Zevachim 115

מתני׳ <big><strong>קדשי</strong></big> קדשים ששחטן בראש המזבח רבי יוסי אומר כאילו נשחטו בצפון ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר מחצי המזבח ולדרום כדרום מחצי המזבח ולצפון כצפון:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF SACRIFICES OF HIGHER SANCTITY ARE SLAUGHTERED ON THE TOP OF THE ALTAR, R'JOSE SAID: [THEY ARE] AS THOUGH THEY WERE SLAUGHTERED IN THE NORTH;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence valid.');">¹</span> R'JOSE SON OF R'JUDAH SAID: FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ALTAR SOUTHWARD IS AS SOUTH, FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ALTAR NORTHWARD IS AS THE NORTH.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר רב אסי א"ר יוחנן אומר היה ר' יוסי כוליה מזבח בצפון קאי ומאי כאילו מהו דתימא בעינן על ירך וליכא קמ"ל

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>R'Assi said in R'Johanan's name: R'Jose maintained that the whole of the altar stood in the north.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 53a.');">²</span> What then does AS THOUGH [etc.] mean?

אמר ליה רבי זירא לרב אסי אלא מעתה לר' יוסי ברבי יהודה הכי נמי דחציו בצפון וחציו בדרום

You might think that we require [them to be slaughtered] on the side [of the altar].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 11.');">³</span> which they were not.

וכי תימא הכי נמי והא את הוא דאמרת משמיה דרבי יוחנן מודי רבי יוסי בר"י שאם שחטן כנגדן בקרקע פסולה

Hence he informs us [that it is not so]. Said R'Zera to R'Assi If so, will you indeed say that R'Jose son of R'Judah holds that [the altar] is half in the north and half in south?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Zera assumed that R. Assi's statement was inferred from the Mishnah: since R. Jose rules that if it is slaughtered anywhere on the top of the altar, it is as though it is slaughtered in the north, it follows that the whole of the altar is in the north. But if this inference is correct, a simil deduction can be made with respect to R. Jose b. R. Judah.');">⁴</span>

אמר ליה הכי קאמר רבי יוחנן שניהם מקרא אחד דרשו (שמות כ, כ) וזבחת עליו את עולותיך ואת שלמיך

And should you answer, That indeed is so; surely it was you who said in R'Johanan's name: R'Jose son of R'Judah admits that if he slaughtered them in a corresponding position on the ground,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This will be explained anon.');">⁵</span> they are unfit? - Said he to him, This is what R'Johanan said: Both of them inferred [their views] from the same text:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., R. Johanan did not base his statement on the Mishnah, but on the Scriptural interpretation of these Rabbis.');">⁶</span>

ר' יוסי סבר כולו לעולה וכולו לשלמים ורבי יוסי בר' יהודה סבר חציו לעולה וחציו לשלמים

And thou shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 21.');">⁷</span> R'Jose holds: The whole of it [the altar] is fit for [the slaughtering of] the burnt-offering,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the whole of the altar is in the north, since a burnt-offering must be slaughtered in the north (Lev. I, 11) .');">⁸</span>

דאי ס"ד כולו לעולה כשר השתא כולו לעולה כשר כולו לשלמים מיבעיא

and the whole of it is fit for peace-offerings While R'Jose son of R'Judah holds: Divide it: half of it is for a burnt-offering, and half for a peace-offerin For if you think that the whole of it is fit for a burnt-offering, then seeing that the whole of it is fit for a burnt-offering, need it be said that the whole of it is fit for a peace-offering. And the other?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How does he rebut this argument?');">⁹</span>

ואידך איצטריך ס"ד אמינא עולה הוא דדחיק ליה מקום אבל שלמים דלא דחיק ליה מקום אימא לא קמ"ל

- It is necessary:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To state that the whole of it is fit for a peace-offering.');">¹⁰</span> You might think that only a burnt-offering [is fit if slaughtered on the top of the altar].

