Chumashחומש

ועשית את המזבח וגו' ושלש אמות קמתו. דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן, דִּבְרֵי רַ' יְהוּדָה, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר נֶאֱמַר כָּאן רָבוּעַ וְנֶאֱמַר בַּפְּנִימִי רָבוּעַ, מַה לְּהַלָּן גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, אַף כָּאן גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹמָתוֹ? מִשְּׂפַת סוֹבֵב וּלְמַעְלָה (זבח' נ"ט):

ועשית את המזבח וגו׳ ושלש אמות קמתו AND THOU SHALT MAKE AN ALTAR etc. AND THE HEIGHT THEREOF SHALL BE THREE CUBITS — These words should be understood as they are written (i. e. to mean exactly what they say — that its height was three cubits); this is the opinion of R. Jehudah. R. José, however, says: it is stated here, “[the altar shall be] square” and it is stated with reference to the inner (the golden) altar, (Exodus 30:2) “square [shall it be].” How was it there (in the case of the latter)? Its height was twice its length (“a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, . . . and two cubits the height thereof”)! So, also, here: the height shall be twice its length, i. e. ten cubits. And if you ask, how, then, do I explain the words and three cubits the height thereof?” I reply that this gives the measurement from the edge of the surround (סובב) upwards (whilst 10 cubits was the actual height from the ground to the top of the altar) (cf. Zevachim 60a; Rashi on v. 5).

ממנו תהיין קרנתיו. שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂם לְבַדָּם וִיחַבְּרֵם בּוֹ:

ממנו תהיין קרנתיו ITS HORNS SHALL BE OF THE SAME — i. e. he shall not make them separately and afterwards attach them to it (to the altar).

וצפית אתו נחשת. לְכַפֵּר עַל עַזּוּת מֶצַח, שֶׁנֶּ' וּמִצְחֲךָ נְחוּשָׁה (ישעיהו מ"ח):

וצפית אתו נחשת AND THOU SHALT OVERLAY IT WITH COPPER — to atone for sins committed with effrontery (more lit., with impudence of forehead, the Hebrew expression for effrontery being, “having a copper forehead,”) as it is said, (Isaiah 48:4) “[Because I know that thou art obstinate] and that thy forehead is copper” (cf. our English expression “brazen-faced”) (Midrash Tanchuma, Terumah 11).

סירתיו. כְּמִין יוֹרוֹת:

סירתיו — a kind of pot.

לדשנו. לְהָסִיר דִּשְׁנוֹ לְתוֹכָם, וְהוּא שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס לְמִסְפֵּי קִטְמֵהּ – לִסְפּוֹת הַדֶּשֶׁן לְתוֹכָם; כִּי יֵשׁ מִלּוֹת בְּלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִית מִלָּה אַחַת מִתְחַלֶּפֶת בַּפִּתְרוֹן לְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּנְיָן וּסְתִירָה, כְּמוֹ וַתַּשְׁרֵשׁ שָׁרָשֶׁיהָ (תהילים פ'), אֱוִיל מַשְׁרִישׁ (איוב ה'), וְחִלּוּפוֹ וּבְכָל תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ (איוב ל״א:י״ב); וְכָמוֹהוּ בִּסְעִפֶּיהָ פֹּרִיָּה (ישעיהו י״ז:ו׳), וְחִלּוּפוֹ מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה (ישעיהו י׳:ל״ג) – מְפַשֵּׁחַ סְעִפֶּיהָ; וְכָמוֹהוּ וְזֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן עִצְּמוֹ (ירמיהו נ') – שִׁבַּר עֲצָמָיו; וְכָמוֹהוּ וַיִּסְקְלֻהוּ בָאֲבָנִים (מלכים א כ״א:י״ג), וְחִלּוּפוֹ סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן (ישעיהו ס״ב:י׳) – הָסִירוּ אֲבָנֶיהָ, וְכֵן וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ (שם ה'), אַף כָּאן לְדַשְּׁנוֹ – לְהָסִיר דִּשְׁנוֹ, וּבְלַעַז אדשצנדר"יר:

