מנחות 97 — Soncino English Talmud

¹or also to the case where the rims were not overlaid? And he replied, It makes no difference whether the overlaying was fixed or the overlaying was not fixed; whether the rims were overlaid or the rims were not overlaid. And should you further say that acacia wood, being valuable, is not nullified [by the overlaying], this would be quite in order according to Resh Lakish who said that they taught this only of vessels of common wood which come from overseas, but vessels of fine wood are valuable and are not nullified [by the overlaying]. But what can one say according to R. Johanan who said that even vessels of fine wood are nullified [by the overlaying]? — One must therefore say that the table [of the Sanctuary] was different, for the Divine Law called it wood. For it is written, The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof were of wood; and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord. [The verse] begins with the altar and ends with the table! R. Johanan and R. Eleazar both said, While the Temple still stood the altar used to make atonement for a man, but now that the Temple no longer stands a man's table makes atonement for him. THERE WERE THERE FOUR GOLDEN PROPS etc. How do we know this? — R. Kattina said, For the verse says, And thou shalt make ke'arothaw, and kappothaw, and kesothaw, and menakiothaw, to cover withal. Ke'arothaw are the moulds, kappothaw the dishes, kesothaw the props, and menakiothaw the rods; to cover withal: wherewith the bread was covered. Raba raised an objection. [We have learnt:] NEITHER THE PLACING OF THE RODS NOR THEIR REMOVAL OVERRODE THE SABBATH. Now if we were to hold [that the rods are enjoined] in the Torah, wherefore do they not override the Sabbath? Later, however, Raba said, What I said was not correct, for we have learnt: R. AKIBA LAID DOWN THIS GENERAL RULE: ANY WORK THAT CAN BE DONE ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH DOES NOT OVERRIDE THE SABBATH. This, therefore, in all probability did not override the Sabbath. For why [were the rods required at all]? So that the bread become not mouldy. But in this short time it would not become mouldy. And so it has been taught: What was the procedure? He used to enter on the eve of the Sabbath, draw out the rods, and place them [on the ground] parallel with the length of the table. At the outgoing of the Sabbath he used to enter again, lift up the ends of one cake and insert the rods underneath it, and then lift up the ends of another cake and insert the rods underneath it. The four [middle] cakes each required three rods underneath them, the topmost cake required but two rods underneath it for there was no burden upon it, while the bottom cake required no rods at all for it stood upon the surface of the table. We have learnt elsewhere: R. Meir says, All cubit measurements in the Temple were [according to a cubit of] medium size, excepting those of the golden altar, the horns, the sobeb, and the base [of the outer altar] R. Judah says, The cubit used for the [Temple] building was of six handbreadths and that for the vessels was of five handbreadths. R. Johanan said, Both derived their views from the same text: And these are the measures of the altar by cubits — the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth; 22^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ

^ᵃnote:In all the circumstances stated the vessel is determined by the material of its overlaying.
^ᵇnote:Of which the table was made; Ex. XXV, 23.
^ᶜnote:And despite the overlaying of gold it is still regarded as a wooden vessel.
^ᵈnote:Sc. that the overlaying is all-important and that it determines the character of the vessel.
^ᵉnote:xudkxft Meaning and etymology doubtful; according to Jast.: **, woodcarrier, common wooden vessels’. According to Tosaf. it is the name of a place.
^ᶠnote:xnxn. According to Jast.: ‘polished wood, prob. coral-wood’.
^ᵍnote:Ezek. XLI, 22.
^ʰnote:When the poor are at his table.
^ⁱnote:Ex. XXV, 29. The translation of these words: uh,uae, , and uh,hebn in the E.VV. does not correspond with the Rabbinical interpretation which follows, hence they are left untranslated.
^ʲnote:Wherein the cakes were shaped; v. supra 94a.
^ᵏnote:Wherein the frankincense was put; cf. Lev. XXIV, 7.
^ˡnote:V. supra 96a. uh,uae is thus derived from vae, hard; for the props kept the cakes hard and firm so that they should not break.
^ᵐnote:V. supra ibid. uh,hebn is derived from heb, clean; the rods, shaped like the half of a hollowed reed, allowed the free circulation of air between the cakes, and thus the cakes were kept clean and free from mouldiness.
^ⁿnote:I.e., the rods lay over the cakes like a cover.
^ᵒnote:Sc. the placing of the rods and the removal thereof.
