Two altars

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba speaks about the two altars below and the two altars above; the golden altar above is the bond of Faith, and the brass altar above is where the Archangel Michael gives sacrifice to God. Rabbi Aba tells us about the meaning of the inner altar and the outer altar. There is some disagreement among the rabbis about the number of altars, and Rabbi Shimon finally clarifies by saying that there are indeed two altars; the inner stands over the outer and the outer is sustained by the inner;, they are mutually tied together. Rabbi Chizkiyah turns to the issue of impending judgment, and says that since a man never knows when judgment will rest upon him and he might die, he must always keep himself from sinning.

Altar Brass Faith Incense Michael (Angel) Offering Sacrifice Temple, The

84. Rabbi Aba said: There are two altars below and two altars above. OF THE TWO UPPER ALTARS, one is innermost where inner fine incense is burned, WHICH IS the bond of Faith. The Highest Priest ties this incense to the bond of Faith. It is called the golden altar, whence the bond of Faith is tied and offered, THAT UNITES EVERYTHING into one knot. The other altar is called the brass altar. It is outside, and Michael, the Great Minister, sacrifices upon it a savory offering to the Holy One, blessed be He. THE TWO ALTARS down below, IN THE TEMPLE, are the golden altar and the brass altar, one for incense and the other for tallow and the portion of the sacrifices.

84. אָמַר ר' אַבָּא תְּרֵין מַדְבְּחָאן אִינּוּן לְתַתָּא, וּתְרֵין לְעֵילָּא. חַד פְּנִימָאָה דְּכֹלָּא, דְּמִתְקָרֵב בֵּיהּ קְטֹרֶת פְּנִימָאָה, וְדַקָּה. קִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְכַהֲנָא עִלָּאָה מִכֹּלָּא, אַקְטַר קְטוֹרְתָּא דָּא, בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְדָא אִתְקְרֵי מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב, וּמֵהָכָא אִתְקְטַר וְאִתְקְשַׁר קִשְׁרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, בְּחַד קִשְׁרָא. וְחַד מַדְבְּחָא אָחֳרָא, וְאִקְרֵי מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, וְדָא הוּא לְבַר, וּמִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל, מַקְרִיב עָלֵיהּ קָרְבְּנָא נַיְיחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּלְתַתָּא, מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב, וּמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, בְּדָא קְטֹרֶת. וּבְדָא חֲלָבִין וְאֵמוּרִין.

Altar Faith Incense Judgment Oil Sacrifice Zeir Anpin

85. It is therefore written: "Oil and incense rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9), and not 'oil, tallow and the portions of the sacrifice rejoice the heart.' Though they TOO soothe the Wrath and Judgment, LIKE THE OIL AND INCENSE, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. The oil and incense, WHICH ALLUDE TO THE UNION OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH - AS OIL IS CHOCHMAH AND INCENSE BINAH - gladden all and are not of the side of Wrath and Judgment, FOR THEY HAVE IN THEM NO JUDGMENT AT ALL. THE TALLOW AND PORTIONS OF THE SACRIFICE ARE NOT SO, FOR THROUGH THEM THE UNION BETWEEN ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT IS DONE. IT DOES NOT SAY OF THEM "REJOICE THE HEART," BECAUSE JUDGMENT MAY HAVE HOLD UPON THEM. This is the inner altar, where the finest frankincense, BINAH, WHICH IS INCONCEIVABLE BECAUSE OF HER FINENESS, is in the bond of Faith, BEING TIED TO MALCHUT, CALLED 'FAITH.' The altar is called 'a still small voice,' being the inner altar that is tied by the bond of Faith.

85. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב. וְלָא כְּתִיב שֶׁמֶן וַחֲלָבִין וְאֵמוּרִין יְשַׂמַּח, אע"ג דְּאִתְבַּסְמוּתָא דְּרוּגְזָא וְדִינָא אִינּוּן. אֲבָל שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת, חֶדְוָותָא דְּכֹלָּא אִיהוּ, וְלָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּרוּגְזָא וְדִינָא. וְדָא מַדְבְּחָא דְּאִיהוּ פְּנִימָאָה דִּקְטֹרֶת דַּקָּה, בְּדַקּוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, אִקְרֵי קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַּקָּה, וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ מַדְבְּחָא פְּנִימָאָה, דְּאִתְקְשַׁר בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא.

