To not burn [extraneous] incense and not to bring sacrifices upon the gold altar: To not bring sacrifices upon the gold altar in the chamber except for the daily incense, besides the sprinkling of bloods from [one] Yom Kippur to [another] Yom Kippur, as it is stated (Exodus 30:9), “You shall not offer foreign-incense on it, or a burnt-offering or a meal-offering; nor shall you pour a libation on it.”
We have already written an answer above (Sefer HaChinukh 95) to the one that asks according to the simple [level] about the matter of the building of the Temple for God, blessed be He, and the matter of there being precious vessels there for His service and a table and a menorah. And after this, we should not tire our thoughts about that which is not necessary and to search for a reason why God commanded that we not burn a foreign incense on the gold altar. As, if so, we would be obligated to search why He commanded us that the lights of the menorah be seven and not eight. And there is no [possibility of] analysis about the details for us, and [our] thinking will never grasp it. And if you pressure me to answer about the details nonetheless, I will say according to the simple [level] — unless the mystical tradition (kabbalah) shows that according to the words of our holy rabbis, the kabbalists, may their memory be blessed, there be in the details another reason — that since we have been obligated to build a [Temple] and to make vessels, we were commanded about them as one of several possibilities; and one of the calculations came to us, as it is impossible to act without one of them. However, once we have been commanded about one of them, the commandment came about them to do the commandment in [this] fixed way forever, and not to add and to subtract — as addition or reduction in that which is perfectly set is corruption. And all of God’s commandments are perfection and purity. However I have heard that the mystics have amazing reasons and deep secrets for each one of the details.
And this commandment to only bring incense on the gold altar is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by priests. And one who transgresses it and sacrifices or sprinkles upon it anything not fit to bring upon it, as we have said, is liable for lashes.
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְטִיר וּלְהַקְרִיב עַל מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב – שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיב בְּמִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל כִּי אִם קְטֹרֶת שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם, זוּלָתִי הַזָּאַת הַדָּמִים מִיּוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ל ט) לֹא תַעֲלוּ עָלָיו קְטֹרֶת זָרָה וְעֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְנֵסֶךְ לֹא תִסְּכוּ עָלָיו.
To not burn [extraneous] incense and not to bring sacrifices upon the gold altar: To not bring sacrifices upon the gold altar in the chamber except for the daily incense, besides the sprinkling of bloods from [one] Yom Kippur to [another] Yom Kippur, as it is stated (Exodus 30:9), “You shall not offer foreign-incense on it, or a burnt-offering or a meal-offering; nor shall you pour a libation on it.”
כְּבָר כָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה תְּשׁוּבָה לַשּׁוֹאֵל עַל צַד הַפְּשָׁט עַל עִנְיַן מִצְוַת בִּנְיַן בַּיִת הַקָּדוֹשׁ לָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְעִנְיַן הֱיוֹת שָׁם כֵּלִים יְקָרִים לָעֲבוֹדָה וְשֻׁלְחָן וּמְנוֹרָה. וְאַחֲרֵי זֹאת אֵין לְיַגֵּעַ מַחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ בַּמֶּה שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ וּלְחַפֵּשׂ טַעַם לָמָּה יְצַוֶּה הָאֵל לְבַל נַקְטִיר בְּמִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב קְטֹרֶת זָרָה, שֶׁאִם כֵּן יְחַיְּבֵנוּ לְחַפֵּשׂ לָמָּה צִוָּה אוֹתָנוּ לִהְיוֹת נֵרוֹת הַמְּנוֹרָה שִׁבְעָה וְלֹא שְׁמוֹנָה. וְאֶל הַפְּרָטִים אֵין חֵקֶר לָנוּ וְלֹא תַּשִּׂיג בָּהֶן הַמַּחְשָׁבָה לְעוֹלָם. וְאִם תִּלְחָצֵנִי לְהָשִׁיב בִּפְרָטִים עַל כָּל פָּנִים, אוֹמַר עַל צַד הַפְּשָׁט, אִם לֹא שֶׁהַקַּבָּלָה תַּכְרִיחַ לְפִי דִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַמְקֻבָּלִים שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בַּפְּרָטִים טַעַם אַחֵר, אֶלָּא נֹאמַר שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְחַיַּבְנוּ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּלִים נִצְטַוִּינוּ בָּהֶם עַל צַד אֶחָד מִן הַצְּדָדִין, וּבָא בָּהֶן אֶחָד מִן הַחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַמַּעֲשֶׂה בִּלְתִּי אֶחָד מֵהֶן. וְאוּלָם אַחַר שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ בָּהֶן בָּאָה הַצַּוָּאָה עֲלֵיהֶן לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּמִּצְוָה דֶּרֶךְ קֶבַע לְעוֹלָם, וְלֹא נוֹסִיף וְלֹא נִגְרַע כִּי הַתּוֹסֶפֶת וְהַגֵּרוּעַ בַּמְּכֻוָּן בִּשְׁלֵמוּת קִלְקוּל, וְכָל מִצְוֹתָיו בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁלֵמוֹת וּתְמִימוֹת. וְאוּלָם שָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי יֵשׁ לַמְּקֻבָּלִים בְּכָל אֶחָד מִן הַפְּרָטִים טְעָמִים נִפְלָאִים וְסוֹדוֹת עֲמֻקִּים.
We have already written an answer above (Sefer HaChinukh 95) to the one that asks according to the simple [level] about the matter of the building of the Temple for God, blessed be He, and the matter of there being precious vessels there for His service and a table and a menorah. And after this, we should not tire our thoughts about that which is not necessary and to search for a reason why God commanded that we not burn a foreign incense on the gold altar. As, if so, we would be obligated to search why He commanded us that the lights of the menorah be seven and not eight. And there is no [possibility of] analysis about the details for us, and [our] thinking will never grasp it. And if you pressure me to answer about the details nonetheless, I will say according to the simple [level] — unless the mystical tradition (kabbalah) shows that according to the words of our holy rabbis, the kabbalists, may their memory be blessed, there be in the details another reason — that since we have been obligated to build a [Temple] and to make vessels, we were commanded about them as one of several possibilities; and one of the calculations came to us, as it is impossible to act without one of them. However, once we have been commanded about one of them, the commandment came about them to do the commandment in [this] fixed way forever, and not to add and to subtract — as addition or reduction in that which is perfectly set is corruption. And all of God’s commandments are perfection and purity. However I have heard that the mystics have amazing reasons and deep secrets for each one of the details.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיב בְּמִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב כִּי אִם קְטֹרֶת, בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת בַּכֹּהֲנִים. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְהִקְרִיב אוֹ זָרַק בּוֹ כִּי אִם דָּבָר הָרָאוּי לְהַקְרִיב בּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, חַיָּב מַלְקוּת.
And this commandment to only bring incense on the gold altar is practiced at the time of the [Temple] by priests. And one who transgresses it and sacrifices or sprinkles upon it anything not fit to bring upon it, as we have said, is liable for lashes.