The Stone Chumash Shiur

An on Line shiur in Hebrew and English made possible by the Stone Chumash Software. We will be learning the Parsha of the Week.

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Mizbeach Stone file

Mizbeach Stone file

 ���� ��� ���� ��� �����-�� �����
:���� ���� ���� ����� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���
You shall make the Altar of acacia wood, five cubits in length and five cubits in width -- the Altar
shall be square -- and three cubits its height:

This Parsha gives us the critcle messurements of the ���� which has the nice round
dimenssions of 5 Amoes square and 3 Amoes high.  An Amoes is about 4 feet.

(1) The Altar. The Tabernacle complex included two Altars. The one described in this passage
was located in the ����� ���, Tabernacle Courtyard ; the other one (30:1-6) was inside the
Tabernacle. The Altar discussed here, known simply as "the Altar" [Mizbe 'ach ], had three other
names: ���� ����, Altar of the Elevation -offering , because the sacrificial parts were burned on
it; ����� ����, Copper Altar , because it was coated with copper (v. 2); and ������ ���� ,
Outer Altar , because it was outside of the Tabernacle. No offering was valid unless at least the
most essential part of its service -- the blood service -- was performed on the Altar. Because the
atonement provided by the Tabernacle and later the Temple depended on the Altar, its role in
Israel's life was extremely important.

1) ���� ���� ���� -- And three cubits its height . There is a Talmudic dispute
concerning the interpretation of this height requirement. According to R' Yehudah, the complete
dimensions of the Altar are five by five by three cubits, as stated in this verse. R' Yose derives
exegetically that the total height of the Altar was ten cubits. According to him, the three cubits of
this verse refers to the height of the Altar from the top of the surrounding border , which is
mentioned in verse 5 (Rashi , Zevachim 59b).�

As the Stone Commentary spells out - their is a dispute about these dimenssions - which seem
on the faace of it - clearly stated.   It helps to have a view of the ���� - which is linked to this
note if you have the stone software.  The question seems to center on Verse 5 - which admitedly
- I don't fully understand.

Can any more fully explain?

Download a response for posting tomorrow

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Marpeh Lenefesh

Sapphire Software