^ᵖnote:When the cakes stood without the intervening rods, i.e., between the removal of the rods on the eve of the Sabbath and the removal of the bread on the Sabbath at midday, or between the setting down of the fresh bread on the Sabbath and the insertion of the rods at the conclusion of the Sabbath.
^ᵠnote:Kel. XVII, 10; ‘Er. 4b; Suk. 5b.
^ʳnote:I.e., of six handbreadths.
^ˢnote:Heb. ccux: the second terrace or ledge which ran round the altar upon which the officiating priests walked.
^ᵗnote:For these the standard of the cubit was five handbreadths.
^ᵘnote:Sc. the outer altar, i.e., the altar of the burnt-offering.
^ᵛnote:I.e., the ordinary cubit, which measured six handbreadths, was one cubit and one handbreadth by the standard of the cubit spoken of in this verse, for the latter cubit measured only five handbreadths. And all the parts of the altar mentioned in this verse were measured by a cubit of five handbreadths.

²the bottom shall be a cubit, and a cubit the breadth, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar. ‘The bottom shall be a cubit’ refers to the base [of the altar]; ‘and a cubit the breadth’ refers to the sobeb; ‘and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span refers to the horns; ‘and this shall be the base of the altar’ refers to the golden altar. Now R. Meir maintained that [only] this was measured by a cubit of five handbreadths but all the other vessels [in the Temple] were measured by a cubit of six handbreadths; whereas R. Judah maintained that like this [cubit] shall be all the cubits for the vessels. It was assumed that it was the height from the base to the sobeb that was measured by a cubit of five handbreadths; and the verse, ‘The bottom shall be a cubit and a cubit the breadth,’ meant to say that [the height] from the base [which rose up] one cubit to [the sobeb which was] one cubit wide was measured by a cubit of five handbreadths. [Let us now consider:] The height of the altar was in all ten cubits, six [cubits] being of five handbreadths each and four of six handbreadths each. Thus the height of the altar was fifty-four handbreadths, and the half thereof was twenty-seven handbreadths. [The distance] from the [top of the] horns down to the sobeb was twenty-four handbreadths, that is, three handbreadths less than half the height of the altar. And we have learnt: A red line went around the altar in the middle to separate between blood that must be sprinkled above and blood that must be sprinkled below. How then could it have taught in connection with the burnt-offering of a bird that [the priest] went up the ascent, passed on to the sobeb and came to the south-eastern horn, nipped off the head close by its neck and divided it asunder, and drained out the blood on the altar wall, and that if he did it even one cubit's distance below his feet, it was valid? He has then applied below, to the extent of two handbreadths, blood that must be applied above! — It must be said, therefore, that ‘the bottom shall be a cubit’ refers to the rebatement [of the base], ‘a cubit the breadth’ to the rebatement [of the sobeb], and ‘the border thereof by the edge thereof round about’ to the rebatement [of the horns]. Accordingly the height of the altar was sixty handbreadths, and the half thereof was thirty handbreadths. [The distance] from the [top of the] horns down to the sobeb was twenty-four handbreadths, that is, six handbreadths less than half the height of the altar. And therefore we have learnt: If he did it even one cubit's distance below his feet, it was valid. How have you explained it? As referring to the rebatements. But how can you explain it as referring to the rebatements? Behold we have learnt: The altar was [at its base] thirty-two cubits long and thirty-two cubits wide. It rose up one cubit and receded one cubit: this formed the base; thus there were left thirty cubits by thirty. According to you, however, it should be thirty cubits and two handbreadths by thirty cubits and two handbreadths! And further we have learnt: It rose up five cubits and receded one cubit: this formed the sobeb; thus there were left twenty-eight cubits by twenty-eight. According to you, however, it should be twenty-eight cubits and four handbreadths by twenty-eight cubits and four handbreadths! And should you say that since they were less than one cubit [the Tanna] purposely omitted them, but we have learnt further: The place of the horns was one cubit on every side; thus there were left twenty-six cubits by twenty-six; and according to you it should be twenty-seven by twenty-seven! — He was not exact [in his reckoning]. But we have learnt further: The place on which the feet of the priests trod was one cubit on every side; thus there were left twenty-four cubits by twenty-four, the place for the altar fire. According to you, however, it should be twenty-five by twenty-five! Should you say also here that he was not exact, but it is written, And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square. Now you might say that it was only twelve cubits by twelve; but when it also says, In the four quarters thereof, it teaches that one must measure from the middle twelve cubits in every direction! And should you say that originally six [of the thirty-two cubits] were cubits of five handbreadths, then the Temple court must have had more space, and we have learnt: The Temple court was in all a hundred and eighty-seven cubits long and a hundred and thirty-five cubits wide. From east to west it was a hundred and eighty-seven cubits: the place where the feet of the Israelites trod was eleven cubits; the place where the feet of the priests trod was eleven cubits; the altar was thirty-two cubits; between the porch and the altar was twenty-two cubits; the Sanctuary was a hundred cubits, and eleven cubits behind the Holy of Holies! — You must therefore say that ‘the bottom shall be a cubit’ refers to the height [of the base], ‘a cubit the breadth’ to the rebatement [of the sobeb], and ‘the border thereof by the edge thereof round about’ refers to the height [of the horns], but [as to the space taken up by the horns]^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ

^ʷnote:I.e., half a cubit.
