Even if perhaps He desired to shorten the discussion about them on account of their profundity, He would at least have said here, “and thou shalt make the Urim and the Thumim as it has been shown to you in the mount; of pure gold — or purified silver — you shall make them.” moreover, you will notice that He did not use the definite article in connection with any of the vessels [of the Tabernacle] which had not been previously mentioned. Instead, He said, and they shall make an ark; and thou shalt make a table; and thou shalt make a candelabrum, and thus too in connection with all of them. In the case of the Tabernacle, however, He said, And thou shalt make ‘the’ Tabernacle, because He had already mentioned it [in saying], And let them make Me a Sanctuary. Now with reference to the Urim and the Thummim He said, And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment ‘the’ Urim and ‘the’ Thummim. He did not command him as to the making of them, and yet Scripture mentions them with the definite article! Moreover, Scripture mentions them with reference to Moses only, saying by way of command, and thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment…; similarly, at the time of making them it says, and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim, since they were not the work of craftsmen. Neither craftsmen nor the congregation of Israel had any part whatsoever in their making or in their donation, for they were a secret transmitted by the Almighty to Moses, and he wrote them in holiness. They were thus of heavenly origin, and therefore they are referred to without any specification and with the definite article, in a similar usage to that which we have in the verse, and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim. Now Moses took the inscription of the Urim and the Thummim, and placed them in the breastplate of judgment after he had clothed Aaron with the ephod and the breastplate, as it is said, And he put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skilfully-woven band of the ephod… And he placed the breastplate upon him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. For only after [Aaron was already clothed with the ephod and the breastplate] did Moses place the Urim and the Thummim between the folds of the breastplate.
Thus the Urim and the Thummim were the holy Names of G-d, and it was by virtue of the power residing in these Names that the letters inscribed upon the stones of the breastplate would light up before the eyes of the priest who inquired of their judgment. For example, when they inquired, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them, the priest fixed his thoughts on those Divine Names which were the Urim [literally: “lights”], and the letters forming the name Yehudah lighted up before his eyes, and [for the word ya’aleh — “he shall go up”] the letter yod lighted up from the word Levi, the ayin from Shimon, the lamed from Levi, and the hei from Avraham which was also written there, according to the opinion of our Rabbis, or perhaps the hei from Yehudah lighted up a second time. Now when the letters lighted up before the eyes of the priest, he did not yet know their arrangement [that is, how these letters were to be grouped together into words], for from the letters forming the words Yehudah ya’aleh (Judah shall go up), it is possible to form the words: hoy heid alehah, or hie al Yehudah, and very many other words. But then there were other sacred Divine Names [in the fold of the breastplate] called Thummim [literally: “perfection”], through whose power the priest’s heart was made perfect to understand the meaning of the letters which lighted up before his eyes. Thus, when he fixed his thoughts on the Divine Names in the Urim, and the letters lighted up, he would then immediately turn and fix his thoughts on the Divine Names in the Thummim, whilst the letters [of the Urim] were still lit up before him, and then it came to his mind that they combine to form the words Yehudah ya’aleh (Judah shall go up). This knowledge [of how to combine the letters that lit up in the breastplate into words], is one level of the degrees of Ruach Hakodesh. It is lower than prophecy, and higher than the Bath Kol which served [Israel] in the Second Sanctuary after prophecy had ceased, and after the Urim and Thummim had ceased, just as our Rabbis have mentioned. It is possible that after Moses placed the sacred Names of the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate, they became known to the great Sages of Israel, having been transmitted to them from Moses together with the secrets of the Torah. Hence we find that David possessed an ephod, which was similar to the ephod of Moses, and together with it was a breastplate similar to the holy breastplate [in the Tabernacle]. It appears, however, that [instead of being made of gold, blue-purple etc.] it was made of linen, just as it says of Samuel that he was a child, girden with a linen ephod, and of Nob, the city of priests, it is said, fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. They would clothe a priest who was of the sons of the prophets, and inquire of him [regarding certain events] and at times they were answered, just as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra thought on this point. However, as far as that which he [Ibn Ezra] said, that if [Rashi] had seen the responsum of Rabbeinu Hai, he would not have explained as he did, [that the Urim and Thummim were inscriptions of the Proper Name of G-d] — now we have already seen that responsum and have considered it, and we know [for a certainty] that it was Rabbi Abraham whose opinion [shows that he] did not grasp it.

(33) On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around: (34) a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.

(1) רמוני POMEGRANATES — They were round and hollow, similar to that kind of pomegranates which are made like (have the form of) a hen’s egg.

(2) ופעמני זהב AND BELLS OF GOLD — bells, together with the clappers in them.

(3) בתוכם סביב IN THE MIDST OF THEM ROUND ABOUT — i. e. between them (the pomegranates) all the way round the hem: between every two pomegranates there was one bell attached hanging from the hem of the Robe (cf. Zevachim 88b).