גופא אמר רב אסי אמר רבי יוחנן מודי רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה שאם שחטן כנגדן בקרקע פסולות אמר ליה רב אחא מדיפתי לרבינא מאי כנגדן בקרקע אילימא אמה יסוד אמה סובב האי גופיה מזבח הוא ועוד מאי כנגדן בקרקע

since room is cramped.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it must be slaughtered in the north, there may not be enough room when there are many sacrifices; hence Scripture permitted the top of the altar too.');">¹¹</span> But as for peace-offerings, whose room is not cramped,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They can be slaughtered anywhere in the Temple court.');">¹²</span>

וכ"ת דעביד מחילות בקרקע ושחיט בהו וכי האי גוונא מי הוי מזבח והתניא (שמות כ, כ) מזבח אדמה תעשה לי שיהא מחובר מאדמה שלא יבננו לא על גבי מחילות ולא על גבי כיפין

I would say that it is not so. Hence [the text] informs us [otherwise].

לא צריכא דבצריה בצורי

The [above] text [stated]: R'Assi said in R'Johanan's name: R'Jose son of R'Judah admits that if he slaughtered them in a corresponding position on the ground, they are unfit.' R'Aha of Difti asked Rabina: What does 'in a corresponding position on the ground' mean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It cannot mean on the pavement at the side of the altar, for then there would be no difficulty on R. Assi's view. For even if the whole altar stood in the north, yet if one slaughtered on the west or east of it at some distance from the actual side, it would still be unfit, because it must be killed between the north side of the altar and the opposite wall of the Temple court; therefore this could not prove that R. Jose did not hold that half the altar was in the north and half in the south. Hence it must apparently mean, on the ground of the altar itself. Now, how is this possible?');">¹³</span>

אמר רבי זירא אפשר איתא להא דרבי יוחנן ולא תנינא לה במתני'

Shall we say, on the cubit of the base or the cubit of the terrace:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The altar' was recessed a cubit for the base and a cubit for the terrace (v. supra 54a) .');">¹⁴</span> surely that is the altar itself?

נפק דק ואשכח דתנן ביררו משם עצי תאינה יפים לסדר מערכה שניה של קטרת כנגד קרן מערבית דרומית משוך מן הקרן כלפי צפון ארבע אמות באומד חמש סאין גחלים ובשבת באומד שמונה סאין גחלים ששם היו נותנין שני בזיכי לבונה של לחם הפנים

Moreover, what does 'on the ground' mean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The top of the base or the terrace is not 'on the ground'.');">¹⁵</span> And if you say that he made a cavity in the ground<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Under the altar.');">¹⁶</span>

ומאי סימנא רבי יוסי היא דתניא

and slaughtered therein: would that be a [proper altar]? Surely it was taught: An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 21.');">¹⁷</span> [this teaches] that it must be joined to the earth, t it must not be built over cavities or on rocks? - It means that he shortened it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was decided to shorten the altar, and the northern half of it was thus left clear. Although it is still the side, the offerings slaughtered there are unfit, which proves that he holds that the altar is in the south, as there is no other reason for its unfitness.');">¹⁸</span> R'Zera said: Is it possible that this statement of R'Johanan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That R. Jose holds that the whole altar stood in the north.');">¹⁹</span> is correct, and yet we have not learnt it in th Mishnah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There must be some hint of it in the MISHNAH:');">²⁰</span> So he went out, searched, and found it. For we learnt: They selected from there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wood-shed, in which the wood for the altar was kept.');">²¹</span> sound fig-tree wood<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not worm-eaten.');">²²</span> to arrange the second pile for incense<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the side of the large wood-pile, on which the offerings were burnt, a smaller pile was made, whence three kabs of burning coals were taken every morning and evening for the inner altar, on which the incense was burnt.');">²³</span> by the south-west horn at a distance of four cubits from it northward; [sufficient wood was taken to make] about five se'ahs of coals,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that it should be easy to take the necessary quantity of live coals from it for the inner altar.');">²⁴</span> and on the Sabbath, about eight se'ahs, because they placed there the two censers of frankincense for the shew-bread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This frankincense was burnt on the Sabbath, and on the outer altar, on this special pile. Therefore more coals were required (as the other incense still had to be burnt on the inner altar) . V. Tam. II, 5.');">²⁵</span> And what is the token?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By which sign did the Sages rule that this second pile was in that particular spot?');">²⁶</span> - This agrees with R'Jose. For it was taught: