And the rule of the language is that the word אשר (which is called a הכינוי המצרף - literally a connecting pronoun) always needs to be written next to the noun that connects to it without break - והאבן הזאת אשר שמתי מצבה יהיה בית אלוקים (and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house)²²³. And any place that is an exception to this rule is a word which implies reason, not connection. Or the sages of blessed memory will explain and answer through a homiletical interpretation like המזבח סביב אשר פתח אהל מועד (round about against the altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting)²²⁴ – they explain that the word סביב (round about against) modifies the word המזבח (the altar).

footnotes: ²²³ Genesis 28:22. ²²⁴ Leviticus 1:5.