Dedicating the Sanctuary Vessels and the Evening Incense

Another interpretation: there is no rite valid from evening until morning except this one alone. Rather, what is the Merciful One saying? That at the time of kindling he shall be burning the incense. The tending of five lamps comes before the tending of the two lamps. Resh Lakish said: why does he tend, then turn back and tend again? In order to stir the whole courtyard into awareness. And Rabbi Yochanan said: "in the morning, in the morning" — divide it between two mornings. If they did not burn the incense in the morning, they burn it toward evening. Rabbi Shimon said: the whole of it was offered toward evening, for one does not inaugurate the golden altar except with the incense of spices, nor the burnt-offering altar except with the morning daily offering, nor the table except with the showbread on the Sabbath, nor the menorah except with its seven lamps toward evening. Rabbi Shimon said: and the whole of it was offered, and so forth. But was it not taught: with the morning incense of spices? This is a dispute among the Tannaim. Abaye said: it stands to reason like the one who says with the evening incense of spices, for it is written "in the morning, in the morning when he tends the lamps he shall burn it," and if he did not perform a kindling the previous evening, from where would there be a tending in the morning? And according to the one who says with the morning incense of spices, he derives it from the burnt-offering altar: just as there the inauguration was with the morning daily offering, so here with the morning incense of spices. Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: Ben Beteira would declare valid a Passover offering slaughtered on the fourteenth in the morning for its own sake. But is it not written "between the evenings" (Exodus 12:6), between the two evenings? Then incense too should be valid all day long! Incense is different, for it is compared to the lamps.