## Menachot Daf 97b

###### Menachot 97b:1
[Menachot 97b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:1)

וְחֵיק הָאַמָּה וְאַמָּה רֹחַב וּגְבוּלָהּ אֶל שְׂפָתָהּ סָבִיב זֶרֶת הָאֶחָד וְזֶה גַּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״. ״חֵיק הָאַמָּה״ – זֶה יְסוֹד, ״אַמָּה רֹחַב״ – זֶה סוֹבֵב, ״וּגְבוּלָהּ אֶל שְׂפָתָהּ סָבִיב זֶרֶת הָאֶחָד״ – אֵלּוּ קְרָנוֹת, ״זֶה גַּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״ – זֶה מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and its border by its edge round about shall be the one span. And this shall be the higher part of the altar”** (Ezekiel 43:13). The first section of this verse is referring to the outer altar: **“The bottom shall be a cubit,” this is** the **base** of the altar. “And **the breadth a cubit,” this is** the **surrounding ledge** of the altar. **“And its border by its edge round about shall be the one span,” these are** the protruding **corners** of the altar, which were one cubit wide and one cubit high. “And **this shall be the higher part of the altar,” this is** referring to **the golden altar,** which stood inside the Sanctuary and was also measured with small cubits.


###### Menachot 97b:2
[Menachot 97b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:2)

רַבִּי מֵאִיר סָבַר: ״זֶהוּ״ – בְּאַמָּה בַּת חֲמִשָּׁה, הָא כׇּל אַמּוֹת כֵּלִים בְּאַמָּה בַּת שֵׁשׁ. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה סָבַר: כְּזֶה יְהוּ כׇּל אַמּוֹת כֵּלִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Yoḥanan explains that Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda disagree with regard to the inference from the phrase “And this shall be the higher part of the altar.” **Rabbi Meir maintains** that one can infer that it **is this,** the golden altar, which is measured **with a cubit of five** handbreadths, **but all** the **cubits** of the other **vessels** in the Temple are measured **with a cubit of six** handbreadths. **And Rabbi Yehuda maintains** that one can infer that **like this** small cubit **shall be all** the **cubits** of the other **vessels** in the Temple.


###### Menachot 97b:3
[Menachot 97b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:3)

קָא סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ מִיְּסוֹד וְעַד סוֹבֵב בְּאַמָּה בַּת חֲמִשָּׁה בְּגוֹבַהּ. וּמַאי ״חֵיק הָאַמָּה וְאַמָּה רֹחַב״? הָכִי קָא אָמַר: מֵחֵיק הָאַמָּה וְעַד רוֹחַב בְּאַמָּה בַּת חֲמִשָּׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara discusses the interpretation of the verse: It might **enter your mind** to say that the verse is referring to the height of the sections of the altar, i.e., **from the base** of the altar **until** the **surrounding ledge** the **height** is measured **with a cubit of five** handbreadths. **And what** is the meaning of the phrase **“The bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit”? This** is what the verse **is saying: From** the **cubit** at the **bottom,** i.e., the base of the altar, **until** the **cubit** of the **breadth** of the surrounding ledge shall be measured **with a cubit of five** handbreadths.


###### Menachot 97b:4
[Menachot 97b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:4)

גּוֹבַהּ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כַּמָּה הָוֵי? עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת: שֵׁית בְּנֵי חַמְשָׁה חַמְשָׁה, וְאַרְבְּעֵי בְּנֵי שִׁיתָּא שִׁיתָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the difficulty with this interpretation: According to this interpretation, **how many** cubits is **the height of the altar?** It is **ten cubits. Six** of these cubits, from the ground up to the surrounding ledge, are measured **with** a cubit of **five** handbreadths **each,** totaling thirty handbreadths. **And** the remaining **four** cubits, from the ledge up to the top of the corners of the altar, are measured **with** a cubit of **six** handbreadths **each,** totaling twenty-four handbreadths.


