What is the meaning of "ve'Dishnu es ha'Mizbe'ach"?
Rashi: It means 'They shall remove the ashes from the Mizbach (ha'Nechoshes)'. 1
Yerushalmi, Yoma, 4:6: It means 'They shall satiate (increase the fire so that it should continue to burn) 2 the Mizbe'ach. 3
The Torah does not write this in connection with the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav - a proof for the Midrash Rabah, that they burned the Ketores in the Machtah, which they placed on the Mizbe'ach and not on the Mizbe'ach directly. See Oznayim la'Torah DH 've'Dishnu es ha'Mizbe'ach' #2.
Rashi: And the fire that descended from Heaven on to the Mizbe'ach was crouching underneath the cloth like a lion whilst they traveled (specifically - see Sifsei Chachamim). See also Oznayim la'Torah DH 'u'Parsu alav', who discusses an apparant contradiction in Rashi and elaborates.
This is the opinion of R. Yehudah, who maintains that the Mitzvah of "Eish Tamid Tukad bo" applies even when traveling. See Torah Temimah, note 7. Acording to R. Shimon, having removed the ashes prior to traveling, this was all unnecessary. However, based on Rashi's explanation here (Refer to note #1) the Oznayim la'Torah explains that the fire that descended from Heaven continue to burn on the Mizbe'ach after they had removed the ashe of the earthly fire from it.
Why did the fire that descended from Heaven and burned permanently on the Mizbe'ach not burn the cover of purple wool with which they covered it?
Presumably, the fire continued to burn, despite the lack of oxygen, because it was a heavenly fire, and was not therefore subject to the laws of nature, which leaves us with the question why the pot was necessary, since a heavenly fire can burn without destroying - like it did by the burning bush?
What is the significance of the purple cover with which the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes was covered - in contrast to the Techeiles with which all the other Keilim were covered.
Oznayim la'Torah #1: It was similar to the color of the blood of the Korbanos that were sacrificed on it.
Oznayim la'Torah #2 (ciiing the Midrash Rabah): Although the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes was Kadosh like the other Keilim, 1 it was only the Keilim that were situated in the Heichal that were covered with a Techeiles cover - the color of the Heaven - in deference to the Kedushah of their location.
Oznayim la'Torah: As is evident from the fact that it was carried by the B'nei K'has on their shoulders, and by the fact that, later in Korach, 18:3, the B'nei Levi are warned not to approach it together with the other K'lei Kodesh,
