במדבר, פרק ג׳, פסוק ל״א

The Kohathite family, a specific branch of the Levite tribe, was entrusted with a unique and highly sacred duty within the Tabernacle. Their physical responsibility was to bear the burden of the most holy items, including the Ark, the Table, the Menorah, and other sacred furnishings [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Among these items were the altars, referring specifically to both the Golden Altar and the Copper Altar [אבן עזרא]. Because these two are grouped together, a shared law applies to them regarding ritual purity. While other Tabernacle items required immersion after festivals due to potential impurity from the gathered masses, both altars were entirely exempt. The Copper Altar was viewed as being firmly attached to the ground, making it immune to impurity, and the Golden Altar was legally equated to it. Furthermore, both altars were essentially wooden structures designed to remain stationary. Their metal plating was considered secondary to the wood, meaning it did not cause the altars to contract ritual impurity [תורה תמימה].

The sacred vessels entrusted to the Kohathites were the accompanying tools and implements used to service the Menorah, the Table, and the Altars [אבן עזרא], the specific details of which are outlined later in the text [חזקוני].

A significant point of discussion surrounds the identity of the screen they carried. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the inner curtain dividing the Holy area from the Holy of Holies, which served to protect the Ark. Although the outer courtyard gate is more naturally called a screen because it shields the interior from the outside world, the inner curtain also earns this title. It functioned as a protective partition, clearly separating the different degrees of holiness within the sanctuary [רש״י, רש״ר הירש, ביאור שטיינזלץ, גור אריה, ברכת אשר]. In contrast, [אבן עזרא] firmly rejects this view, maintaining that it refers to the screen placed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

The final aspect of their duty involved all the service associated with these items. Some interpret this as managing the cords and ropes of the screen [אבן עזרא], or handling other practical details of its maintenance [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, a question arises regarding the specific service of the inner curtain. During travel, it was not carried as a separate burden; instead, the priests used it to wrap and cover the Ark. Therefore, its associated service does not refer to carrying it, but rather to the physical craft of weaving and creating the curtain itself. This specialized weaving was renewed every year and was assigned to the Kohathites during their time in the desert. Engaging in the creation of this curtain was viewed as a profound spiritual merit that fostered success in Torah study, much like the merit gained from building the Ark of the Covenant [העמק דבר].