Repairing the Destroyed Altar/2

Repairing the Destroyed Altar

Exegetical Approaches

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Old Altar

The altar had been made much earlier, in one of the eras in which it was permitted to erect private altars.

Sources:RashiMelakhim I 18:30-31Melakhim I 19:10About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki #2, RadakMelakhim I 18:26Melakhim I 18:30-31Melakhim I 19:10About R. David Kimchi,

Whose altar – According to this approach, there might have been many altars in the Northern kingdom remaining from earlier eras. Rashi suggests that this one might have been erected by Shaul after the war with Amalek, as the verse shares, "בָּא שָׁאוּל הַכַּרְמֶלָה וְהִנֵּה מַצִּיב לוֹ יָד".  However, it is doubtful whether the Carmel spoken of in that verse is identical to the Mt. Carmel in the North, since the verse suggests that it was close to Gilgal.

Recent Altar

The altar was built after the Beit HaMIkdash was constructed, but was permitted since the Mikdash was inaccessible to those living in the Northern Kingdom.

New Altar

The altar was erected by Eliyahu himself, earlier in the day, but was destroyed by the Baal prophets.

Sources:MalbimMelakhim I 18:26Melakhim I 18:30-31About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

"וַיְפַסְּחוּ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה" – Malbim understands this verse to mean that the Baal prophets trampled on an altar built by Eliyahu (hence the singular "אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה").  He assumes that at the beginning of the contest, both sides erected altars, and when the false prophets failed to get a response after offering their cow, they blamed the presence of Eliyahu's altar and set out to destroy it.

Altars after the Beit HaMIkdash – According to this approach, the nation as a whole had not been making private altars after the prohibition was in effect. Eliyahu's action was a one time-event, sanctioned by Hashem, as he later says, "‎‏[וּבִדְבָרְךָ] (ובדבריך) עָשִׂיתִי אֵת כׇּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה".

Fix or build – Malbim claims that the verses are a "כלל ופרט"(general statement followed by details).  They first share that Eliyahu repaired his altar and then detail how that was done: via taking twelve new stones etc.  The assumption is that the stones originally used to build the altar had been dispersed by the Baal prophets.

"עַד מָתַי אַתֶּם פֹּסְחִים עַל שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים" – In using the same language that Eliyahu used to question the people's dual belief (פוסחים) to convey the prophets' trampling on Eliyahu's altar, the text might be highlighting the irony of situation. Eliyahu tells the people not to waver between two sides, and the prophets echo him, trampling Hashem's altar in a move to eliminate Hashem from the picture.  Despite their best efforts, however, their god remains absent while Hashem shows himself full force.

Nature of the contest – Malbim's reconstruction adds an element of violence to the story, suggesting that the face-down between the two sides was not a calm one.

No Altar

Eliyahu's fixing of the destroyed altar is a metaphor for his repairing the nation's relationship with Hashem.

Sources:RashiMelakhim I 18:30-31Melakhim I 19:10About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki #1, R. Yosef KaraMelakhim I 18:30-31About R. Yosef Kara