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Zevachim 58b

זבחים נ״ח ע״ב

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Topic

רבי יוסי's סימן for items moved between the inner and outer altars, and where the מזבח stood in the עזרה according to רבי יוסי, רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי הגלילי.

Overview

רבי יוסי gives a סימן: anything moved between the inner altar and the outer altar uses the side of the outer altar nearest the היכל. The גמרא asks what this adds, since the תורה already says it about the שירים and the יום הכיפורים coals. It answers that the rule teaches about the בזיכי לבונה of the לחם הפנים and the daily coals for the קטורת, which are learned from those cases. Next the גמרא asks where רבי יוסי holds the מזבח stood, since he places the second מערכה four אמות from the southwest corner. It works through the numbers for each possible location and concludes that he must hold the whole מזבח is in the north. רב אדא בר אהבה says instead that the source follows רבי יהודה, who puts the מזבח in the middle of the עזרה. That works if the four אמות are counted after the base and the ledge, making six in all. רב שרביא offers another author, רבי יוסי הגלילי, whose ברייתא from the פסוקים about the כיור begins here and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: זֶה סִימָן –

Rabbi Yosei says: This is the sign (rule of thumb):

כׇּל הַנִּיטָּל בִּפְנִים לִינָּתֵן בַּחוּץ,

Anything that is taken inside to be placed outside,

אֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן אֶלָּא בְּסָמוּךְ שֶׁאֵין לִפְנִים;

he places it only at the nearby spot, with nothing further inside it;

וְכׇל הַנִּיטָּל בַּחוּץ לִינָּתֵן לִפְנִים,

and anything that is taken outside to be placed inside,

The steps (19)

  1. Statementרבי יוסי's rule: use the side of the outer altar nearest the היכל
  2. ChallengeThe first half of the rule is already a פסוק
  3. ChallengeThe second half of the rule is also already a פסוק
  4. ResolutionThe first half of the rule is about the frankincense bowls of the showbread
  5. ResolutionThe second half of the rule is about the daily coals for the incense
  6. ChallengeIf the whole altar is in the south, the wood pile should be 27 אמות north
  7. ChallengeEven counting the Entrance Hall, the wood pile should be 22 אמות north
  8. ChallengeEven half north and half south needs eleven cubits
  9. ChallengeEven facing the wider אולם needs six cubits
  10. ProofSo רבי יוסי must hold the whole altar is in the north
  11. ProofWhat the four cubits are made of
  12. Rejectionרב אדא says the source follows רבי יהודה
  13. Proofרבי יהודה: the altar stood in the middle of the courtyard
  14. ChallengeThe numbers do not fit רבי יהודה
  15. ResolutionThe four אמות are on top of the base and the ledge
  16. ChallengeWhy not say it follows רבי יוסי with the מזבח in the middle?
  17. ResolutionOnly רבי יהודה clearly says the מזבח was in the middle
  18. Statementרב שרביא: the source follows רבי יוסי הגלילי
  19. ProofThe ברייתא of רבי יוסי הגלילי begins with a פסוק about the כיור