Sefer HaChinuch ספר החינוך

To not remove the poles of the ark from it: To not remove the poles of the ark from the rings, as it is stated (Exodus 25:15), “The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.” And it is elucidated that this commandment is among the commandments practiced throughout the generations. As the understanding of “practiced throughout the generations” is not that the doing of that commandment never cease from Israel ever at any time. Rather the matter is like this: Any commandment that was only commanded to do at a specific time and not more — such as that which is written (Exodus 19:15), “Be in preparation for three days”; and so [too,] the warning of Sinai (Exodus 34:3), “neither shall the flocks and the herds graze across from that mountain”; and all that is similar to it, wherein the command was only temporary — those are called commandments that are not practiced throughout the generations. But any commandment that we were not commanded about [only] for a specific time — even though there is a pause at any given time because of our exile or by reason of something else, such as now when, on account of our sins, we do not have the ark — is called a commandment practiced throughout the generations. As any time that we have the ark, we are obligated not to remove its poles from it, so that the Levites [may] take [the ark] out with them, if we need to bring it from one place to another place as a result of war or from whatever reason that [may] arise.

It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the ark is the residence of the Torah, and [the latter] is our essence and our glory. And [so], we have been commanded to act towards it [with] all glory and all majesty, to all of our ability. Therefore, we were commanded not to remove the poles of the ark from it, lest we need to go out with the ark to any place quickly, and maybe due to the preoccupation and the rush, we will not check well that its poles are strong enough; and lest, God forbid, it will fall from their hands, and this is not [fit for] its glory. But with their always being ready and not being removed from it, we will make them very strong, and [so] there will not be a mishap with them. And another reason [is] that the forms of all of the vessels of the Temple are required to hint to great and lofty matters, so that a person is impressed by them for the good, in the course of his thinking about them. And for our good, God wanted that that form not be lost even temporarily.

The three commandments of this Order are not practiced today.