Zevachim 62

ולא על גבי מחילות

and one may not build it on top of tunnels.

אמר רב יוסף לאו היינו דתניא ויכינו את המזבח על מכונתו שהגיעו לסוף מדותיו והכתיב הכל בכתב מיד ה׳ עלי השכיל

The Gemara relates that after reconsidering the reason for the expansion of the altar, Rav Yosef said: Is this not as it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “And they set the altar upon its bases” (Ezra 3:3), which teaches that in the Second Temple the size of the altar reached its full measure, i.e., that it was the ideal size, whereas in the First Temple it was not the ideal size? The Gemara asks: But isn’t it written with regard to the instructions David gave Solomon about how to build the Temple: “All this in writing, as the Lord has made me wise by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern” (I Chronicles 28:19), indicating that the design of the First Temple was dictated by God?

אלא אמר רב יוסף קרא אשכח ודרש ויאמר דויד זה הוא בית ה׳ האלהים וזה מזבח לעלה לישראל כי בית מה בית ששים אמה אף מזבח ששים אמה

Rather, Rav Yosef said: The size of the altar in the First Temple was ideal, but in the Second Temple era there was a need to expand the altar, and they found a verse and interpreted it as follows. The verse states: “Then David said: This is the House of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel” (I Chronicles 22:1). The verse juxtaposes the House, i.e., the Temple, with the altar, which indicates that the altar is like the Temple: Just as the House was sixty cubits (see I Kings 6:2), so too, the altar may be extended up to a length of sixty cubits.

בשלמא בית מינכרא צורתו אלא מזבח מנא ידעי

§ The Gemara discusses the construction of the altar in the Second Temple. The Gemara asks: Granted, with regard to the location of the House, its shape was discernable from the vestiges of its foundations; but how did they know the proper location of the altar?

אמר רבי אלעזר ראו מזבח בנוי ומיכאל השר הגדול עומד ומקריב עליו ורבי יצחק נפחא אמר אפרו של יצחק ראו שמונח באותו מקום ורבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר מכל הבית כולו הריחו ריח קטרת משם הריחו ריח אברים

The Gemara answers that Rabbi Elazar says: They saw a vision of the altar already built and Michael the archangel standing and sacrificing offerings upon it. And Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa says: They saw a vision of the ashes of Isaac that were placed in that location. And Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says: From the entire House they smelled the scent of incense, yet from there, the location of the altar, they smelled a scent of burned animal limbs.

אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן שלשה נביאים עלו עמהם מן הגולה אחד שהעיד להם על המזבח ואחד שהעיד להם על מקום המזבח ואחד שהעיד להם שמקריבין אף על פי שאין בית

Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Three prophets ascended with them from the exile: One who testified to them about the size and shape of the altar, and one who testified to them about the proper location of the altar, and one who testified to them that one sacrifices offerings even if there is no Temple, provided that there is a proper altar.

במתניתא תנא רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר שלשה נביאים עלו עמהן מן הגולה אחד שהעיד להם על המזבח ועל מקום המזבח ואחד שהעיד להם שמקריבין אף על פי שאין בית ואחד שהעיד להם על התורה שתכתב אשורית

It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: Three prophets ascended with the Jewish people from the exile: One who testified to them about the size and shape of the altar and about the proper location of the altar, and one who testified to them that one sacrifices offerings even if there is no Temple, and one who testified to them about the Torah and instructed that it be written in Assyrian script [Ashurit] rather than the ancient Hebrew script used in the times of Moses.

תנו רבנן קרן וכבש ויסוד וריבוע מעכבין מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו ומדת קומתו אין מעכבין מנא הני מילי אמר רב הונא אמר קרא המזבח כל מקום שנאמר המזבח לעכב

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: The corner built at each point where the edges of the altar meet, the ramp upon which the priests ascended the altar, the base of the altar, and the requirement that the altar must be exactly square, are all indispensable in order for the altar to be fit for use. But the measurement of its length, and the measurement of its width, and the measurement of its height are not indispensable. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rav Huna says: In reference to each of these characteristics the verse states the term “the altar,” and there is a principle that wherever the term “the altar” is stated, it serves to indicate that the halakhic detail mentioned is indispensable.

אלא מעתה כיור לרבי וסובב לרבי יוסי ברבי יהודה הכי נמי דמעכב דכתיב ונתתה אתה תחת כרכב המזבח מלמטה ותניא איזהו כרכוב רבי אומר זה כיור רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר זה הסובב

The Gemara asks: If that is so, then the engraving [kiyyur] that was on the altar according to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, or the surrounding ledge of the altar according to Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, should also be indispensable, as it is written: “And you shall put it under the karkov of the altar beneath” (Exodus 27:5). And it is taught in a baraita: What is the karkov? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: This is the engraving on the altar. Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: This is the surrounding ledge.

אין דתניא אותו היום נפגמה קרן מזבח והביאו בול של מלח וסתמוהו ולא מפני שכשר לעבודה אלא שלא יראה מזבח פגום שכל מזבח שאין לו קרן וכבש ויסוד וריבוע פסול רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר אף הסובב

The Gemara answers: Yes, the karkov is also indispensable, as it is taught in a baraita: On that day when etrogim were pelted at a Sadducee priest who poured the water libation of Sukkot on his feet rather than on the altar (see Sukka 48b), the corner of the altar was damaged as a result of the pelting and the ensuing chaos. They brought a fistful of salt and sealed the damaged section. They did this not because it rendered the altar fit for the Temple service, but in deference to the altar, so that the altar would not be seen in its damaged state. The reason the altar is disqualified is because any altar that does not have a corner, a ramp, and a base, and any altar that is not square, is disqualified. Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: Even the surrounding ledge is indispensable.

תנו רבנן איזהו כרכוב בין קרן לקרן מקום הילוך רגלי הכהנים אמה אטו הכהנים בין קרן לקרן הוו אזלי אלא אימא ומקום הילוך רגלי הכהנים אמה

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: What is the karkov of the altar? It is the area between one corner and the next corner, which is the cubit-wide place on top of the altar where the priests would walk. The Gemara asks: Is that to say that the priests would walk between one corner and the next corner? The Gemara answers: Rather, say: The karkov is the cubit-wide area between one corner and the other, and there was an additional cubit that was the place where the priests would walk.

והכתיב תחת כרכבו מלמטה עד חציו אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק תרי הוו חד לנוי וחד לכהנים דלא נשתרקו

The Gemara asks: But isn’t it written: “And he made for the altar a grating of network of brass, under the karkov beneath, reaching halfway up” (Exodus 38:4), which indicates that the karkov was on the side of the altar and not on top of it? The Gemara answers: Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: There were two entities called karkov. One was a slight protrusion above the midway point of the altar for aesthetic purposes, and one was an indentation on top of the altar for the benefit of the priests, to ensure that they would not slip off the top of the altar.

מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו ומדת קומתו אין מעכבין אמר רבי מני ובלבד שלא יפחתנו ממזבח שעשה משה וכמה אמר רב יוסף אמה מחכו עליה חמש אמות ארך וחמש אמות רחב רבוע יהיה המזבח

It was taught in a baraita cited above that the measurement of the altar’s length, and the measurement of its width, and the measurement of its height are not indispensable. Rabbi Mani says: This is the halakha provided that one does not decrease its size so that it is smaller than the altar constructed by Moses. The Gemara asks: And how large was the altar constructed by Moses? Rav Yosef says: One cubit. Those in the study hall mocked Rav Yosef, as it is written explicitly: “Five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square” (Exodus 27:1).

אמר ליה אביי דלמא מקום מערכה קאמר מר אמר ליה מר דגברא רבה הוא ידע מאי קאמינא קרי עלייהו

Abaye said to Rav Yosef: Perhaps the Master is speaking about the area of the arrangement of wood? Since the corners took up one cubit on each side and there was an additional cubit on each side for the priests to walk, only one cubit was left for the arrangement of wood. Rav Yosef said to Abaye: The Master, i.e., Abaye, who is a great man, knows what I mean to say. Rav Yosef read, i.e., applied, the following verse to those who mocked him:

בני קטורה בני אחתיה דרבי טרפון הוו יתבי קמיה דרבי טרפון פתח ואמר ויוסף אברהם ויקח אשה ושמה יוחני אמרי ליה קטורה כתיב קרי עליהם בני קטורה

“The children of Keturah” (Genesis 25:4). Although Keturah’s children were children of Abraham, they were not of the same caliber as Isaac. Similarly, Rav Yosef was saying that his other students were not of the caliber of Abaye. Having mentioned this term, the Gemara relates: The sons of Rabbi Tarfon’s sister were sitting silently before Rabbi Tarfon. In an attempt to encourage them to say something, he began and said: The verse states: And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Yoḥani. They said to Rabbi Tarfon: It is written: “Keturah” (Genesis 25:1), not Yoḥani. Rabbi Tarfon read, i.e., said, about them the phrase “the children of Keturah” as they were able to contribute only this small piece of information.

אמר אביי בר הונא אמר רב חמא בר גוריא גזירין שעשה משה אורכן אמה ורוחבן אמה ועוביין כמחק גודש סאה

§ Abaye bar Huna says that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya says: With regard to the logs that Moses prepared for the mitzva of burning wood upon the altar, their length was a cubit and their width was a cubit, and their thickness was like that of a leveler, a kind of flat stick used to remove the excess grain heaped on top of a container that holds one se’a.

