Of all the objects of the courtyard, the Mizbe'ach
(altar - but what's in a name?) commanded
more than its share of attention. The whole structure
- including its ramps - stretched across
sixty Amos from north to south, and thirty-two from east to west.
When a priest walked along the outer rim of the Mizbe'ach's roof,
his feet were ten Amos above the floor (in other words, his head was nearly
four body lengths up).
If the purpose of the Temple was to provide
a place for bringing our offerings, then the Mizbe'ach was the activity
center.
- Blood from newly slaughtered animals was sprinkled
either above or below the bright red line (the Chut Hasikra) which was painted half-way
up the Mizbe'ach's side.
- Entrails were often burned on one of the three
wood piles on the roof.
- Offerings of wine and water were poured down
one of the two drains built on the south-west corner of the roof.
- Meal offerings (Menachos) were brought to
the side of the Mizbe'ach to receive their Kedusha.
- Those sacrifices whose Halacha dictated that they be
burned in their entirety were placed on the fires of this Mizbe'ach.
- Even the ashes from the fires were packed
into a ball in the middle of the roof.
Just a quick rundown. From floor level
to the height of one Amah was the base of the Mizbe'ach (called the Yesod).
The Yesod was not a perfect square, and ithad a strip one amah thick on the south
and east sides left out.
From above the Yesod until the height of six
Amos was the Sovev (lit. "surround"). The top of the Sovev was an
Amah wider in every direction than the level above it, so it formed a walking
ledge. It was below this ledge that the red Chut Hasikra was drawn
to separate between blood that had to be thrown "above" and blood thrown
"below."
The final section was the Ma'aracha (top - lit.
"arrangement"). It was three Amos high for the most part. At
the corners were one Amah cubes called the Keranos (corners; what else?).
The area from the Mizbe'ach to the antechamber of the
hearth - a space taken up largely with stairs
- was measured at 22 Amos from east to west...
Rabbi Boruch Clinton teaches at the Ottawa Torah Institute yeshiva high
school and Machon Sarah high school for girls (both in Ottawa, Canada).
You may reach him with comments and questions at
bclinton@torah.org.
You can now read some of Rabbi Clinton's essays on Torah life at
http://www.ncf.ca/~es625/essays
You can also buy his collection of essays on
the Book of Shmuel (Samuel) in printed form at
www.lulu.com/marbitzmedia
Copyright © 2000 by Rabbi
Boruch
Clinton and Project Genesis, Inc.