^ˣnote:Ezek. XLIII, 13.
^ʸnote:These were blocks measuring one cubit each side which were placed upon the four corners of the altar. The measurement of a span stated in this verse in regard to the horns is explained as referring to the distance from the middle of each surface in every direction, i.e., the four quarters of every surface each measured a span by a span, therefore the whole of the surface was a cubit-square.
^ᶻnote:I.e., the golden altar was also measured by the cubit of five handbreadths.
^ᵃᵃnote:Sc. the golden altar, which was placed in the category of Temple vessels; on the other hand the outer altar was regarded as a Temple building.
^ᵃᵇnote:Whereas the other parts of the altar were measured by a cubit of six handbreadths. The various parts of the altar and their measurements will be easily gathered from the adjoining diagram which represents one side of the altar. (See drawing). The numbers in the figure represent cubits: a=the base; b = wall of the sobeb; c = the sobeb; d = place for the altar fire, vfrgn; e = the horns.
^ᵃᶜnote:Which was six cubits.
^ᵃᵈnote:In other words the sobeb was three handbreadths above the middle line of the altar.
^ᵃᵉnote:Mid. III, 1.
^ᵃᶠnote:I.e., twenty-seven handbreadths above the ground.
^ᵃᵍnote:I.e., he bent down low and drained out the blood of the offering against the wall of the sobeb upon which he stood.
^ᵃʰnote:The blood of the burnt-offering of a bird must be applied above the red line, but by draining out the blood against the wall beneath his feet a cubit's distance down he has reached two handbreadths (taking the cubit to be five handbreadths) below the red line.
^ᵃⁱnote:Lit., ‘the drawing in’. The cubit of five handbreadths spoken of in this verse was used only for measuring the depth or width of each ledge or platform round the altar.
^ᵃʲnote:I.e., the space taken up by the horns upon the altar surface.
^ᵃᵏnote:For the measurements of the other parts of the altar, save those parts mentioned in this verse, were by the cubit of six handbreadths.
^ᵃˡnote:At which height from the ground ran the red line round the sides of the altar.
^ᵃᵐnote:Or one cubit.
^ᵃⁿnote:Since the draining of the blood was still performed in the upper part of the altar above the red line.
^ᵃᵒnote:On every side.
^ᵃᵖnote:Mid. III, 1.
^ᵃᵠnote:Since the rebatement or width of each ledge was measured by a cubit of five handbreadths.
^ᵃʳnote:The four additional handbreadths.
^ᵃˢnote:For the handbreadths that were not reckoned now amount to one whole cubit!
^ᵃᵗnote:On the top surface, beyond the horns, upon the altar.
^ᵃᵘnote:Ezek. XLIII, 16.
^ᵃᵛnote:I.e., each quarter of the top surface of the altar must measure twelve cubits by twelve, therefore the whole top surface must be twenty-four by twenty-four. And as this is the teaching of the verse it cannot be said that the measurement is not exact!
^ᵃʷnote:At the construction of the altar.
^ᵃˣnote:I.e., the last three cubits of each side of the base were of five handbreadths each, so that six of these cubits equalled five cubits of six handbreadths each; accordingly the length of each side was in reality thirty-one cubits.
^ᵃʸnote:The court of the Israelites, at the entrance of the Temple court.
^ᵃᶻnote:The court of the priests.
^ᵇᵃnote:Heb. okut, the entrance to the kfhv, the Sanctuary.
^ᵇᵇnote:Lit., ‘the house of the mercy seat’; v. Mid. V, 1.
^ᵇᶜnote:So MS.M. and Sh. Mek., and such is the interpretation of Rashi. It is omitted in cur. edd.