Yearning for Him all day. (1) Therefore was Benjamin privileged to become a host to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: And He dwelleth between his shoulders. (2) An objection is raised: How was the burnt-offering of a bird sacrificed? He [the priest] pinched off its head close by its neck and divided it, (3) and drained out its blood on the wall of the altar. (4) Now if you say that it had no base, did he simply apply it in the air? (5) — Said R. Nahman b. Isaac: Perhaps they thus stipulated that the air-space should count as Benjamin's and the soil as Judah's. (6) What does ‘it had no base’ mean? — Rab said: In the construction. (7) R. Levi said: In respect of blood. (8) Now Rab interpreted [the text just quoted]: (9) In his [Benjamin's] heritage shall the altar be built. (10) While Levi interpreted it: In his heritage shall the sanctuary be built, which means, a place sanctified for [the reception of] blood. (11) Come and hear: The base ran along the whole of the north and the west sides, and extended one cubit into the south and one cubit into the east? — By ‘extended’ is meant in respect of blood. (12) Come and hear: The altar was thirty-two [cubits] by thirty-two? (13) — This was the side length. (14) Come and hear: Thus it was found that it overhung a cubit over the base and a cubit over the balcony? (15) — Say: a cubit corresponding to the base area and a cubit of the balcony. (16) Come and hear: For Levi taught: How did they build the altar? They brought a frame thirty-two [cubits] square and one cubit deep; and they brought round smooth stones (17) of all sizes; (18) then they brought plaster, molten lead and pitch, melted them down and poured them in; and this was the place of the base. Then they brought a frame thirty cubits square and five cubits deep, and they brought smooth stones etc, [and this was the place of the balcony]. Then they brought a frame twenty-eight cubits square, and three cubits deep; and they brought smooth stones, etc., and this was the place of the [wood] pile. (19) Then they brought a frame one cubit square, and they brought smooth round stones, of all sizes, and pitch and molten lead, melted them down, and poured them in, and this formed the horn; and similarly for each horn. (20) And should you answer

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(1). ↑ Deut. XXXIII, 12. E.V.: He (sc. God) covereth him (Benjamin) all day.
(2). ↑ Ibid. The significance of this is explained anon.
(3). ↑ By pinching through both organs, the windpipe and the gullet. In the case of a sin offering of a bird only one organ was pinched.
(4). ↑ And this was done on the south-east born; v. infra 64a.
(5). ↑ I.e., the blood would simply fall to the earth. Surely that was not permitted!
(6). ↑ Possibly there was a little ledge on that side, more than three hand-breadths from the ground, where it would not count as belonging to Judah, and on this ledge the blood fell and was thus sacred. Nevertheless, this ledge could not count as a base, where blood actually had to be poured out on the base.
(7). ↑ The base, which was a separate structure, did not reach under the south-eastern horn.
(8). ↑ The base did run along the whole length of the eastern side of the altar, but blood was not poured out nor applied in Judah's portion.
(9). ↑ ‘And he dwelleth between his shoulders.’
(10). ↑ Hence the base, which was the understructure and foundation of the altar, was omitted from that side which belonged to Judah.
(11). ↑ There was a base under the south-east horn, but it was not sanctified for the purpose, since it was not in Benjamin's portion.
(12). ↑ The blood could be poured out there, yet there was no actual construction.
(13). ↑ This implies that it was of equal length on all sides, whereas according to Rab it was a cubit short on the east and the south.
(14). ↑ Only the north and west sides were of this length; the other two sides were each a cubit less.
(15). ↑ V. infra 62b. This refers to the ascent, which joined the altar from the south, and thus implies that there was the base on the south.
(16). ↑ I.e., the cubit which would have been occupied by the base, had there been one on the south side.
(17). ↑ The original implies fresh from the ground.
(18). ↑ Lit., ‘both large and small’.
(19). ↑ I.e., the top of the altar, where the wood for the fire was placed.
(20). ↑ Thus the base consisted of a complete square, which implies the inclusion of the south and the east sides too!