The Third Beit HaMikdash · The Third Beit HaMikdash, Chapter 38
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אַחַר כָּךְ אלהבנת הענין כדאי לתת סיכום הענין בקצרה, הנה מבנה המזבח בנוי בשלוש מפלסים כשהתחתון מתפשט יותר על עליונו א) מפלס ראשון נקרא בלשון חז”ל “יסוד”, ב) מפלס שני נקרא “סובב”, ג) מפלס שלישי נקרא גג המזבח, וצורת בנייתם היה ע”י יציקת כל מפלס בנפרד, קודם כל יצקו את היסוד, וע”ז יציקה על שטח קטן יותר על גביו שזהו הסובב, ועל גביו יצקו עוד יציקה בשטח מצומצם יותר את עליונו של המזבח עד הגג, ועליו בנו ארבע קרנות. מְבִיאִין דְּפוּס אֶחָד אָרְכּוֹ ל' אַמָּה עַל ל' אַמָּה בְּכִיווּן לְפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י ז"ל בְּפֶרֶק שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם (מנחות צז: ד"ה אלא חיק), וּמַיְתֵי מַסְקָנָא דְּמִלְּתָא פ"ק דְּעֵרוּבִין דַּף ד' (עמוד א' ד"ה וזה) דְּהָא דְּקָאָמַר תַּלְמוּדָא דְּאַמָּה יְסוֹד בִּקְטַנָּה, לָאו בְּרֹחַב כְּנִיסַת הַיְסוֹד אֶלָּא בְּגוֹבַהּ עֲלִיָּתוֹ, וְאִם כֵּן הַכְּנִיסָה בְּאַמָּה בַּת ו', וְיִהְיֶה הַדְּפוּס שֶׁעָלָיו ל' אַמָּה עַל ל' בְּכִיווּן, שֶׁמִּכָּל צַד כָּנַס אַמָּה הֲרֵי ל"ב שֶׁל הַיְּסוֹד.
Afterwards, another mold is brought. According to Rashi’s commentary,1Rashi, Menachos 97b. this second mold measured precisely 30 cubits by 30 cubits. The Talmud states in the first chapter of Tractate Eruvin,2See Rashi, Eruvin 4a. that the cubit of the Altar’s foundation was small.3As mentioned previously, in Yechezkel’s vision, a “cubit” usually means a measure equaling 6 handbreadths. However in other contexts, the term “cubit” means a measure equaling 5 handbreadths. In the construction of the Altar, however, some of the “cubits” contained 6 handbreadths and some were “small,” and contained only 5 handbreadths. The Altar in the Second Beis HaMikdash was also built in a similar manner.Rashi explains in his summation of the matter there, that the Talmud is referring to the cubits used to measure the height of the mold, i.e., the mold’s height was measured using a cubit that equaled 5 handbreadths rather than a cubit equaling 6 handbreadths. However, the width of this mold was measured using a cubit equaling 6 handbreadths. This mold was used to reduce the width of the next level of the Altar, which was one cubit narrower on each side than the 32-cubit wide foundation. Thus, the mold placed on the foundation measured exactly 30 cubits by 30 cubits.
Rambam,4Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah, introduction to Middos, ch. 3; see also Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 2:6-7. by contrast, explains that both the height and the width of the mold used to reduce the width of the next level of the Altar was measured in 5-handbreadth cubits. Therefore, Rambam explains that the mold was intended to produce a mass measuring 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths by 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths. Since the width of the mold was only 5 handbreadths, there would remain 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths by 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths inside the mold. Together with the mold, there would be 32 cubits to fill up the space of the foundation. Rambam writes that the mishnah states that the mold measured 30 cubits by 30 cubits because it did not want to detail the handbreadths. The height of this mold was 4 cubits. This is alluded to by the phrase,5Yechezkel 43:14. The azarah, usually meaning “courtyard,” is used to refer to the two lower levels of the Altar. The lower azarah (or “the smaller azarah” as mentioned in Yechezkel 43:13) refers to the foundation and “the larger azarah” to the sovev. See the end of sec. 27 above. “From the smaller azarah,” i.e., from the upper surface of the lower level, “until the larger azarah,” i.e., the upper surface of the block on it, “were 4 cubits.” This formed the sovev.
Together, the foundation and the sovev were 6 cubits high. Similarly, in the Second Beis HaMikdash, the foundation and the sovev were 6 cubits high. Their individual dimensions were, however, slightly different from the future dimensions of the foundation and the sovev for the mishnah states6Middos 3:1. that the foundation was one cubit high and the sovev, five.
This mold was placed on the foundation. It was filled with stones, lime, and molten lead as the first was. The mixture turned into a solid block, 30 cubits by 30 cubits that was attached to the foundation and stood upon it. It was called the sovev because it surrounded and encompassed the entire Altar, in contrast to the foundation, as explained above.7See sec. 37.