###### Menachot 97b:5
[Menachot 97b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:5)

מִזְבֵּחַ כַּמָּה הָוֵי? חַמְשִׁין וְאַרְבְּעָה. פַּלְגֵיהּ דְּמִזְבֵּחַ כַּמָּה הָוֵי? עֶשְׂרִין וְשִׁבְעָה. מִקְּרָנוֹת וְעַד סוֹבֵב כַּמָּה הָוֵי? עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבְּעָה. כַּמָּה בְּצִיר לְפַלְגֵיהּ דְּמִזְבֵּחַ? תְּלָתָא. וּתְנַן: חוּט שֶׁל סִקְרָא חוֹגְרוֹ בָּאֶמְצַע, כְּדֵי לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין דָּמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לְדָמִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Accordingly, **how many** handbreadths is the height of the **altar?** It is **fifty-four** handbreadths. **How many** handbreadths is the height of **half of** the **altar?** It is **twenty-seven** handbreadths. **How many** handbreadths is the height **from** the top of the **corners** of the altar **until** the **surrounding ledge?** It is **twenty-four** handbreadths, four cubits of six handbreadths each. Therefore, **how many** handbreadths is the surrounding ledge **short of half** the height **of** the **altar?** It is **three** handbreadths above the halfway mark. **And we learned** in a mishna (*Middot* 3:1): **A red line encircled** the altar **in the middle, in order to separate between the blood** that must be presented on the **upper** part of the altar and **the blood** that must be presented on the **lower** part of the altar.


###### Menachot 97b:6
[Menachot 97b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:6)

אֶלָּא הָא דְּתַנְיָא גַּבֵּי עוֹלַת הָעוֹף: הָיָה עוֹלֶה בַּכֶּבֶשׁ, וּפָנָה לַסּוֹבֵב, וּבָא לוֹ לְקֶרֶן דְּרוֹמִית [מִזְרָחִית], וּמוֹלֵק אֶת רֹאשָׁהּ מִמּוּל עׇרְפָּה, וּמַבְדִּיל, וּמוֹצֶה אֶת דָּמָהּ עַל קִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְאִם עֲשָׂאָהּ לְמַטָּה מֵרַגְלָיו אֲפִילּוּ אַמָּה אַחַת – כְּשֵׁירָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But** this interpretation is contradicted by **that which is taught** in a *baraita* **with regard to the bird burnt offering,** the blood of which must be presented on the upper part of the altar: The priest **would ascend the ramp and turn to the surrounding ledge and arrive at** the **southeast corner. He would pinch off the** bird’s **head across its nape, and separate** it from its body. **He would** then **squeeze out its blood on the wall of the altar** beside him. **And if** the priest **performed** the squeezing **below his feet,** i.e., below the surrounding ledge, **even** one **cubit** beneath the ledge, it is **valid.**


###### Menachot 97b:7
[Menachot 97b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:7)

הָא קָא יָהֵיב עֶלְיוֹנָה לְמַטָּה מִשְּׁנֵי טְפָחִים!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the difficulty: According to the previous calculation, the surrounding ledge was only three handbreadths above the halfway mark. Therefore, if one squeezes out the blood one cubit, of five handbreadths, below the ledge, **isn’t he putting** the blood of an offering that must be presented on the **upper** part of the altar, **two handbreadths below** the middle of the altar?


###### Menachot 97b:8
[Menachot 97b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:8)

אֶלָּא, ״חֵיק הָאַמָּה״ – כְּנִיסָה, ״אַמָּה רֹחַב״ – כְּנִיסָה, ״גְּבוּלָהּ אֶל שְׂפָתָהּ סָבִיב״ – כְּנִיסָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather,** the verse must be interpreted differently. It is not referring to the height of the altar but to the width of each of its levels, as follows: **“The bottom shall be a cubit”:** From the top of the external side of the base of the altar, the wall of the altar is **inset** by one cubit of five handbreadths. “And **the breadth a cubit,”** this is referring to the width of the surrounding ledge of the altar, as at this point the wall is again **inset** by one cubit of five handbreadths. **“Its border by its edge round about** shall be the one span,” this is referring to the width of the corners of the altar, which is also a cubit of five handbreadths, causing the area of the top of the altar to be **inset** by an additional cubit.


###### Menachot 97b:9
[Menachot 97b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:9)

מִזְבֵּחַ כַּמָּה הָוֵה לֵיהּ? שִׁיתִּין. פַּלְגֵיהּ דְּמִזְבֵּחַ כַּמָּה הָוֵי? תְּלָתִין. מִקְּרָנוֹת וְעַד סוֹבֵב כַּמָּה הָוֵי? עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבְּעָה. כַּמָּה בְּצִיר לְפַלְגֵיהּ דְּמִזְבֵּחַ? שִׁשָּׁה. וּתְנַן: אִם עֲשָׂאָהּ לְמַטָּה מֵרַגְלָיו אֲפִילּוּ אַמָּה אַחַת – כְּשֵׁרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the *halakha* with regard to the bird burnt offering according to this interpretation: **How many** handbreadths **is** the height of the **altar?** It is **sixty** handbreadths, ten cubits of six handbreadths each. **How many** handbreadths **is** the height of **half of** the **altar?** It is **thirty** handbreadths. **How many** handbreadths **is** the height **from** the top of the **corners** of the altar **until** the **surrounding ledge?** It is **twenty-four** handbreadths, four cubits of six handbreadths each. Therefore, **how many** handbreadths is the surrounding ledge **short of half** the height **of** the **altar?** It is **six** handbreadths above the halfway mark. **And we learned** in the *baraita*: And **if** the priest **performed** the squeezing **below his feet, even** one **cubit** beneath the ledge, it is **valid.** According to this calculation, one cubit below the surrounding ledge is still part of the upper section of the altar.


