Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 30:18/אבן עזרא על שמות ל׳:י״ח
אועשית, כנו. כמו מכונתו והעד מכונות שלמה, והנה בעבור שהוא כתוב בין אהל מועד ובין המזבח, לאות כי המזבח איננו סמוך אל פתח האהל, רק הוא קרוב אליו, והנו באמצע לנכח מזבח הקטרת, והיה הכיור בין האהל ובין המזבח נוטה לאחד הצדדים ולא הזכירו הכתוב כי על דרך הסברא אין הדעת נוטה להיות הכיור נכח מזבח הקטרת שהוא לנכח מקום הכפרת:
1AND THE BASE THEREOF. Kanno means the base thereof.85. The bases that Solomon made86 proves this.87 [Solomon] upon the bases (mekhonot). We thus see that kanno means mekhonoto; i.e., kanno means its base. Now Scripture states that the laver was placed between the tent of meeting and the altar. This shows that the altar was not adjacent to the door of the tent but was close to it The altar was placed in the center88 and was aligned with the altar of incense.89 The laver was placed between the tent and the altar, towards one of the sides.90 59b, similarly writes: “The laver was removed a little toward the south.” However, Scripture does not mention this.91. However, it does not identify which altar it is referring to. I.E. points out that the reference is to the altar of the burnt offering, for it is illogical to assume that the laver was placed in the sanctuary between the tent of meeting and the altar of incense. It does not seem logical for the laver to be aligned with the altar of incense92 and thus be aligned with the ark cover.93