לדשנו means TO REMOVE ITS ASHES in them. That is exactly as Onkelos translated it: למספי קטמה, to remove the ashes into them. For although in its primary sense דַּשֵּׁן would mean to cover with ashes, it has also the meaning of removing the ashes, for there are in the Hebrew language certain expressions with the peculiarity that the same word changes in meaning so as to be used to denote both “construction” and “destruction,” (having a positive and a negative meaning). Examples are: (Psalms 80:10) “and didst cause it to take deep root (ותשרש)”; (Job 5:3) “I have seen the foolish taking root (משריש),” whilst we have its opposite (negative) meaning in, (Job 31:12) “and thou wouldst root out (תשרש) all my increase.” Similar to it is, (Isaiah 17:6) “in the utmost fruitful branches (בסעיפיה),” and its opposite, (Isaiah 10:33) “The Lord of hosts shall מסעף”, i. e. shall lop off the branches thereof. Similar to it is also (Jeremiah 50:17) “And this last person עִצְּמוֹ” — “has broken his bones” although the primary meaning of עצם is to be strongboned. Similar to it is, (1 Kings 21:13) “and stoned him with stones (ויסקלהו)” i. e. heaped up stones above him, and its opposite is, (Isaiah 62:10) “סקלו the stones” — i. e. remove its stones; and so, too, (Isaiah 5:2) “And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof (ויסקלהו).” Thus here, also, לדשנו means to remove its ashes. In 0. F. à discendrer.

ויעיו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, מִגְרָפוֹת שֶׁנּוֹטְלִים בָּהֶם הַדֶּשֶׁן, וְהֵן כְּמִין כִּסּוּי הַקְּדֵרָה שֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת דַּק וְלֹוֹ בֵית יָד, וּבְלַעַז ווד"יל:

ויעיו AND ITS SHOVELS — as the Targum renders it, מגרפות, shovels by which the ashes were removed. They had the form of the lid of a pot, of thin metal, but having a handle. In old French vedil.

ומזרקתיו. לְקַבֵּל בָּהֶם דַּם הַזְּבָחִים:

ומזרקתיו AND ITS BOWLS, in which to receive the blood of the sacrifices.

ומזלגתיו. כְּמִין אֻנְקְלִיּוֹת כְּפוּפִים, וּמַכֶּה בָהֶם בַּבָּשָׂר וְנִתְחָבִים בּוֹ וּמְהַפֵּךְ בָּהֶן עַל גַּחֲלֵי הַמַּעֲרָכָה שֶׁיְּהֵא מְמַהֵר שְׂרֵפָתָן, ובְלַעַז קרוצי"נש, וּבִלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים צִנּוֹרִיּוֹת (יומא י"ב):

ומזלגתיו AND ITS FLESHHOOKS — These had the form of bent hooks; they stuck them forcibly into the flesh so that they penetrated it, and with them they turned the flesh over upon the coals of the fire-place in order that it might become the more quickly consumed. In old French these are called crochets and in the language of our Sages צנוריות (Yoma 12a).

ומחתתיו. בֵּית קִבּוּל יֵשׁ לָהֶם לִטֹּל בָּהֶן גֶּחָלִים מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, לְשֵׂאתָם עַל מִזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי לַקְּטֹרֶת, וְעַל שֵׁם חֲתִיָּתָן קְרוּיִים מַחְתּוֹת, כְּמוֹ לַחְתּוֹת אֵשׁ מִיָּקוּד (ישעיהו ל'), לְשׁוֹן שְׁאִיבַת אֵשׁ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ, וְכֵן הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ (משלי ו'):

ומחתתיו AND ITS FIRE-PANS — These had a cavity to hold things so that the coals might be taken in them from the altar in order to carry them on to the inner altar for the incense. And because of their use for raking the coals into them (חתיה) they were called מחתות. This word is of the same root and meaning as the verb in, (Isaiah 30:14) “לחתות fire from the fire-place,” which has the meaning of drawing fire from its place. Similar is, (Proverbs 6:27) “Can a man rake (היחתה) fire into his bosom?”

לכל כליו. כְּמוֹ כָּל כֵּלָיו:

לכל כליו means ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF [THOU SHALT MAKE OF COPPER] (i. e. it does not mean: “thou shalt make things of copper, for (i. e. to serve as) all its vessels” but the ל is redundant; cf. Rashi on Exodus 14:28).

מכבר. לְשׁוֹן כְּבָרָה, שֶׁקּוֹרִין קרי"בלא בְּלַעַז, כְּמִין לְבוּשׁ עָשׂוּי לוֹ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, עָשׂוּי חֹרִין חֹרִין, כְּמִין רֶשֶׁת; וּמִקְרָא זֶה מְסֹרָס וְכֹה פִּתְרוֹנוֹ: וְעָשִׂיתָ לּוֹ מִכְבַּר נְחֹשֶׁת מַעֲשֵׂה רֶשֶׁת:

מכבר A GRATE — מכבר is an expression connected with כברה, a sieve which is called in old French crible. A kind of covering was made for the altar, constructed with many holes just like a net. The word of this verse are transposed, and its explanation is as follows: And thou shalt make for it a grate of copper, of network.