Thus, the foundation would extend a cubit beyond the sovev on all sides. Rashi maintains that this was an oversized cubit, measuring 6 handbreadths, while Rambam maintains it was an ordinary cubit, measuring 5 handbreadths. This is the meaning of the phrase,8Yechezkel 43:14. “its width, a cubit,” i.e., the width of the foundation was one cubit and it was set in one cubit.
אַחַר כָּךְ אלהבנת הענין כדאי לתת סיכום הענין בקצרה, הנה מבנה המזבח בנוי בשלוש מפלסים כשהתחתון מתפשט יותר על עליונו א) מפלס ראשון נקרא בלשון חז”ל “יסוד”, ב) מפלס שני נקרא “סובב”, ג) מפלס שלישי נקרא גג המזבח, וצורת בנייתם היה ע”י יציקת כל מפלס בנפרד, קודם כל יצקו את היסוד, וע”ז יציקה על שטח קטן יותר על גביו שזהו הסובב, ועל גביו יצקו עוד יציקה בשטח מצומצם יותר את עליונו של המזבח עד הגג, ועליו בנו ארבע קרנות. מְבִיאִין דְּפוּס אֶחָד אָרְכּוֹ ל' אַמָּה עַל ל' אַמָּה בְּכִיווּן לְפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י ז"ל בְּפֶרֶק שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם (מנחות צז: ד"ה אלא חיק), וּמַיְתֵי מַסְקָנָא דְּמִלְּתָא פ"ק דְּעֵרוּבִין דַּף ד' (עמוד א' ד"ה וזה) דְּהָא דְּקָאָמַר תַּלְמוּדָא דְּאַמָּה יְסוֹד בִּקְטַנָּה, לָאו בְּרֹחַב כְּנִיסַת הַיְסוֹד אֶלָּא בְּגוֹבַהּ עֲלִיָּתוֹ, וְאִם כֵּן הַכְּנִיסָה בְּאַמָּה בַּת ו', וְיִהְיֶה הַדְּפוּס שֶׁעָלָיו ל' אַמָּה עַל ל' בְּכִיווּן, שֶׁמִּכָּל צַד כָּנַס אַמָּה הֲרֵי ל"ב שֶׁל הַיְּסוֹד.
Afterwards, another mold is brought. According to Rashi’s commentary,1Rashi, Menachos 97b. this second mold measured precisely 30 cubits by 30 cubits. The Talmud states in the first chapter of Tractate Eruvin,2See Rashi, Eruvin 4a. that the cubit of the Altar’s foundation was small.3As mentioned previously, in Yechezkel’s vision, a “cubit” usually means a measure equaling 6 handbreadths. However in other contexts, the term “cubit” means a measure equaling 5 handbreadths. In the construction of the Altar, however, some of the “cubits” contained 6 handbreadths and some were “small,” and contained only 5 handbreadths. The Altar in the Second Beis HaMikdash was also built in a similar manner. Rashi explains in his summation of the matter there, that the Talmud is referring to the cubits used to measure the height of the mold, i.e., the mold’s height was measured using a cubit that equaled 5 handbreadths rather than a cubit equaling 6 handbreadths. However, the width of this mold was measured using a cubit equaling 6 handbreadths. This mold was used to reduce the width of the next level of the Altar, which was one cubit narrower on each side than the 32-cubit wide foundation. Thus, the mold placed on the foundation measured exactly 30 cubits by 30 cubits.
אֲבָל הָרַמְבָּ"ם (בפירושו למשניות ריש פ"ג) מְפָרֵש דְּלֹא שְׁנָא גָּבְהוֹ וְלֹא שְׁנָא כְּנִיסָתוֹ בְּאַמָּה בַּת ה'. וּלְפִיכָךְ פֵּרֵשׁ שֶׁזֶּה הַדְּפוּס הוּא שֶׁל ל' אַמָּה וּב' טְפָחִים עַל ל' אַמָּה וּב' טְפָחִים, לְפִי שֶׁהַכְּנִיסָה אֵינָהּ רַק ה' טְפָחִים, יִוָּתֵר לְךָ אִם כֵּן ל' אַמָּה וּב טְפָחִים עַל ל' וּב טְפָחִים אֶל הַדְּפוּס, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֵּין הַכֹּל ל"ב אַמָּה לְמַלּאוֹת מֵרֹחַב הַיְסוֹד. וְכָתַב (שם) שֶׁהַתַּנָּא לֹא רָצָה לִמְנוֹת הַטְּפָחִים, וְתַנָּא ל' עַל ל' אַמָּה. וְרֹחַב זֶה הַדְּפוּס שֶׁהוּא גָבְהוֹ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, זְהוּ בכפי שהזכיר רבינו לעיל בסוף סימן כז עפ”י שיטת רש”י שמידות המזבח נלמדו מקרא דיחזקאל (מג יד – יז) וביאור הכתובים ברש”י (שם), א) המפלס הראשון (יסוד) נקרא בכתוב העזרה הקטנה, או העזרה התחתונה, ב) המפלס השני (סובב) נקרא בכתוב העזרה הגדולה, ג) מפלס שלישי (גג המזבח) נקרא בכתוב אריאל או הראל. שֶׁאָמַר (יחזקאל מג, יד) וּמֵהָעֲזָרָה הַקְּטַנָּה פֵּרוּשׁ מִגַּג מַלְבֵּן הַתַּחְתּוֹן, עַד הָעֲזָרָה הַגְּדוֹלָה פֵּרוּשׁ עַד גַּג הַמַּלְבֵּן שֶׁעָלָיו, אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת.