###### Menachot 97b:10
[Menachot 97b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:10)

בְּמַאי אוֹקֵימְתַּאּ? בִּכְנִיסָה. וּמִי מָצֵית מוֹקְמַתְּ לָהּ בִּכְנִיסָה? וְהָא תְּנַן: מִזְבֵּחַ הָיָה שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם, עָלָה אַמָּה וְכָנַס אַמָּה – זֶהוּ יְסוֹד, נִמְצָא שְׁלֹשִׁים עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **To what** part of the altar **did you interpret** the verse to be referring? It is referring **to** the width by which each section of the altar is **inset. And can you interpret** the verse as referring **to** the width by which each section is **inset? But didn’t we learn** in a mishna (*Middot* 3:1): The measurements of the base of the **altar were thirty-two** cubits **by thirty-two** cubits. Once the altar **rose** to the height of one **cubit** it was **inset** by one **cubit** on each side. **This** lower section **was** the **base** of the altar. One therefore **finds** that the second section of the altar measured **thirty** cubits **by thirty** cubits.


###### Menachot 97b:11
[Menachot 97b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:11)

שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁנֵי טְפָחִים הָוֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If the width of the base is measured with a cubit of five handbreadths, then the second section of the altar does not measure thirty cubits by thirty cubits. Since the rest of the altar is measured with a cubit of six handbreadths, the second section measures **thirty** cubits **and two handbreadths.**


###### Menachot 97b:12
[Menachot 97b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:12)

וְתוּ: עָלָה חָמֵשׁ, וְכָנַס אַמָּה – זֶהוּ סוֹבֵב. נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה עַל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה. עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה (וארבע) [וְאַרְבָּעָה] טְפָחִים הָוֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And furthermore,** the aforementioned mishna continues: Once the altar **rose** to the height of six cubits, i.e., **five** cubits above the base, it was **inset** by one **cubit** on each side, forming a ledge. **This is** the **surrounding ledge.** One therefore **finds** that the third section of the altar measured **twenty-eight** cubits **by twenty-eight** cubits. If the width of the base and the surrounding ledge are measured with a cubit of five handbreadths, the third section measures **twenty-eight** cubits **and four handbreadths.**


###### Menachot 97b:13
[Menachot 97b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:13)

וְכִי תֵּימָא, כֵּיוָן דְּלָא הָוֵי אַמָּה, לָא חָשֵׁיב לֵיהּ מְקוֹם קְרָנוֹת: אַמָּה מִזֶּה וְאַמָּה מִזֶּה – נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וָשֵׁשׁ עַל עֶשְׂרִים וָשֵׁשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if you would say** that **since** the additional area **is not** a full **cubit** the mishna **did not count it,** this explanation is difficult, as the mishna continues: The **area** taken up by each of the four **corners** of the altar was **one cubit on this** side, along the length of the altar, **and one cubit on that** side, along the width of the altar. One therefore **finds** that the area of the top of the altar, within the corners, is **twenty-six** cubits **by twenty-six** cubits.


###### Menachot 97b:14
[Menachot 97b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:14)

עֶשְׂרִין וּשְׁבַע הָווּ! לָא דָּק.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If the corners of the altar were also measured with a cubit of five handbreadths, then the top of the altar was a full cubit of six handbreadths wider, as the wall of the altar was inset three times on each side by a cubit of five handbreadths rather than six handbreadths. The area of the top of the altar **was** therefore **twenty-seven** cubits by twenty-seven cubits, which the mishna should not have referred to as twenty-six cubits. The Gemara answers that the *tanna* **was not precise,** as he should indeed have stated that the altar measured twenty-seven cubits by twenty-seven cubits.


