Answer #3 (Rav Yosef (he retracted from his first answer) - Beraisa): "Va'Yachinu ha'Mizbe'ach Al Mechonosav" - (in the days of Ezra) they realized how large the Mizbe'ach may be.

Question: "Ha'Kol bi'Chsav mi'Yad Hash-m Alai Hiskil" (Hash-m taught David the dimensions of the Mikdash. Any change requires a procedure including the Urim v'Tumim, which was not in Bayis Sheni!)

Answer (Rav Yosef): They expounded "Zeh Hu Beis Hash-m ha'Elokim v'Zeh Mizbe'ach l'Olah" - the Mizbe'ach is like Beis Hash-m (the Heichal), i.e. it is (at most) 60 Amos long.

Question: Granted, those who built Bayis Sheni could tell where to rebuild the Heichal, they could see the foundations of the (destroyed) walls;

How did they know where to put the Mizbe'ach?

Answer #1 (R. Elazar): They saw (with Ru'ach ha'Kodesh) the Mizbe'ach built (in its proper place) and (the angel) Micha'el offering Korbanos on it.

Answer #2 (R. Yitzchak Nafcha): They saw the ashes of Yitzchak (Hash-m considers it as if Avraham slaughtered and burned him like an Olah) in its place.

Answer #3 (R. Shmuel bar Nachmani): Everywhere else in the Mikdash, they smelled Ketores. In that place they smelled (burning) meat.

Answer #4 (Rabah bar bar Chanah): Three prophets (Chagai, Zecharyah and Malachi) accompanied them from Bavel. One testified that the Mizbe'ach may be up to 60 Amos, one testified where the Mizbe'ach should be, and one testified that we may bring Korbanos (if the Mizbe'ach is in the proper place) even without the Beis ha'Mikdash.

(Beraisa - R. Eliezer ben Yakov): Three prophets accompanied them from Bavel. One testified that the Mizbe'ach may be up to 60 Amos and where it should be, one testified that we may bring Korbanos even without the Mikdash, and one permitted them to write the Torah in Ashuris (the letter forms that we use today).

(Beraisa): The following are Me'akev (essential for) Kashrus of the Mizbe'ach: it must have Keranos, a ramp, a Yesod, and it must be square;

The following are not Me'akev - its length, width and height.

Question: What is the source of this?

Answer (Rav Huna): Wherever it says "ha'Mizbe'ach", it is Me'akev.

Question: If so, Rebbi should say that Kiyur (pictures) is Me'akev, and R. Yosi b'Rebbi Yehudah should say that the Sovev is Me'akev!

(Beraisa - Rebbi): "V'Nasatah Osah Tachas Karkuv ha'Mizbe'ach" refers to pictures on the top half of the Mizbe'ach;

R. Yosi b'Rebbi Yehudah says, it refers to the Sovev.

Answer: Indeed, they say this!

(Beraisa): (The Tzedukim (a sect that did not accept Torah she'Ba'al Peh) denied the Mitzvah to pour water on the Mizbe'ach on Sukos. Once, a Tzeduki poured the water on his feet. Everyone threw (rocks and) Esrogim at him.) The Mizbe'ach became dented, and they sealed it with salt;

This was not Machshir Avodah. It was in order that the Mizbe'ach not appear deficient.

The Mizbe'ach is Pasul unless it has Keranos, a ramp, a Yesod, and is square.

R. Yosi b'Rebbi Yehudah says, it must also have a Sovev. (Likewise, Rebbi would require pictures.)

(Beraisa): The Karkuv is between the Keranos, where the Kohanim walk, an Amah wide.

Objection: The Kohanim do not walk between the Keranos! (If they did, they would not be able to turn the corner.)

Correction: Rather, (the Karkuv is between the Keranos) and the Amah-wide walkway of the Kohanim.

Question: "Tachas Karkuvo mi'Lmatah Ad Chetzyo" shows that it was on the outside of the Mizbe'ach!

Answer (Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): There were two Karkuvim. One was (a protrusion around the Sovev) for decoration. The other was a rim around the walkway (which was sunken), in order that the Kohanim not slip.

(Beraisa): The length, width and height of the Mizbe'ach are not Me'akev.

(R. Mani): However, they cannot be less than Moshe's Mizbe'ach.

Question: What was the length (this is also the width, for it was square) of Moshe's Mizbe'ach?

Answer (Rav Yosef): It was an Amah.

People laughed at this. It says "Chamesh Amos Orech v'Chamesh Amos Rochav Ravu'a Yihyeh"!

Abaye: Perhaps you mean that the place of the Ma'arachah was an Amah (the Keranos occupied one Amah on each side, and also the walkway)!

Rav Yosef: A great person (like yourself) understands what I meant. Those who laughed are like Bnei Keturah (inferior descendants of Avraham).

R. Tarfon was teaching. His nephews were listening silently. He (mis)cited a verse (to break their silence) 'va'Yosef Avraham va'Yikach Ishah u'Shmah Yuchni.'

His nephews: It says "Keturah"!

R. Tarfon: You are like Bnei Keturah.

(Abaye bar Huna): The woods that Moshe made for the Ma'arachah were one square Amah (each), the thickness was like a Machak (the rod used to even off a measure) of a Se'ah (it has a standard thickness. If it is too heavy (or light), it will sag too much (or not enough) into the measure.)

(R. Yirmeyah): They were slightly less than a square Amah (our text, Rashi; Aruch - slightly more than a square Amah.

Objection (Rav Yosef - Beraisa): "Al ha'Etzim Asher Al ha'Esh Asher Al ha'Mizbe'ach" teaches that the wood may not leave the Ma'arachah at all. (Aruch - according to R. Yirmeyah, they could not fit in the Ma'arachah! Rashi (according to Shitah Mekubetzes) - there is no reason to make the woods less than a full Amah. Rashi (according to Tzon Kodoshim) - Rav Yosef supports R. Yirmeyah.)

(Mishnah): The ramp was on the south of the Mizbe'ach, it was 32 Amos long and 16 Amos wide.

Question: What is the source of this?

Answer #1 (Rav Huna): "V'Shachat Oso Al Yerech ha'Mizbe'ach Tzafonah" - the leg of the Mizbe'ach is in the north. It follows that its face (the side that we approach) is in the south.

Question: Perhaps the leg and face are both in the north!

Answer (Rava): When one lies down, his leg and face are in opposite directions.

Question (Abaye): When one sits, his leg and face are in the same direction!

Answer (Rava): It says "Ravu'a" (this is close to 'Ravutz', lying).

Question: We need this to teach that it must be square!

Answer: If so, it should have said 'Meruba'.

Question: If the Torah wanted to teach that we consider one lying down, it should have said 'Ravutz'!

Answer: It says "Ravu'a", which is close to 'Ravutz' and 'Meruba', allowing us to learn both.

Answer #2 (Beraisa - R. Yehudah): "U'Ma'alosehu Penos Kadim" - its ramps (are situated so that when you) turn to (your right, this is to the) east.

Question: Perhaps when you turn to your left, this is eastward!

Rejection (Rami bar Yechezkeil - Beraisa): Shlomo's Yam (Mikveh) rested on 12 supports - "Sheloshah Ponim Tzafonah u'Sheloshah Ponim Yamah... Ponim Negbah... Ponim Mizrachah" (the verse lists them in the order of one who starts in the north and circles around to his right);

This teaches that whenever we circle around, it is to the right.

Question: The verse teaches about the supports, we cannot learn anything else from it!

Answer: It was not necessary to repeat "Ponim" each time. The repetition teaches that we always circle to the right.

Question (R. Shimon ben Yosi ben Lekunya): Did R. Shimon say that there is a space between the ramp and the Mizbe'ach?

Answer (R. Yosi): Don't you agree? "V'Asisa Olosecha ha'Basar veha'Dam" - just like blood of an Olah is thrown (on two edges of the Mizbe'ach), also the meat is thrown (across the space, to the fire).

Question (R. Shimon ben Yosi): I say that (there is no space;) he stands next to the Ma'arachah and throws the meat!

Answer #1 (R. Yosi): Obviously, he must throw to a part of the Ma'arachah that is aflame! It is impossible (for the flame to reach to where the Kohen stands. Rather, the verse teaches that he throws over a space.)

Answer #2 (Rav Papa): You cannot say that he stands next to the Ma'arachah and throws. The verse equates meat to blood, which is thrown through air over the ground.

(Rav Yehudah): Two small ramps emerged from the main ramp. One led to the Yesod, and the other led to the Sovev;

They did not touch the Mizbe'ach. They were separated by a hair's breadth, for it says "Saviv". (It must be possible to put something around the Mizbe'ach, i.e. nothing touches it externally.)

(R. Avahu): We learn this from "Ravu'a".

The Torah needed to say "Saviv" and "Ravu'a";

Had it said only "Saviv", one might have thought that the Mizbe'ach may be round;

Had it said only "Ravu'a", one might have thought that the Mizbe'ach may be long and thin (as long as it is rectangular).

(Mishnah): The ramp and the Mizbe'ach (together) occupied 62 Amos.

Question: Together they occupy 64! (Each of them was 32 Amos),

Answer: The ramp overlaps one Amah that the Yesod juts out, and one Amah of the Sovev.

(Rami bar Chama): All ramps in the Mikdash, for every three Amos (horizontally; Shitah Mekubetzes - along the diagonal), the ramp rises one Amah, except for the ramp to the Mizbe'ach. It rose one Amah for every three and a half Amos and a one and a third fingers. (It was less steep so that Kohanim would not slip, for they had to ascend carrying limbs, which are heavy);

'Fingers' refers to Zachrusa (the thick part of the thumb; some texts - Zutrasa, i.e. pinkies, a sixth of a Tefach).