Repairing the Destroyed Altar/2

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Repairing the Destroyed Altar

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Old Altar

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

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.

וַיְפַסְּחוּ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה

No Altar

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