The wilderness
The fire pans become a covering for the altar
The Lord commands the priest Eleazar, son of Aaron, to take up the fire pans from the burnt site after Korah's company and scatter the embers far away, for the pans have become holy. The copper pans are hammered into plates to serve as a covering on the altar, as a sign and memorial to the Israelites that no outsider who is not of Aaron's descendants shall approach to burn incense before the Lord – so that they do not meet the same fate as Korah and his company. Numbers 17:1-5
Numbers 17,1-5
1The LORD said to Moses:
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
2"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to lift the censers out of the smoldering fire and scatter the coals far away, for the censers are holy.
אֱמֹ֨ר אֶל־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְיָרֵ֤ם אֶת־הַמַּחְתֹּת֙ מִבֵּ֣ין הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה וְאֶת־הָאֵ֖שׁ זְרֵה־הָ֑לְאָה כִּ֖י קָדֵֽשׁוּ׃
3Take the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives and hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. They shall be a sign to the Israelites."
אֵ֡ת מַחְתּוֹת֩ הֽ͏ַחַטָּאִ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה בְּנַפְשֹׁתָ֗ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ אֹתָ֜ם רִקֻּעֵ֤י פַחִים֙ צִפּ֣וּי לַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־הִקְרִיבֻ֥ם לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וַיִּקְדָּ֑שׁוּ וְיִֽהְי֥וּ לְא֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
4So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that the men who were burned had presented, and they were hammered out as an overlay for the altar,
וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן אֵ֚ת מַחְתּ֣וֹת הַנְּחֹ֔שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִקְרִ֖יבוּ הַשְּׂרֻפִ֑ים וַֽיְרַקְּע֖וּם צִפּ֥וּי לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
5a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider, no one who is not of Aaron's line, should ever come near to burn incense before the LORD, or he would become like Korah and his company—just as the LORD had spoken to Eleazar through Moses.
זִכָּר֞וֹן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לְ֠מַעַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יִקְרַ֜ב אִ֣ישׁ זָ֗ר אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א מִזֶּ֤רַע אַהֲרֹן֙ ה֔וּא לְהַקְטִ֥יר קְטֹ֖רֶת לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֤ה כְקֹ֙רַח֙ וְכַ֣עֲדָת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה לֽוֹ׃