Altars of Earth, Stone, and Wood/2

Altars of Earth, Stone, and Wood

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Before the Mishkan

Before the sin of the Golden Calf, when there were private altars, they were made out of earth or stone. After the sin of the Golden Calf, when the altar was only in the Mishkan, it was made out of wood and bronze.

Sources: Hoil MosheShemot 20:20About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה and מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים – According to the Hoil Moshe, until after the Sin of the Golden Calf, anyone was allowed to build an altar wherever they wanted to ("בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ"). The verses in Shemot 20 give the requirements for these altars: they must be made of either earth or uncut stones, and cannot have steps.

The Altar in the Tabernacle – Once the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf, Hashem prohibited personal worship, and required all sacrifices to be made in one centralized location, on the altar in the Tabernacle. The requirements for an altar from Shemot 20 do not apply to this altar.

נְבוּב לֻחֹת –

Wooden Altar –

The Altar at Mt. Sinai –

The Altar at Mt. Eival –

Changes in Plans –

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Crux of the position –

Outside of the Mishkan

Other Specific Altars

According to this approach, the commandments to build earthen and stone altars are specific commands, fulfilled on only one occasion, and are unrelated to the Tabernacle.

Sources: Ibn EzraShemot Long Commentary 20:20Shemot Long Commentary 20:21Shemot Long Commentary 27:8Shemot Short Commentary 27:8Yesod Mora 2About R. Avraham ibn Ezra

מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה – Ibn Ezra identifies the earthen altar with the altar Moshe builds besides Mt. Sinai in Shemot 24. Even though the altar at the Tabernacle was filled with earth, it is never called "earthen", and therefore the verse in Shemot 20 cannot be referring to it.

מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים – Ibn Ezra identifies the stone altar with the only altar made of stone in Torah, the altar to be built on Mt. Eival in Devarim 27.

The Altar in the Tabernacle – Ibn Ezra understands "נְבוּב לֻחֹת" to mean that the altar was hollow, and was filled with earth (which would also explain why the wood did not burn down). This, however, is not enough to call this altar an "earthen altar".

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Crux of the position –

Bamot in General

While wooden altars are used only in the central altar in the Tabernacle (and later in the Temple), the earth and stone altars are used for individual altars (bamot) outside the Tabernacle and the Temple.

Sources: YefetShemot 20:20-23 (Ms. London 2466 p. 119a-120b)Shemot 20:21-22 (Ms. Petersburg a 51 p. 131b-132a)Vayikra 17:1-9 (Ms. Paris 282 p. 97b-99a)Shemuel I 14 (Ms. Petersburg a 156 p. 85a-86b)About Yefet B. Ali, R. Yosef KaraShemuel I 14:32-34About R. Yosef Kara, Eshkol HaKofer227About Yehuda Hadasi, R. D"Z HoffmannShemot 20:20About R. D"Z Hoffmann

מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה and מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים – The earthen and stone altars enabled one to slaughter בשר תאוה. For example, in Shemuel I 14:32-35 Shaul commands his soldiers to slaughter their sheep and cattle on a large stone, instead of pouring the blood on the ground.

נְבוּב לֻחֹת –

Wooden Altar –

The Altar at Mt. Sinai –

The Altar at Mt. Eival –

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Crux of the position –

Always

The earth and stone altar in Shemot 20 is the same altar as the wooden one in the Tabernacle.

Sources: Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelYitro BaChodesh 11About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Mekhilta DeRashbiShemot 20:20About Mekhilta DeRashbi, Bavli ZevachimZevachim 58aZevachim 61bZevachim 61b-62aAbout the Bavli, Targum NeofitiShemot 20:20About Targum Neofiti, Targum Pseudo-JonathanShemot 27:8About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Targum YerushalmiShemot 20:20About Targum Yerushalmi, R. Saadia GaonTafsir Shemot 20:20Tafsir Shemot 27:8Ibn Ezra Shemot Long Commentary 20:20About R. Saadia Gaon, RashiShemot 20:20Shemot 20:21Shemot 27:8Shemot 30:3About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamShemot 27:8About R. Shemuel b. Meir, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorShemot 27:8About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambamHilkhot Beit HaBechirah 1:13About R. Moshe Maimonides, ChizkuniShemot 27:8About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach, R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 20:20About R. Avraham Maimonides, RambanShemot 20:20Shemot 20:21About R. Moshe Nachmanides, RalbagBeiur Divrei HaParashah Shemot 20:20-21Beiur Divrei HaParashah Shemot 27:8About R. Levi b. Gershon, SefornoShemot 27:8About R. Ovadyah Seforno, NetzivShemot 27:1Shemot 27:8About R. Naftali Z"Y Berlin

מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה – Two possibilities are raised regarding this phrase:

• An altar connected to earth –
• An altar filled with earth –

מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים –

נְבוּב לֻחֹת –

Wooden Altar –

The Altar at Mt. Sinai –

The Altar at Mt. Eival –

The roof of the altar –

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Crux of the position –