The First 7 Days

The pessukim in Ch. 40 tell us on the 8^th day the avodah the mikdash was stood up as a permanent structure and the avodah was done in it.  The Ramban understands that all of the avodah of the ketores, neros etc. was done by Moshe during the first seven days as well.  The Netviz in Haamek Davar and Amek Hanetziv on Sifri Nasso disagrees and cites a Toseftah in Menachos 7:2 to support his view that only the mizbaoch hachitzon to offer korbanot was used during the first seven days and the complete avodah was done only on the 8^th day.  The Maharal understands Rashi like the Netziv that the entire chapter is referring to the 8^th day and the avodah wasn’t done during the first seven days (see also Rashi Shemini 9:23 and Sifsai Chachamim there.)  The Tosfos we cited earlier in the week that holds during the first seven days the mishkan had the status of a bammah fits better with the Netziv that only korbanot were offered.

The pessukim are clear that the commandment to set up the lechem hapanim and kindle the menorah were directed to Moshe, however it is ambiguous as to who should burn the ketores and offer the korbanot.  According to the Ramban all the avodah of the 8^th day was done by Moshe; he derived from the menorah and the lechem hapanim that he was supposed to do all the avodah.  The Rashbam disagrees and holds that Aharon did the other avodos.  There as a question as to the text in Rashi if in verse 27 he explains that Aharon burnt the ketores. This approach fits well if we assume that Rashi holds like the Netziv for then the korbanot which were offered all 7 days by Moshe, he continued to offer, but the avodah that was done for the first time on day 8 was done by Aharon.

The Rebbe takes the text of Rashi that we have that doesn’t say Aharon offered the ketores.  When Rashi says on 4:29 that Moshe offered all the korbanot tzibbur, more than just the olah and mincha mentioned in the verse, he means to include all the avodah, including the ketores.  How does Rashi see in this verse that the one offering the korbanot it is referring to Moshe? And what is Rashi coming to tell us in his commentary about the ketores that it was offered twice, if he needs to tell us it was done twice, then why doesn’t he explain the menorah was lit in the evening as well?  The Rebbe explains (Likutay Sichos volume 6) that Rashi is coming to say that even though the lighting of the menorah in the morning and the placing of the showbread not on Shabbos was a unique avodah in this situation, the burning of the ketores in the morning qwas done in the normal manner.  Rashi says just as the hatavas hamenorah.  What is his proof?  Just as the hatavas haneros was done every day and this avodah was regular, so too the ketores. [According to this, Rashi holds that all the avodah was done during the 7 days as well.]  Rashi understands that the initial understanding would be that Aharon offered anything that there isn’t an explicit commandment to Moshe.  However, the verse says ויעל את העולה ואת המנחה, the ה' הידיעה indicates the korbanot are known already, they are the same kind of offering as the seven days and therefore Rashi concluded it was Moshe that offered them for only then is it the same as the 7 days.  Once we see Moshe did all the avodah then it is safe to assume he offered the ketores as well.