Zevachim 107

(דברים לג, יב) חופף עליו כל היום לפיכך זכה בנימין הצדיק ונעשה אושפיזכן להקב"ה שנאמר (דברים לג, יב) ובין כתפיו שכן

Yearning for Him all day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIII, 12. E.V.: He (sc. God) covereth him (Benjamin) all day.');">¹</span> Therefore was Benjamin privileged to become a host to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: And He dwelleth between his shoulders.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. The significance of this is explained anon.');">²</span>

מיתיבי עולת העוף כיצד היתה נעשית היה מולק את ראשה ממול עורפה ומבדיל וממצה דמה על קיר המזבח

An objection is raised: How was the burnt-offering of a bird sacrificed? He [the priest] pinched off its hea close by its neck and divided it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By pinching through both organs, the windpipe and the gullet. In the case of a sin offering of a bird only one organ was pinched.');">³</span>

ואי אמרת לא היה לה יסוד באוירא בעלמא הוא דקא עביד אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אימר כך התנו אוירא דבנימין קרקע דיהודה

and drained out its blood on the wall of the altar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this was done on the south-east born; v. infra 64a.');">⁴</span> Now if you say that it had no base, did he simply apply it in the air?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the blood would simply fall to the earth. Surely that was not permitted!');">⁵</span>

מאי לא הוה לה יסוד רב אמר בבנין לוי אמר בדמים רב מתרגם באחסנתיה יתבני מדבחא לוי מתרגם באחסנתיה יתבני מקדשא מקום מקודש לדמים

- Said R'Nahman B'Isaac: Perhaps they thus stipulated that the air-space should count as Benjamin's and the soil as Judah's.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Possibly there was a little ledge on that side, more than three hand-breadths from the ground, where it would not count as belonging to Judah, and on this ledge the blood fell and was thus sacred. Nevertheless, this ledge could not count as a base, where blood actually had to be poured out on the base.');">⁶</span> What does 'it had no base' mean? - Rab said: In the construction.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The base, which was a separate structure, did not reach under the south-eastern horn.');">⁷</span>

תא שמע היסוד היה מהלך על פני כל הצפון ועל פני כל המערב אוכל בדרום אמה אחת ובמזרח אמה אחת מאי אוכל נמי בדמים

R'Levi said: In respect of blood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The base did run along the whole length of the eastern side of the altar, but blood was not poured out nor applied in Judah's portion.');">⁸</span> Now Rab interpreted [the text just quoted]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'And he dwelleth between his shoulders.'');">⁹</span>

תא שמע המזבח היה שלשים ושתים על שלשים ושתים הכא במאי עסקינן מן הצד

In his [Benjamin's] heritage shall the altar be built.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the base, which was the understructure and foundation of the altar, was omitted from that side which belonged to Judah.');">¹⁰</span> While Levi interpreted it: In his heritage shall the sanctuary be built, which means, a place sanctified for [the reception of] blood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There was a base under the south-east horn, but it was not sanctified for the purpose, since it was not in Benjamin's portion.');">¹¹</span>

ת"ש נמצא פורח אמה על יסוד ואמה על סובב אימא כנגד אמה יסוד ועל אמה סובב:

Come and hear: The base ran along the whole of the north and the west sides, and extended one cubit into the south and one cubit into the east? - By 'extended' is meant in respect of blood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood could be poured out there, yet there was no actual construction.');">¹²</span> Come and hear: The altar was thirty-two [cubits] by thirty-two?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This implies that it was of equal length on all sides, whereas according to Rab it was a cubit short on the east and the south.');">¹³</span>

תא שמע דתני לוי כיצד בונין את המזבח מביאין מלבן שהוא שלשים ושתים על שלשים ושתים וגובהו אמה ומביא חלוקי אבנים מפולמות בין גדולות בין קטנות ומביא סיד וקוניא וזפת וממחה ושופך וזה הוא מקום יסוד

- This was the side length.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only the north and west sides were of this length; the other two sides were each a cubit less.');">¹⁴</span> Come and hear: Thus it was found that it overhung a cubit over the base and a cubit over the balcony?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 62b. This refers to the ascent, which joined the altar from the south, and thus implies that there was the base on the south.');">¹⁵</span>

וחוזר ומביא מלבן שהוא שלשים אמה על שלשים אמה וגובהו חמש אמות ומביא חלוקי אבנים כו' וחוזר ומביא מלבן שהוא כ"ח על כ"ח אמות וגובהו ג' אמות ומביא חלוקי כו' והוא מקום המערכה

- Say: a cubit corresponding to the base area and a cubit of the balcony.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the cubit which would have been occupied by the base, had there been one on the south side.');">¹⁶</span> Come and hear: For Levi taught: How did they build the altar?

וחוזר ומביא מלבן שהוא אמה על אמה ומביא חלוקי אבנים מפולמות בין גדולות בין קטנות ומביא זפת וקוניא וממחה ושופך וזהו קרן וכן לכל קרן וקרן

They brought a frame thirty-two [cubits] square and one cubit deep; and they brought round smooth stones<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The original implies fresh from the ground.');">¹⁷</span> of all sizes;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'both large and small'.');">¹⁸</span>

וכי תימא

then they brought plaster, molten lead and pitch, melted them down and poured them in; and this was the place of the base. Then they brought a frame thirty cubits square and five cubits deep, and they brought smooth stones etc, [and this was the place of the balcony]. Then they brought a frame twenty-eight cubits square, and three cubits deep; and they brought smooth stones etc. , and this was the place of the [wood] pile.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the top of the altar, where the wood for the fire was placed.');">¹⁹</span> Then they brought a frame one cubit square, and they brought smooth round stones, of all sizes, and pitch and molten lead, melted them down, and poured them in, and this formed the horn; and similarly for each horn.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the base consisted of a complete square, which implies the inclusion of the south and the east sides too!');">²⁰</span> And should you answer