אמר רבי ירמיה באמה גדומה אמר רב יוסף ולאו היינו דתניא על העצים אשר על האש אשר על המזבח שלא יהו עצים יוצאין מן המזבח כלום

Rabbi Yirmeya says: The length and width of the logs men-tioned were measured with a shortened cubit. Rav Yosef said: Is this not as it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “Upon the wood that is on the fire that is upon the altar” (Leviticus 1:8). The seemingly superfluous phrase “that is upon the altar” teaches that the wood should not extend at all beyond the area of the altar designated for the arrangement of wood. Since this area was one square cubit, the logs were exactly one cubit as well.

תנן התם כבש היה לדרומה של מזבח אורך שלשים ושתים על רוחב שש עשרה מנא הני מילי אמר רב הונא אמר קרא ושחט אותו על ירך המזבח צפונה שיהא ירך בצפון ופניו בדרום

§ The Gemara discusses the ramp of the altar: We learned in a mishna there (Middot 36a): There was a ramp that was located on the south side of the altar, whose size was a length of thirty-two cubits by a width of sixteen cubits. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived, i.e., from where is it derived that the ramp is on the south side of the altar? Rav Huna said: The verse states: “And he shall slaughter it on the side [yerekh] of the altar northward” (Leviticus 1:11), which teaches that the altar’s thigh [yarekh] should be located in the north, and its face, i.e., the front of the altar where the priests ascend to it, should be in the south. The verse likens the positioning of the altar to a person who is lying down flat, in which case if his legs are to the north, his face is to the south.

אימא ירך בצפון ופניו בצפון אמר רבא רמי גברא אאפיה אמר ליה אביי אדרבה תריץ ואותיב גברא

The Gemara asks: Why not say that its thigh should be in the north and its face should also be in the north? Perhaps the verse is referring to a person sitting with both his face and feet in the north. Rava said in response: Place the man on his face, i.e., the analogy is to a man who is lying down. Abaye said to him: On the contrary, sit the man straight up so that his face and his legs are facing the same direction.

אמר ליה רבוע כתיב והא מיבעי ליה דמרבע רבועי מי כתיב מרובע וליטעמיך מי כתיב רבוץ אמר ליה רבוע כתיב דמשמע הכי ומשמע הכי

Rava said back to him: It is written in a verse that the altar must be “square [ravua]” (Exodus 27:1), which indicates lying down or crouching, as it is similar to the term ravutz, meaning crouching. Abaye challenges Rava: But this word is necessary to teach that the altar must be square. Rava responds: Is it written in the verse that the altar must be square [merubba]? The verse specifically uses the form ravua in order to allude to the word ravutz, crouching. Abaye counters: According to your reasoning, is it written in the verse that the altar must be ravutz? Rava answers: It is written in the verse that the altar must be ravua, which is a term that indicates this, i.e., that the altar must be square, and indicates that, i.e., that its positioning is comparable to that of a person who is lying down.

ותנא מייתי לה מהכא דתניא רבי יהודה אומר ומעלתהו פנות קדים כל פינות שאתה פונה לא יהו אלא דרך ימין למזרח

The Gemara adds: And another tanna cites the source for the ramp’s positioning from here, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says: The verse states with regard to the future altar: “And its steps shall look [penot] toward the east” (Ezekiel 43:17), which indicates that all the turns [pinot] that you turn should be only to the right and you should turn to the east. Only if the ramp is in the south can one turn to the right and be facing eastward.

ואימא שמאל למזרח לא סלקא דעתך דתני רמי בר (יחזקיה) ים שעשה שלמה עמד על שנים עשר (עמודים) בקר שלשה פנים צפונה ושלשה פנים ימה ושלשה פנים נגבה ושלשה פנים מזרחה כל פינות שאתה פונה לא יהו אלא דרך ימין למזרח

The Gemara challenges: The verse indicates only that after a person turns he is facing eastward. Why not say that the ramp was located in the north and the priest turns left and faces eastward? The Gemara answers: This possibility should not enter your mind, as Rami bar Yeḥizkiya teaches: A verse describes the sea, i.e., the Basin, that Solomon built, in the following terms: “It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward [ponim] the north, and three looking toward [ponim] the west, and three looking toward [ponim] the south, and three looking toward [ponim] the east” (II Chronicles 4:4). From the order of the directions in which the verse lists the groups of oxen under the Basin, it can be derived that all the turns that you turn should be only to the right and to the east.

ההוא מיבעי ליה לגופיה אם כן פנים פנים למה לי

The Gemara challenges: That verse is necessary to teach its own information describing the Basin. The Gemara explains: If so, why do I need the verse to repeat the term ponim, ponim? It must be in order to teach how one turns while performing the sacrificial rite upon the altar, which, in turn, teaches the location of the ramp.

שאל רבי שמעון בן יוסי בן לקוניא את רבי יוסי אומר היה רבי שמעון בן יוחי אויר יש בין כבש למזבח אמר לו ואתה אי אתה אומר כן והלא כבר נאמר ועשית עלתיך הבשר והדם מה דם בזריקה אף בשר בזריקה

§ Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lakonya asked Rabbi Yosei: Is it so that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai used to say that there is airspace, i.e., a gap, between the ramp and the altar? Rabbi Yosei said to him: And you, don’t you say so as well? But isn’t it already stated: “And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood” (Deuteronomy 12:27)? The verse juxtaposes the flesh of the burnt offering with its blood to teach that just as the blood is presented upon the altar via tossing while the priest stands on the ground next to the altar (see Leviticus 1:5), so too, the flesh of the burnt offering is presented via tossing. In order to fulfill this requirement, the priest stands on the ramp and tosses the flesh over the gap between the ramp and the altar, so that it lands on the arrangement of wood.

אמר לו שאני אומר עומד בצד מערכה וזורק

Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei ben Lakonya said to him: If the verse simply teaches that the flesh must be tossed onto the arrangement of wood, it does not prove that there must be a gap between the ramp and the altar, as I say that the priest should stand next to the arrangement of wood and toss the flesh onto it.

אמר לו כשהוא זורק למערכה דלוקה הוא זורק או למערכה שאינה דלוקה הוא זורק הוי אומר למערכה דלוקה הוא זורק התם משום דלא אפשר

Rabbi Yosei said to him: When he tosses the flesh, does he toss it onto a part of the arrangement of wood that is burning or does he toss it onto a part of the arrangement of wood that is not burning? You must say that he tosses it onto a part of the arrangement of wood that is burning. And there, according to your suggestion that the priest is standing next to the arrangement of wood, he would have to toss the flesh, because it is impossible to place the flesh directly into the fire without the priest getting burned. It would be unnecessary for the verse to teach that the priest tosses the flesh while standing next to the arrangement. Consequently, when the verse juxtaposed the blood with the flesh, it must be teaching that the flesh must be tossed over a gap between the ramp and the altar.

רב פפא אמר כי דם מה דם אויר קרקע מפסיקו אף בשר אויר קרקע מפסיקו

Rav Pappa says: The requirement that there be a gap between the ramp and the altar can be derived from this verse, because the juxtaposition teaches that the flesh is like blood in the manner in which it is tossed: Just as with regard to the blood there is space on the ground that interposes between the priest and the altar, so too with regard to the flesh, there is space on the ground that interposes between the priest and the altar, i.e., he stands on the ground next to the altar and tosses the flesh onto the altar.

אמר רב יהודה שני כבשים קטנים יוצאין מן הכבש שבהן פונים ליסוד ולסובב ומובדלין מן המזבח מלא נימא משום שנאמר סביב ורבי אבהו אמר רבוע

§ The Gemara continues discussing the ramp: Rav Yehuda says: There were two small ramps protruding from the main ramp that led to the altar, on which the priests could turn to the base of the altar and to the surrounding ledge of the altar. They were separated from the altar by a hairbreadth, because it is stated: “Roundabout” (Leviticus 1:5), with regard to the altar. This indicates that nothing is attached to the entire perimeter of the altar. And Rabbi Abbahu says there is a different source, as it states: “Square” (Exodus 27:1), and if the ramps would be connected to the altar it would no longer be square.

ואיצטריך למכתב סביב ואיצטריך למכתב רבוע דאי כתב רחמנא סביב הוה אמינא דעגיל מעגל כתב רחמנא רבוע ואי כתב רחמנא רבוע הוה אמינא דאריך וקטין כתב רחמנא סביב

The Gemara continues: And it was necessary for the verse to write: “Roundabout,” and it was necessary for the verse to write: “Square,” as, had the Merciful One written only: “Roundabout,” I would say that the altar can be circular. Therefore, the Merciful One wrote that the altar must be “square.” And had the Merciful One written only that the altar must be “square [ravua],” I would say that the word ravua simply means rectangular and the altar can be long and narrow. Therefore, the Merciful One wrote the term “roundabout,” which teaches that the altar must not have some sides that are longer than others.

תנן התם הכבש והמזבח ששים ושתים הני שיתין וארבעה הוו נמצא פורח אמה על יסוד ואמה על סובב

§ We learned in a mishna elsewhere (Middot 37b): The ramp and the altar together were sixty-two cubits long. The Gemara challenges: The dimensions of these are sixty-four cubits, as the altar and the ramp were each thirty-two cubits long (Middot 36a). The Gemara explains: The thirty-two-cubit measurement of the ramp is explained by a baraita that states: It is found that the ramp of the altar overhung the base of the altar by one cubit and the surrounding ledge by one cubit, resulting in an aggregate length of thirty-two cubits.