Difference between revisions of "Repairing the Destroyed Altar/1/en"
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<h1>Repairing the Destroyed Altar</h1> | <h1>Repairing the Destroyed Altar</h1> | ||
| − | <h2>Private Altars after Building the Mikdash</h2> | + | <h2>Private Altars after Building the Mikdash?</h2> |
<p>Melakhim 18 describes the contest between Eliyahu and the Baal Prophets at Mt. Carmel, meant to prove to the nation that only Hashem is the true God. After the false prophets offer a sacrifice to the Baal but fail to elicit a response, Eliyahu prepares his offering. His first step is to build an altar:</p> | <p>Melakhim 18 describes the contest between Eliyahu and the Baal Prophets at Mt. Carmel, meant to prove to the nation that only Hashem is the true God. After the false prophets offer a sacrifice to the Baal but fail to elicit a response, Eliyahu prepares his offering. His first step is to build an altar:</p> | ||
| − | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | + | <multilang style="overflow: auto;"> |
<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ל) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ לְכׇל הָעָם גְּשׁוּ אֵלַי וַיִּגְּשׁוּ כׇל הָעָם אֵלָיו וַיְרַפֵּא אֶת מִזְבַּח י"י הֶהָרוּס. (לא) וַיִּקַּח אֵלִיָּהוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲבָנִים כְּמִסְפַּר שִׁבְטֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר י"י אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. (לב) וַיִּבְנֶה אֶת הָאֲבָנִים מִזְבֵּחַ בְּשֵׁם י"י וַיַּעַשׂ תְּעָלָה כְּבֵית סָאתַיִם זֶרַע סָבִיב לַמִּזְבֵּחַ.</q> | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ל) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ לְכׇל הָעָם גְּשׁוּ אֵלַי וַיִּגְּשׁוּ כׇל הָעָם אֵלָיו וַיְרַפֵּא אֶת מִזְבַּח י"י הֶהָרוּס. (לא) וַיִּקַּח אֵלִיָּהוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲבָנִים כְּמִסְפַּר שִׁבְטֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר י"י אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. (לב) וַיִּבְנֶה אֶת הָאֲבָנִים מִזְבֵּחַ בְּשֵׁם י"י וַיַּעַשׂ תְּעָלָה כְּבֵית סָאתַיִם זֶרַע סָבִיב לַמִּזְבֵּחַ.</q> | ||
<q xml:lang="en">(30) And Elijah said unto all the people: 'Come near unto me'; and all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying: 'Israel shall be thy name.' (32) And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.</q> | <q xml:lang="en">(30) And Elijah said unto all the people: 'Come near unto me'; and all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying: 'Israel shall be thy name.' (32) And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.</q> | ||
</multilang> | </multilang> | ||
| − | <p>The verses suggest that Eliyahu did not build | + | <p>The verses suggest that Eliyahu did not build his altar from scratch, but rather fixed a pre-existing one which had been ruined.  How, though, could there have been a private altar for Hashem on Mt. Carmel, if such altars were prohibited after the building of the Beit HaMikdash?  After all, <a href="Devarim12-1-18" data-aht="source">Devarim 12:13-14</a> teaches,"הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תַּעֲלֶה עֹלֹתֶיךָ בְּכׇל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר ‎תִּרְאֶה. כִּי אִם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י בְּאַחַד שְׁבָטֶיךָ שָׁם תַּעֲלֶה עֹלֹתֶיךָ"‎<fn>Though there is disagreement regarding the specific eras during which the prohibition was in effect, all agree that after the building of the Beit HaMikdash, private altars were no longer allowed.  For discussion of the various possibilities, see <a href="When Were Private Altars Prohibited" data-aht="page">When Were Private Altars Prohibited</a>.</fn> Moreover, how could Eliyahu himself engage in such a prohibited activity?</p> |
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Version as of 03:52, 12 April 2018
Repairing the Destroyed Altar
Introduction
Private Altars after Building the Mikdash?
Melakhim 18 describes the contest between Eliyahu and the Baal Prophets at Mt. Carmel, meant to prove to the nation that only Hashem is the true God. After the false prophets offer a sacrifice to the Baal but fail to elicit a response, Eliyahu prepares his offering. His first step is to build an altar:
(ל) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלִיָּהוּ לְכׇל הָעָם גְּשׁוּ אֵלַי וַיִּגְּשׁוּ כׇל הָעָם אֵלָיו וַיְרַפֵּא אֶת מִזְבַּח י"י הֶהָרוּס. (לא) וַיִּקַּח אֵלִיָּהוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲבָנִים כְּמִסְפַּר שִׁבְטֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר י"י אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ. (לב) וַיִּבְנֶה אֶת הָאֲבָנִים מִזְבֵּחַ בְּשֵׁם י"י וַיַּעַשׂ תְּעָלָה כְּבֵית סָאתַיִם זֶרַע סָבִיב לַמִּזְבֵּחַ.
(30) And Elijah said unto all the people: 'Come near unto me'; and all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying: 'Israel shall be thy name.' (32) And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
The verses suggest that Eliyahu did not build his altar from scratch, but rather fixed a pre-existing one which had been ruined. How, though, could there have been a private altar for Hashem on Mt. Carmel, if such altars were prohibited after the building of the Beit HaMikdash? After all, Devarim 12:13-14 teaches,"הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תַּעֲלֶה עֹלֹתֶיךָ בְּכׇל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּרְאֶה. כִּי אִם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר י"י בְּאַחַד שְׁבָטֶיךָ שָׁם תַּעֲלֶה עֹלֹתֶיךָ"1 Moreover, how could Eliyahu himself engage in such a prohibited activity?