###### Menachot 97b:15
[Menachot 97b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:15)

מְקוֹם הִילּוּךְ רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים, אַמָּה מִזֶּה וְאַמָּה מִזֶּה. נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע עַל עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מְקוֹם הַמַּעֲרָכָה. עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁה הֲוַאי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this explanation, as the mishna continues: Within the corners of the altar there was **an area where the priests set** their **feet** as they circuited the altar. This area was **one cubit on this** side, along the length of the altar, **and one cubit on that** side, along the width of the altar. One therefore **finds** that an area of **twenty-four** cubits **by twenty-four** cubits remained as the **area for the arrangement** of wood on the altar. If the total area of the top of the altar was twenty-seven cubits by twenty-seven cubits, the remaining area **would be twenty-five** cubits by twenty-five cubits, not twenty-four by twenty-four.


###### Menachot 97b:16
[Menachot 97b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:16)

וְכִי תֵּימָא הָכָא נָמֵי לָא דָּק, וְהָא כְּתִיב: ״וְהָאֲרִיאֵל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֹרֶךְ בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רֹחַב רָבוּעַ״, יָכוֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עַל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר: ״אַל אַרְבַּעַת רְבָעָיו״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבָּאֶמְצַע הוּא מוֹדֵד שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה לְכׇל רוּחַ וָרוּחַ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And if you would say** that **here too,** the *tanna* **was not precise,** that is difficult: **But isn’t it written: “And the hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square** on its four sides” (Ezekiel 43:16)? The hearth is the area for the arrangement of wood on the altar. One **might** have thought **that** the area for the arrangement of wood was **only twelve** cubits **by twelve** cubits. **When** the verse **states: “On its four sides,”** this **teaches that** one **measures from the middle** of the altar **twelve cubits in each and every direction,** i.e., the area for the arrangement of wood was twenty-four cubits by twenty-four cubits, not twenty-five by twenty-five.


###### Menachot 97b:17
[Menachot 97b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:17)

וְכִי תֵּימָא: שֵׁית מִינַּיְיהוּ מֵעִיקָּרָא בְּאַמָּה בַּת חַמְשָׁה מַיְיתֵי לְהוּ, אִם כֵּן – רָוְוחָא לַהּ עֲזָרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects an alternative explanation: **And if you would say** that when the mishna states that the base of the altar was thirty-two cubits by thirty-two cubits, with regard to **six of those** cubits the mishna **initially counted them as cubits of five** handbreadths, this explanation is difficult. **If so,** the base of the altar measures six handbreadths less, totaling only thirty-one cubits of six handbreadths, in which case the vacant area in the **Temple courtyard would be** one cubit **wider** than it actually was.


###### Menachot 97b:18
[Menachot 97b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:18)

דִּתְנַן: כׇּל הָעֲזָרָה הָיְתָה אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע עַל רוֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ, מִמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב מֵאָה שְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע: מְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת רַגְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, וּמְקוֹם דְּרִיסַת רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים – אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, הַמִּזְבֵּחַ – שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם, בֵּין אוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ – עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמָּה, הַהֵיכָל – מֵאָה אַמָּה, אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה אֲחוֹרֵי בֵּית הַכַּפּוֹרֶת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara elaborates: This is **as we learned** in a mishna (*Middot* 5:1): The dimensions of **the entire Temple courtyard were a length of 187** cubits **by a width of 135** cubits. The length of the courtyard **from east to west** was **187** cubits, divided as follows: **The area** of the Israelite courtyard, **where** it was permitted for **Israelites to set their feet,** was **eleven cubits** long, **and the area where** it was permitted only for **the priests to set their feet** was **eleven cubits** long. **The altar** was **thirty-two** cubits long. The area designated as: **Between the Entrance Hall and the altar,** was **twenty-two cubits,** and **the Sanctuary** was **one hundred cubits** long. There was an additional **eleven cubits** of space **behind the Hall of the Ark Cover,** i.e., behind the Holy of Holies, which was at the western end of the Sanctuary. If the altar was actually only thirty-one cubits long, the mishna accounts for the length of only 186 cubits.


###### Menachot 97b:19
[Menachot 97b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/97b:19)

אֶלָּא, ״חֵיק הָאַמָּה״ – בְּגוּבְהָה, ״אַמָּה רֹחַב״ – כְּנִיסָה, ״גְּבוּלָהּ אֶל שְׂפָתָהּ סָבִיב״ –

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather,** the verse must be interpreted differently: **“The bottom shall be a cubit,”** this is referring **to the height of** the base. **“The breadth a cubit,”** this is referring to the width of the surrounding ledge, where the wall of the altar is **inset** by one cubit. **“Its border by its edge round about** shall be the one span,”