Comentario sobre Exodo 27:1

ועשית את המזבח וגו׳ ושלש אמות קמתו AND THOU SHALT MAKE AN ALTAR etc. AND THE HEIGHT THEREOF SHALL BE THREE CUBITS — These words should be understood as they are written (i. e. to mean exactly what they say — that its height was three cubits); this is the opinion of R. Jehudah. R. José, however, says: it is stated here, “[the altar shall be] square” and it is stated with reference to the inner (the golden) altar, (Exodus 30:2) “square [shall it be].” How was it there (in the case of the latter)? Its height was twice its length (“a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, . . . and two cubits the height thereof”)! So, also, here: the height shall be twice its length, i. e. ten cubits. And if you ask, how, then, do I explain the words and three cubits the height thereof?” I reply that this gives the measurement from the edge of the surround (סובב) upwards (whilst 10 cubits was the actual height from the ground to the top of the altar) (cf. Zevachim 60a; Rashi on v. 5).

ועשית את המזבח, "You shall make the altar, etc." The Torah speaks of המזבח, instead of saying merely מזבח. Perhaps this is because the Torah refers here to what has already been mentioned in 25,9 when the Torah described that G'd had shown Moses a blueprint of both the Tabernacle and its furnishings including the altar. When adding that the altar was to be made of acacia wood, the Torah elaborated that whereas G'd had shown Moses a picture of the completed altar, i.e. a structure covered with copper, He now revealed that the altar was not to be of solid copper but of acacia wood which would be overlaid with copper.

ועשית את המזבח, the copper altar located in the courtyard in front of the Tabernacle.

It states concerning the inner [altar]: “square”. . . [This interpretation is made] because the word “square” in both places is [extra and is therefore] available for a gezeirah shavah. For it is written here, “Five amohs long, and five amohs wide,” so why does it also say, “Square”? This shows the word is available [for a gezeirah shavah]. And it is available there as well. For it is written (30:2), “It shall be one amoh long and one amoh wide,” so why does it also say, “Square”? This shows that it too is available [for a gezeirah shavah]. Since the word is available for a gezeirah shavah on both sides, it may be interpreted even contrary to the verse’s plain meaning.

Kap. 27. V. 1. ועשית את המזבח, nicht מזבח: dieses ה erklärt sich entweder als Hinweisung auf das auf dem Berge gezeigte Vorbild (V. 8), oder es wird der Altar als ein durch alles Vorangehende stillschweigend vorauszusetzendes Erfordernis bezeichnet. רבוע יהיה וגו׳, die Quadratur des Altars bedingt die Tauglichkeit desselben, die Länge, Breite und Höhe darf wechseln, מדת ארכו ומדת רחבו ומדת קומתו אין מעכבין (Sebachim 62 a). Gleichwohl hat die Höhe nicht gewechselt und wird nicht wechseln, der von Mosche, von Salomo, der im zweiten Tempel errichtete waren von gleicher Höhe, obgleich die Länge und Breite von fünf Quadratellen des mosaischen Altars bis zu zweiunddreißig Quadratellen des zweiten Tempels stieg, und auch der einst zu erwartende, von Jecheskeel geschaute wird dieselbe Höhe haben (Maim. הל׳ בית הבחירה II, 5). Demgemäß ist das וההראל ארבע אמות (Jechesk. 43, 15) mit den קרנות gemessen, nicht so wie Raschi daselbst. Vielleicht heißt es deshalb חמש אמות ארך וחמש אמות רחב (nicht ארכו und רחבו) und שלש אמות קמתו. Die Höhe ist die bleibende des Altars, nicht so die Länge und Breite.

'ועשית את המזבח וגו, “you are to construct the altar, etc.;” the word מזבח here may be understood as an acrostic of the words: מחילה, זכות, ברכה, חיים, “forgiveness, merit, blessing, life.”

ושלש אמות קמתו. Diese drei Ellen sind nach ר׳ יוסי (Sebachim 59 b) die Höhe des eigentlichen in Jecheskeel (43, 15) הראל genannten Altars. Es war dies der obere, auf einem Vorsprung סובב, im Texte כרכב (V. 5) genannt, ruhende Teil, der von סובב bis zu den קרנות (V. 2) drei Ellen, mit denselben vier Ellen (Jechesk. das,) maß. Von diesem סובב) כרכב) bis zur Erde waren sechs Ellen, somit die Gesamthöhe: zehn Ellen.

חמש אמות, “five cubits (long).” This alluded to the Tablets, five of which commandments were engraved on one Tablet. The width of the altar, also five cubits, was to allude to the second of the Tablets; its height of three cubits was to allude to the three redeemers, i.e. Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Some commentators see in the measurement of three cubits for its height a reference to how much it rose above what has been described as רשת, a brass network, which was part of the altar’s walls. (Talmud, tractate Z‘vachim, folio 60).This “network” of copper, halfway up the sides of the copper altar may be viewed as if it were some kind of garment, something decorative. Its upper edge was five cubits from the ground. The section known as karkov, ledge extended from the upper end of the network to the surface of the altar which had four cube shaped corner posts each one cubit high and wide. The “roof” of this altar was five cubits square (external measurements, i.e. approximately three meters) The usable surface therefore was diminished by 60 centimeters at each corner where the corner posts, known as “horns” were positioned. The area comprising one cube square in the center of the roof of this altar was where the maaracha, the firewood for burning the sacrificial animals was kept. Even though the Torah does not spell out the details of the ramp leading to the top of the altar, it is understood that there was such a ramp, as it was forbidden to ascend the altar by means of steps. (Exodus 20,23) This ramp was at the south side of the altar rising northward. The Talmud in tractate Z’vachim, folio 62 explains why it was impossible for that ramp to have been positioned elsewhere.