ומלאת את ידם AND THOU SHALT CONSECRATE THEM (more lit., fill their hand) — wherever the term “filling the hand” is used it denotes the installation ceremony performed when one enters for the first time into an office, as a sign that he is entitled to it from that day and henceforth. And in the old French language — when a person is appointed to the charge of a matter, the Prince puts into his hand a leathern glove which they call “gant” in old French and by that means he gives him a right to the matter, and they term that transmission of the glove and the office, revestir in old French This is the connection between the literal and the metaphorical meaning of “filling the hand”.

AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THEM ‘UMILEITHA ETH YADAM’ [literally: “and fill their hands”]. “Every expression of ‘filling the hand’ denotes installation, when one enters for the first time into an office which one is to hold from that day onwards.” This is Rashi’s language. But I have not understood his words. How does the expression of “filling the hand” come to mean “installation?” And as to that which the Rabbi said that “in the [old] French language — when a person is appointed to be in charge of any matter, the ruler puts into his hand a leather glove which they call gant, and by means of that glove gives him the right to that matter, and it is this which is called ‘filling the hand,’” — I do not know whether the Rabbi’s intent is to state that because of that glove the installation is called “filling the hand,” and to this he brought proof from a custom [in France]! Know that this custom they derived from the Torah, as to them this form of taking possession is [what is meant by] the acquisition by exchange mentioned in connection with Boaz, for so they translated: [Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging…] a man drew off ‘na’alo’ (his shoe) — “a man drew off his gant,” and they say that it was the near kinsman that gave it to Boaz. This custom of theirs is mentioned in the books of their scholars. Thus we have engaged in vain talk!
The correct interpretation of milui yadayim in the Torah is that it is an expression of perfection, similar in usage to these verses: ‘ki malu yamai’ (for my days are completed); ‘ubimloth’ hayamim ha’eileh’ (and when these days were fulfilled); until the days ‘m’loth’ — be fulfilled. Similarly, ‘b’keseph malei’ means “for the full price.” And the reason for this expression is that one might say of a stranger [i.e., a non-priest] who cannot perform the offering for his cleansing, or of any person who is not empowered to perform some royal service, that his hand misses that function; and when he becomes empowered to do it, his hand has thereby been perfected and made fit for all kinds of work and service. Thus, ‘milu yedchem hayom’ [generally translated: consecrate yourselves today] means that: “now your hands are full with the whole service of G-d, for even every man upon his son, and upon his brother have you served Him [that day].” Or it may be that Moses was hinting to the sons of Levi that by virtue of this merit they would be chosen to perform the Divine Service in the Tabernacle, as it is said, At that time the Eternal separated the tribe of Levi. Similarly King David said to Israel on the occasion of the donations for the House [of G-d], Because I have set my affection on the house of my G-d, seeing that I have a treasure of mine own of gold and silver, I give it into the house of my G-d, and then he continued saying, Who then offereth willingly ‘l’maloth yado’ this day unto the Eternal? — meaning “to perfect his hand [this day unto the Eternal],” for by doanting towards the building of the House [of G-d] their hands become full with all the sacrifices and all manner of services, for Israel’s worship of G-d is only a complete one in the Sanctuary. Similarly, the ram of ‘milu’im’ mentioned in this section is so called because the filling of the priests’ duties was accomplished through this offering, for the sin-offering and the burnt-offering were to effect atonement, and this ram was to fill the priest’s hand with [the right to] sacrifice. I have also found that in Targum Yerushalmi the ram of ‘milu’im’ is translated: d’ashlamutha, (of perfection); similarly also in all expressions of milui yadayim it translated “perfection.” Onkelos, however, [in translating umileitha eth yadam — ‘and you will bring their sacrifices’] followed the sense of the subject and was not pedantic as to the literal language, as is his custom in many places. Some scholars explain umileitha eth yadam as meaning that he will fill their hands [with the gifts] from the sacrifices. Similarly: whosoever would, he [Jeroboam] ‘yemalei eth yado’ means that he could fill his hands at will from the sacrifices. But the correct interpretation [of the term milui yadayim] is as I have explained. And the meaning of the expression, whosoever would, ‘yemalei eth yado’ that he might be one of the priests of the high places is that he would bring for himself an offering of installation as he devised of his own heart, in order to initiate himself into his office, and thereby he became one of the priests of the high places, for they acted in a manner similar to the ways of the Torah.

You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs. They shall be worn by Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to officiate in the sanctuary, so that they do not incur punishment and die. It shall be a law for all time for him and for his offspring to come.

(2) מכנסי בד LINEN BREECHES — this makes eight garments for the High Priest and four for the ordinary priest.

(4) ומתו AND THEY DIE — thus you may learn that he who officiates lacking any of these garments is liable to death (Midrash Tanchuma, Achrei Mot 6).

