שמות, פרק כ״ז, פסוק ז׳

Preparing the vessels of the Tabernacle for travel through the desert required careful planning to guarantee safe and stable transport. The copper altar needed a highly specific method for being carried from one encampment to the next. To move it, carrying poles were inserted into their proper places [קאסוטו], fitting into four rings attached to the corners of the altar's metal grating [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The placement of these rings was carefully calculated to ensure proper weight distribution. They were positioned at a height where one-third of the altar's weight rested above them, while the remaining two-thirds hung below. This arrangement provided the physical stability necessary for carrying a heavy load securely on the shoulders [משכיל לדוד]. The poles ran along the two parallel sides of the altar. Unlike the carrying system for other vessels, such as the table, each pole for the altar passed through two rings on the same side, anchoring it firmly in place [העמק דבר].

These poles served a strictly temporary purpose, used only while the altar was in transit [ביאור שטיינזלץ, קאסוטו]. While the carrying poles of the Ark of the Covenant were permanently fixed and never removed, the altar's poles were taken out as soon as the Tabernacle was erected at a new site. The altar itself was constructed from wooden boards joined together to form a hollow box. Once the camp settled and the poles were removed, this hollow center was filled with earth, making the altar ready for the sacrificial service [ביאור יש״ר].