Talmud - Zevahim 64a זבחים ס״ד א׳

because if he sprinkled the blood but did not squeeze out the rest of it, it is still valid, provided that he places some of the blood of the soul anywhere on the altar from the red line and below. This version of the baraita states that the offering is valid no matter where on the altar its blood was squeezed out; but it is essential that blood is sprinkled on the lower half of the altar.

§ The mishna teaches that there were three matters for which the portion of the southwest corner below the red line served as the proper location: The sacrificing of a bird sin offering, and the bringing of the meal offerings near the altar, and pouring the remaining blood. The Gemara cites sources to prove that each of these three matters was performed at the southwest corner: The source with regard to the bird sin offering is that which we said earlier (63b), that it is derived from a comparison to meal offerings.

The source for bringing meal offerings near the altar at the southwest corner is derived from that which is written: “And he shall bring it to the front of the altar.” The source for pouring the remaining blood at the southwest corner of the altar is as it is written: “And all the remaining blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar” (Leviticus 4:7), which the Gemara derives to be referring to the southwest corner (see 53a).

§ The mishna teaches that there were three matters for which the portion of the southwest corner above the red line served as the proper location: The water and wine libations, and sacrificing a bird burnt offering when they were numerous in the east, i.e., the southeast corner. The Gemara asks: What is the reason the sacrificial rites of a bird burnt offering were ideally supposed to be performed at the southeast corner of the altar? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Because it is the closest of all the corners to the place of the ashes, i.e., the place where the ashes from the altar are placed every morning. The crop and feathers of a bird burnt offering are placed there as well.

The Gemara cites a comment pertaining to the mishna’s statement that when the southeast corner of the altar is too crowded, the sacrificial rites of a bird burnt offering can be performed at the southwest corner: Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Come and see how great was the strength of the priests, as you have no parts of birds lighter than the crop and feathers, and there were times when the priest would toss them more than thirty cubits from the southwest corner of the altar to the place of the ashes.

This is as we learned in a mishna (Tamid 28b) describing the procedure of separating the ashes: The priest would take a coal pan of silver and ascend to the top of the altar and clear the upper layer of coals to this side and to that side, and, using the coal pan, scoop up coals from among the inner, consumed coals and descend the ramp. When he reached the floor of the Temple courtyard, he would turn his face to the left, toward the north, and walk about ten cubits along the eastern side of the ramp. There, he would heap the coals upon the floor at a distance of three handbreadths from the ramp. This was the location where one places the crop and feathers, and the ashes removed from the inner altar and the Candelabrum.

The Gemara challenges: The distance from the southwest corner to the location described in that mishna is more than thirty-one cubits. The Gemara answers: Rabbi Yoḥanan did not consider the space taken up by people, i.e., the priest performing the service, in his calculation.

§ The mishna teaches that everyone who ascends the ramp to the altar ascends via the right side of the ramp, circles the altar until reaching the southwest corner, and descends via the left side of the ramp, with the exception of one ascending in order to perform the wine or water libations, or to sacrifice a bird burnt offering on the southwest corner of the altar. In those cases the priest would ascend directly to the southwest corner. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for these exceptions to the standard practice? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: With regard to the libations, the priest would not walk all the way around the altar lest the wine or water absorb the smoke of the altar fire. And with regard to a bird burnt offering he would not walk all the way around lest the bird die from inhaling the smoke.

The Gemara raises a contradiction from the following mishna (Tamid 33b): If the High Priest was performing the sacrificial rites of the daily offering, after he would place the limbs on the fire on top of the altar and he would come to circle the altar, from where does he start walking? He starts from the southeast corner, continues to the northeast corner, then to the northwest corner, and finally arrives at the southwest corner. And he is given wine to pour on the altar. This indicates that the High Priest circles the altar while holding the wine for the libation, and there is no concern that it will absorb too much smoke.

Rabbi Yoḥanan says:

Traduction : The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.

Zevachim 64a examines the correct altar locations for blood sprinkling, meal offering placement, and bird offerings based on biblical verses.