(1) THAT HE DIE NOT. “From this negative statement you infer the positive: if these garments are upon him, he will not incur death, but if he enters [the Sanctuary] lacking one of these garments he is liable to death [by the hand of Heaven].” This is Rashi’s language. But it does not appear to me to be correct, for if so He should have written this verse after having mentioned all eight garments [of the High Priest], and why did He mention it after three garments — the breastplate, the ephod, and the robe — before mentioning the frontplate, the upper garment, the mitre, the belt and the breeches! Furthermore, [the verse reads here,] and when he cometh out [of the Sanctuary], that he die not. But the act of going out [from the Sanctuary] is no function for which he should incur death if lacking the [proper number of] garments!
Similarly Rashi commented on the verse: “And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons — they means all these garments; upon Aaron and upon his sons, those which are proper to him, and those specified for them. [That they bear not iniquity,] and die — thus you learn that he who ministers [the Divine Service] lacking any of these garments incurs death [by the hand of Heaven].” And so indeed it appears from the simple meaning of Scripture. But according to the conclusion reached on these subjects in the discussions in the Gemara, it would appear that this does not conform to the opinion of our Rabbis, for to them this commandment applies to all alike, to Aaron and his sons, but it refers only to the breeches, and the punishment [of death by the hand of Heaven for lacking them] likewise applies [only] to them [i.e. the breeches]. For He had commanded that they be made, [as it is said,] And thou shalt make them linen breeches, and then He commanded concerning their being worn [by the priests, saying,] And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons. As to the rest of the garments, He had already given the command above concerning the making of them and wearing them, [as it is said,] And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon his sons with him. If so, this command [And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons] refers wholly to the breeches, and the punishment likewise refers [only] to them.
We learn this from what the Rabbis have said in Tractates Sanhedrin and The Slaughtering of Sacrifices: “Whence do we know that a priest who ministered [the Divine Service] lacking the [proper number of] garments is liable to death [by the hand of Heaven]? Said Rabbi Abohu in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, and they arrived in the chain of tradition up to ‘in the name of Rabbi Eleazar the son of Rabbi Shimon:' And thou shalt gird them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind head-tires on them; and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute, the interpretation of which is: ‘So long as they wear their [appointed] garments, they are invested with their priesthood; when they do not wear their garments, they are not invested with their priesthood, and they become laymen, and it has been said that a layman who ministers [in the Sanctuary] incurs the penalty of death [by the hand of Heaven].” Now if this verse [that they bear not iniquity, and die] were held by the Rabbis to apply to all the garments [of the priests], as the Rabbi [Rashi] said, they could have found in it an expressly stated punishment for one who ministers lacking all the garments, [and why did they need to base it upon an inference from another verse]! Rather, this verse refers only to the breeches, and the other verse to the rest of the garments, where the breeches are not mentioned at all. Proof to what the Rabbis have said [that this verse, And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons… that they bear not iniquity, and die, refers only to the breeches], is that further on when the order of putting on the garments is mentioned, the breeches are not referred to at all, for having declared here the punishment if they are lacking [when ministering in the Sanctuary], there was no more need to mention them again further on, as it is understood already that he would wear them.
And that which He said above [i.e., in Verse 35 before us], and the sound thereof shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Eternal, and when he goeth out, that he die not, is [not as Rashi has it that from here we learn that if he enters the Sanctuary lacking one of these garments he incurs death at the hand of Heaven, but is] in my opinion an explanation for the commandment of the bells [upon the robe], since there was no need to wear them, nor are they customary amongst dignitaries. Therefore He said that He commanded that they be made in order that the sound thereof be heard in the Sanctuary, that the priest enter before his Master as if with permission. For he who comes into the king’s palace suddenly, incurs the penalty of death according to the court ceremonial, just as we find in the case of Ahasuerus. It thus alludes to what the Rabbis have said in Yerushalmi Tractate Yoma: “And there shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting when he goeth in to make atonement in the holy place — even those [heavenly beings] of whom it is written, As for the likeness of their faces they had the face of a man, they too are not to be then in the Tent of Meeting.” Therefore He commanded that [the ministering High Priest] make a sound be heard, as if crying out, ‘Cause everyone to go out from before me,’ so that he can come to minister before the King alone. Similarly, when going out from the Sanctuary his sound is heard in order to leave with permission, and that the matter be known so that the King’s ministers can go out before Him. In the Chapters of the Palaces this subject is known. Thus the reason [for the bells upon the robe of the High Priest] is that he should not be encountered by the angels of G-d. He gave this warning concerning the High Priest on account of his high position. This is Scripture’s intent in saying, when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Eternal, for it is the High Priest who passes before Him so that He cause His Divine Glory to rest upon his service, for he is the messenger of the Eternal of hosts, even though the common priests also enter the Sanctuary to burn the incense and to kindle [the lamps].
Now I have seen in the Midrash Shemoth Rabbah with reference to the stones upon the breastplate: “For what reason were the stones? It was in order that the Holy One, blessed be He, observe them in the garments of the priest when he enters on the Day of Atonement, and He be gracious to the tribes [whose names were inscribed upon the stones in the breastplate]. Rabbi Yehoshua in the name of Rabbi Levi says: This may be compared to a king’s son, whose tutor came before the king to speak in his defense, but was afraid of those standing there lest they strike him. What did the king do? He dressed him in his purple cloak in order that they see it and be afraid of him. In the same way Aaron entered at all times the Holy of Holies, and were it not for the many merits that entered with him and helped him, he could not have entered. Why? Because of the ministering angels who were there. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He gave him a likeness of His sacred garment, as it is said, And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail.” Thus far is the language of this Agadah. Now even though the High Priest did not enter into the innermost part of the Sanctuary [i.e., the Holy of Holies] with these garments, yet on the Day of Atonement he needed these [garments] even in the Tent of Meeting, for it is written, And there shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting.

