1)

What are the dimensions of the Mizbe'ach?

1.

Rashi: It is like it says below (17) ? 14 long and 14 wide (refer to 43:17:1:1).

2.

Rashi (16) and Radak, citing Midos (3:1): It was 32 Amos by 32 Amos 1 . [The Yesod] rose one Amah, and the Mizbe'ach recessed one Amah (in each direction), so then (one Amah above the ground) it was 30 by 30. It rose five Amos and recessed one Amah - the Sovev (28 by 28). It rose three Amos, and each corner was one Amah square. Within the corners was 26 by 26. The walkway on top of the Mizbe'ach was one Amah in each direction. The Ma'arachah (where the fire was) was 24 by 24. R. Yosi says, initially (in Bayis Rishon) it was 28 by 28 at the bottom, and recessed [like we said], so the Ma'arachah was 20 by 20. Olei Bavel added four Amos to the north and four to the west, to make it 32 by 32.

3.

Malbim: It is 10 Amos tall.


1

Malbim: Chazal said that they built the Mizbe'ach in Bayis Sheni like it says here, with only a small deviation (the height of the Yesod). Therefore the Mizbe'ach is taught by itself, for one can make it even nowadays.

2)

How much is "Amah Amah v'Tofach"?

1.

Rashi: It is an Amah of six Tefachim ? each is an Amah of five Tefachim, and a Tefach.

2.

Malbim: There are two kinds of Amos in the Mizbe'ach. Some were Amah (five Tefachim) and some were Amah v'Tofach (six Tefachim).

3)

What is "v'Cheik ha'Amah"?

1.

Rashi: The Yesod is measured with a Chulin Amah of five Tefachim. Cheik is an expression of fixation. The Amah of the Yesod was Chulin. So we learned in Menachos (97b) ? the Amah of the Yesod, Sovev (refer to 43:13:4:1 and the note there) and Keranos (top corners) has five Tefachim.

2.

Rashi, citing Menachos 97b: The height of Cheik ha'Amah (the Amah of the Yesod which jutted out) was one Amah.

3.

Malbim: In Bayis Shelishi, the Yesod will be two Amos (in Bayis Sheni it was one Amah). This is called Cheik. It was 32 wide. After two Amos it recessed one Amah in every direction. This is called "Azarah ha'Tachtonah" or "ha'Ketanah" (14), for under it was small, only two Amos. "Ha'Amah" teaches that the ascent and recession were in Amos of five Tefachim.

4)

What do we learn from "v'Amah Rochav"?

1.

Rashi: This is the Sovev 1 . Menachos 97b explains, [at a height of six Amos], the Mizbe'ach recessed one Amah [in every direction]. This was an Amah of five Tefachim, but the five Amos that the Mizbe'ach ascended before this are not of five Tefachim (rather, of six).

2.

Malbim: The recession that made the Sovev is called "Azarah ha'Gedolah" (14).


1

A walkway around the Mizbe'ach. (PF) Malbim ? it is called Sovev because it went around the Mizbe'ach in every direction. The Yesod was only in the north and west, and one Amah in the east and south.

5)

What do we learn from "u'Gevulah El Sefasah Saviv Zeres ha'Echad"?

1.

Rashi: These are the corners. They are a Zeres (half-Amah) in every direction from the middle, i.e. an Amah [of five Tefachim] by an Amah, and this was also their height.

2.

Radak: Gevulah is a frame, like Yonason translates Gadanfa. Its height was a Zeres.

3.

Malbim: Gevul is the middle of the Mizbe'ach. In the Mishkan it says "v'Asisa Lo Michbar Ma'ase Reshes" (Shemos 24:4). In Bayis Sheni, Chut ha'Sikra divided between (the place for) upper and lower bloods. In Bayis Shelishi, a protrusion from the Mizbe'ach, a Zeres thick, will divide. It is called Gevul, for it is Magvil (makes the border) between the upper and lower blood. It divides between the top half [of the Mizbe'ach] and the bottom half.

6)

What do we learn from "v'Zeh Gav ha'Mizbe'ach"?

1.

Rashi citing Eruvin 4a: This Amah was used to measure the [inner] gold Mizbe'ach.

2.

Radak: Here it tells Gav ha'Mizbe'ach, i.e. the Ma'arachah ? it was one Amah Gavoha (high) on the Mizbe'ach. Therefore it is called Gav.

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