כרכב המזבח. סוֹבֵב; כָּל דָּבָר הַמַּקִּיף סָבִיב בְּעִגּוּל קָרוּי כַּרְכֹּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּהַכֹּל שׁוֹחֲטִין אֵלּוּ הֵן גָּלְמֵי כְלֵי עֵץ כָּל שֶׁעָתִיד לָשׁוּף וּלְכַרְכֵּב, וְהוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשִׂים חֲרִיצִין עֲגֻלִּין בְּקַרְשֵׁי דָּפְנֵי הַתֵּבוֹת וְסַפְסָלֵי הָעֵץ, אַף לַמִּזְבֵּחַ עָשָׂה חָרִיץ סְבִיבוֹ, וְהָיָה רָחְבּוֹ אַמָּה בְדָפְנוֹ לְנוֹי וְהוּא לְסוֹף שָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת שֶׁל גָּבְהוֹ כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר גָּבְהוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם כְּאָרְכּוֹ, הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ? מִשְּׂפַת סוֹבֵב וּלְמַעְלָה, אֲבָל סוֹבֵב לְהִלּוּךְ הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא הָיָה לְמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, אֶלָּא עַל רֹאשׁוֹ לִפְנִים מִקַּרְנוֹתָיו, וְכֵן שָׁנִינוּ בִזְבָחִים: אֵי זֶהוּ כַּרְכּוֹב? בֵּין קֶרֶן לְקֶרֶן; וְהָיָה רֹחַב אַמָּה, וְלִפְנִים מֵהֶן אַמָּה שֶׁל הִלּוּךְ רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים, שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת הַלָּלוּ קְרוּיִים כַּרְכּוֹב; וְדִקְדַּקְנוּ שָׁם וְהָכְתִיב תַּחַת כַּרְכֹּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִלְּמָטָּה? לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהַכַּרְכּוֹב בְּדָפְנוֹ הוּא וּלְבוּשׁ הַמִּכְבָּר תַּחְתָּיו? וְתֵרֵץ הַמְתָרֵץ תְּרֵי הֲווֹ, חַד לְנוֹי וְחַד לַכֹּהֲנִים דְּלֹא יִשְׂתָּרְגוּ, זֶה שֶׁבַּדֹּפֶן לְנוֹי הָיָה, וּמִתַּחְתָּיו הִלְבִּישׁוֹ הַמִּכְבָּר וְהִגִּיעַ רָחְבוֹ עַד חֲצִי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְהוּא הָיָה סִימָן לַחֲצִי גָּבְהוֹ, לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין דָּמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לְדָמִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים; וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ עָשׂוּ לְמִזְבַּח בֵּית עוֹלָמִים דֻּגְמַת חוּט הַסִּקְרָא בְאֶמְצָעוֹ, וְכֶבֶשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִין בּוֹ אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא פֵרְשׁוֹ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, כְּבָר שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּפָרָשַׁת מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת – לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ מַעֲלוֹת בְּכֶבֶשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ, אֶלָּא כֶּבֶשׁ חָלָק, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ כֶּבֶשׁ; כָּךְ שָׁנִינוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא. וּמִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה הוּא מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, שֶׁהָיוּ מְמַלְּאִין חֲלָלוֹ אֲדָמָה בִמְקוֹם חֲנִיָּתָן, וְהַכֶּבֶשׁ הָיָה בִּדְרוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, מֻבְדָּל מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְלֹא חוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה, וְרַגְלָיו מַגִּיעִין עַד אַמָּה סָמוּךְ לְקַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם, כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ, וּלְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָן – שָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קוֹמָתוֹ – לֹא הָיָה אֹרֶךְ הַכֶּבֶשׁ אֶלָּא עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, כָּךְ מָצָאתִי בְּמִשְׁנַת אַרְבָּעִים וְתֵשַׁע מִדּוֹת, וְזֶה שֶׁהוּא מֻבְדָּל מִן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְלֹא הַחוּט, בְּמַסֶּכֶת זְבָחִים (דף ס"ב) לְמָדוּהוּ מִן הַמִּקְרָא:

כרכב המזבח THE COMPASS OF THE ALTAR — כרכב is a surround. Anything which encompasses an object all the way round is called כרכב, just as we read in the Talmudical section beginning with the words הכל שוחטין (Chullin 25a): The following come under the description of unfinished wooden vessels — all such as have still to be polished and to be rounded off (ולכרכב; i. e. making a rim by hollowing out the centre). This is similar to the practice of making rounded grooves in the boards that form the sides of chests and wooden chairs. For the altar too he made a hollowing round about — its width was a cubit — in its wall for ornamentation. It was made at the end of three cubits of its height (measuring from the top of the altar). This is according to the view of him who says (cf. v. 1): its (the altar's) height was twice its length. And if you ask how, then, can I explain the statement, “and the height thereof shall be three cubits” I reply, that this gives the measurement from the edge of the surround upwards. This surround served only as an ornamentation, but a surround for the priests to walk upon when officiating the copper altar had only on its top within its horns (running from one horn to the other). Thus we read in Treatise Zevachim 62a: What is the כרכב? The sunken space between one horn of the altar and the other, this being a cubit in width, and, from that space inward (towards the centre of the altar) a space of another cubit upon which the priests could walk right round the altar, thus making a surround two cubits in width. These two cubits were called כרכב. The criticism is there made to this definition: But is it not written, “[and thou shalt put it (the grate)] under the compass of the altar beneath” — which statement teaches us that the כרכב was on the side of the altar and not on its top since the covering formed by the grate was beneath it? Whereupon the Talmud replies (lit., the replier replies), that in fact there were two surrounds, one for ornamentation (that below) and another (on the top) for the priests that they should not slip off when walking round. The one on the side of the altar was intended for ornamentation, and beneath it they put the grate as a covering and its width reached to the middle of its (the altar’s) height, measuring this from the ground. It also served to mark the middle of its height separating the two halves of the altars side upon which were put respectively the sacrifical blood which had to be sprinkled above (on the upper part; this was the blood of a חטאת) and the blood which had to be sprinkled below (that of עולה ,שלמים and אשם). Corresponding to this there was made for the altar in the “Eternal House” (the Temple at Jerusalem) a sign consisting of a red line (Zevachim 53a; Mishnah Middot 3:1). As to the ascent (כבש — the inclined plane) upon which they went up to the top of the altar, it is true that Scripture does not expressly mention it in this section but we have it already implied in the statement in the section beginning with the words מזבח אדמה תעשה לי (Exodus 20:21—23): “Thou shalt not go up by steps [unto my altar]” — i. e. thou shalt not make steps on its ascent, but thou shalt make an unbroken ascent, — this tells us that it had such an ascent. — So do we read in the Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:23:1). — For the altar of earth there spoken of is identical with the altar of copper described here and it was called an altar of earth because they used to fill the hollow space within it (within its coppered walls) with earth at every place where they encamped in the wilderness. This ascent was on the south of the altar, its top standing away from the altar just a hair’s breadth (i. e. almost touching the altar). Its foot reached to the cubit adjacent to the hangings of the court on the south, (i. e. it was one cubit distant from those hangings of the enclosure). This latter statement is according to him who holds that its height (that of the altar) was ten cubits, whilst according to him who holds that the command, (v. 1) “and three cubits shall be the height thereof” is to be taken literally (cf. Rashi on v. 1) the length of the ascent was only ten cubits, for since the altar was lower the slope leading to its top could not be a very long one. So did I find in the Boraitha דמ"ט מדות (cf. Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 419). And as regards this statement that it stood away from the top of the altar just a hair’s breadth, in Treatise Zevachim 62b they (the Rabbis) derived it from a Biblical text.

בטבעת. בְּאַרְבַּע טַבָּעוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לַמִּכְבָּר:

בטבעת [AND THE BARS SHALL BE BROUGHT] INTO THE RINGS — into the four rings made for the grate (v. 4).

נבוב לחת. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ חֲלִיל לוּחִין, לֻחֹת עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים מִכָּל צַד וְהֶחָלָל בְאֶמְצַע, וְלֹא יְהֵא כֻּלּוֹ עֵץ אֶחָד שֶׁיְּהֵא עָבְיוֹ חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת עַל חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת כְּמִין סַדָּן:

נבוב לחת HOLLOW WITH TABLETS — Render it as the Targum does, חליל לוחין, hollow as regards boards (לוחין is what is termed an accusative of respect): boards of shittim-wood on all sides (cf. v. 1) and a hollow space in the middle; it shall not be in its entirety a single block of wood, the thickness of which in two directions should be five cubits by five cubits — like the trunk of a tree, which has been hollowed out.