and you shall offer the other lamb at twilight, repeating with it the meal offering of the morning with its libation—an offering by fire for a pleasing odor to יהוה, a regular burnt offering throughout the generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before יהוה. For there I will meet with you, and there I will speak with you, and there I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sanctified by My Presence. I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests. I will abide among the Israelites, and I will be their God. And they shall know that I יהוה am their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt that I might abide among them—I, their God יהוה.

AND THEY SHALL KNOW. Its meaning is, then they shall know that the only reason that I took them out of Egypt was so that they would make a sanctuary for Me that I may dwell among them. This is what Scripture means by ye shall serve God upon this mountain (Ex. 3:12).

You shall make an altar for burning incense; make it of acacia wood.

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. 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; and I will dwell among the children of Israel. 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, that the incense checks the plague. For the incense is of the attribute of justice, as it is said, they shall put incense ‘b’apecha’, which is of the root v’charah api (My wrath shall wax hot). It is for this reason that He said of strange incense, and before all the people I will be glorified, meaning that they will know My glory, for He will not pardon your transgression. 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. 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? But the extended form of the verse here indicates the purport [of the altar of incense].

Make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. Place it in front of the curtain that is over the Ark of the Pact—in front of the cover that is over the Pact—where I will meet with you. On it Aaron shall burn aromatic incense: he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps, and Aaron shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps—a regular incense offering before יהוה throughout the ages. You shall not offer alien incense on it, or a burnt offering or a meal offering; neither shall you pour a libation on it. Once a year Aaron shall perform purification upon its horns with blood of the sin offering of purification; purification shall be performed upon it once a year throughout the ages. It is most holy to יהוה.

AND AARON SHALL BURN THEREON INCENSE. This commandment [of burning the incense] did not devolve upon the High Priest alone, but was also incumbent upon the common priests, as is the law of the lighting of the lamps mentioned right beside it, [every morning, when he dresseth the lamps], although of that too it says, And when Aaron lighteth the lamps, and yet it does not apply to the High Priest alone, as He said above, Aaron and his sons shall set in order. Therefore I do not know why He mentioned Aaron in both of them, and did not say “the priest” [which would signify any — even a common-priest]. Perhaps it is because of Scripture’s statement further, And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year, which was done by Aaron only, [because the reference there is to the Service on the Day of Atonement which could be performed only by the High Priest — therefore He also mentioned the name of Aaron in the verse before us and in the following verse]. Or it may be that He hinted that it was to be Aaron who [at the first time] was to begin the burning of the incense and the lighting of the lamps. Similarly at the end of Seder Emor el hakohanim He said, Aaron shall set in order, and He did not mention his sons, because it was Aaron who performed it first. The phrase a statute forever mentioned there, refers to the commandment [of kindling the lamps, and does not mean that it is a statute forever that only the High Priest do it].

קטרת זרה STRANGE INCENSE — any incense brought as a freewill offering; all of them (all offerings of incense) are “strange” to it (to the altar) except this prescribed here.

YE SHALL NOT BRING UP ‘KTORETH ZARAH’ (STRANGE INCENSE) THEREON — “any incense brought as a freewill offering; for all [offerings of incense] are ‘strange’ to [this altar] except this one [prescribed here].” This is Rashi’s language. But Onkelos rendered ktoreth zarah: ktoreth busmin nuchra’in (“the burning of aromatics which are of strange components,”) and he did not translate it nuchritha “strange incense” [as Rashi interpreted it]. By this translation Onkelos wanted to explain that the sense of the verse is that he should not offer an incense of any other components except those prescribed as He commanded. Similarly, if one were to add to the prescribed composition any other components one would transgress this negative commandment.
Ki Thisa