Rambam,4Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah, introduction to Middos, ch. 3; see also Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 2:6-7. by contrast, explains that both the height and the width of the mold used to reduce the width of the next level of the Altar was measured in 5-handbreadth cubits. Therefore, Rambam explains that the mold was intended to produce a mass measuring 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths by 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths. Since the width of the mold was only 5 handbreadths, there would remain 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths by 30 cubits and 2 handbreadths inside the mold. Together with the mold, there would be 32 cubits to fill up the space of the foundation. Rambam writes that the mishnah states that the mold measured 30 cubits by 30 cubits because it did not want to detail the handbreadths. The height of this mold was 4 cubits. This is alluded to by the phrase,5Yechezkel 43:14. The azarah, usually meaning “courtyard,” is used to refer to the two lower levels of the Altar. The lower azarah (or “the smaller azarah” as mentioned in Yechezkel 43:13) refers to the foundation and “the larger azarah” to the sovev. See the end of sec. 27 above. “From the smaller azarah,” i.e., from the upper surface of the lower level, “until the larger azarah,” i.e., the upper surface of the block on it, “were 4 cubits.” This formed the sovev.
וְהִנֵּה הַיְסוֹד וְהַסּוֹבֵב בֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת גְּבוֹהִין מֵהָאָרֶץ. וּבְבַיִת שְׁנֵי כְּמוֹ כֵן שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, אֶלָּא דְּהָתָם תְּנַן (פ"ג מ"א) בַּיְסוֹד עָלָה אַמָּה אַחַת, וְסוֹבֵב עָלָה חָמֵשׁ, ע"כ.
Together, the foundation and the sovev were 6 cubits high. Similarly, in the Second Beis HaMikdash, the foundation and the sovev were 6 cubits high. Their individual dimensions were, however, slightly different from the future dimensions of the foundation and the sovev for the mishnah states6Middos 3:1. that the foundation was one cubit high and the sovev, five.
וְנוֹתֵן זֶה הַדְּפוּס עַל הַיְסוֹד, וּמְמַלְּאוֹ אֲבָנִים וְסִיד וְזֶפֶת וְעוֹפֶרֶת כָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, וְנִדְבָּק בַּיְסוֹד, וְנַעֲשָׂה מִקְשָׁה אַחַת שֶל ל' עַל ל' עוֹמֵד עַל הַיְסוֹד. וְזֶה נִקְרָא סוֹבֵב, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא סוֹבֵב וּמַקִּיף כָּל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן הַיְסוֹד כִּדְפִרַשְׁנוּ גַּבֵּיהּ (סי' ל"ז).
This mold was placed on the foundation. It was filled with stones, lime, and molten lead as the first was. The mixture turned into a solid block, 30 cubits by 30 cubits that was attached to the foundation and stood upon it. It was called the sovev because it surrounded and encompassed the entire Altar, in contrast to the foundation, as explained above.7See sec. 37.
וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהַיְסוֹד בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם, הוּא מִתְרַחֵב מִכָּל צַד אַמָּה אַחַת חוּץ מִן הַסּוֹבֵב. לְרַשִׁ"י אַמָּה בַּת ו', וְלָרַמְבַּ"ם בַּת ה'. וְזֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הֲכָּתוּב (שם) וְרֹחַב הָאַמָּה, כְּלוֹמַר רוֹחַב הַיְּסוֹד וּכְנִיסָה שֶׁלּוֹ אַמָּה.
Thus, the foundation would extend a cubit beyond the sovev on all sides. Rashi maintains that this was an oversized cubit, measuring 6 handbreadths, while Rambam maintains it was an ordinary cubit, measuring 5 handbreadths. This is the meaning of the phrase,8Yechezkel 43:14. “its width, a cubit,” i.e., the width of the foundation was one cubit and it was set in one cubit.