Altar Brass Sacrifice

86. The other altar is called 'the outer altar.' The inner one is called 'the altar of Hashem' and the other is 'the brass altar,' as written: "Because the altar of brass that was before Hashem was too little to receive" (I Melachim 8:64). Rabbi Yosi said: IT IS UNDERSTOOD from the words, "And whole burnt sacrifice upon Your altar" (Devarim 33:10), that "ALTAR" MAY BE READ IN THE PLURAL, NAMELY two. IT IS ALSO WRITTEN: "YOUR ALTARS, HASHEM TZVA'OT" (TEHILIM 84:4) NAMELY TWO.

86. מַדְבְּחָא אָחֳרָא, אִקְרֵי מִזְבֵּחַ הַחִצוֹן. וּפְנִימָאָה אִקְרֵי מִזְבַּח יְיָ.' אָחֳרָא, אִקְרֵי מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, כד"א מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְיָ' קָטֹן מֵהָכִיל וְגוֹ.' רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר מֵהָכָא, וְכָלִיל עַל מִזְבְּחֶךָ, תְּרֵי. וּכְתִיב עַל מִזְבְּחוֹתַי לְרָצוֹן.

Aba and Ima Altar Amalek Brit (Covenant) Circumcision Covenant (Brit) Moses Sword

87. RABBI ACHA DISAGREES WITH RABBI ABA AND RABBI YOSI, AND SAYS: THERE IS BUT ONE ALTAR WHICH IS SOMETIMES CALLED INNER AND SOMETIMES OUTER, AS WAS SAID BEFORE. HE SAYS: It is written, "And Moses built an altar..." (Shemot 17:15). He built this in correspondence to the inner one, so it is called, 'Yud Hei Vav Hei-nissi (lit. 'my banner'),' SINCE THE INNER ONE IS CALLED 'THE ALTAR OF YUD HEI VAV HEI.' Why 'my banner?' Because he inscribed AND ESTABLISHED the mark of the sign of the Holy Covenant. When Amalek wanted to remove this sacred mark, NAMELY OF CIRCUMCISION, from Yisrael, the altar, MALCHUT, stood before them to avenge that sign of the Covenant. MALCHUT is therefore called 'the sword avenging the covenant,' and this MALCHUT validated this holy mark on Yisrael. Moses then built an altar for this and called it 'Yud Hei Vav Hei-nissi.' This is the inner altar that is called 'a still small voice.'

87. רִבִּי אָחָא אָמַר, כְּתִיב וַיִבֶן מֹשֶׁה מִזְבֵּחַ וְגוֹ,' לָקֳבֵל הַהוּא פְּנִימָאָה בָּנָהּ הַאי, וְעַל דָּא אִתְקְרֵי יְיָ' נִסִּי. מַהוּ נִסִּי. דְּרָשִׁים רְשִׁימָא דְּאָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דַּעֲמָלֵק אָתָא לְאַעְבְּרָא הַאי רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא מִנַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, הַאי מִזְבַּח קַיְּימָא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְנַקְמָא הַהוּא נוּקְמָא דְּאָת קַיָּימָא, וְעַל דָּא אִתְקְרֵי חֶרֶב נוֹקֶמֶת נְקַם בְּרִית. וְדָא אַתְקְנַת לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּמֹשֶׁה בָּנָה לָקֳבֵל הַאי מִזְבֵּחַ, וְקָרֵי לֵיהּ יְיָ' נִסִּי. וְדָא הוּא מִזְבֵּחַ פְּנִימִי, קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַּקָּה.

Adonai Altar Chassadim Fire Isaac Judgment

88. Of THE INNER ALTAR, IT SAYS: "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar..." (Vayikra 6:6), which is the ever-present fire. What is it? It is Isaac's fire, NAMELY THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH ARE ALWAYS PRESENT. Then THE ALTAR is named Adonai, NAMELY, OF THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT. IT IS THEN CALLED 'THE OUTER ALTAR.' When the priest arranges that wood upon it, WHICH IS CHASSADIM, BY WHICH THE LEFT COLUMN IS ENCLOTHED, the ALTAR'S name is perfumed and called by the name of Mercy, 'Yud Hei Vav Hei,' named after THE ALTAR OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. IT IS THEN THE INTERNAL ALTAR. The altar sometimes stands like this, IN THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT, AND IT IS THEN THE EXTERNAL ALTAR, and sometimes it stands IN THE ASPECT OF MERCY, AND IT IS THEN THE INTERNAL ALTAR. BUT THEY ARE NOT TWO SEPARATE ALTARS. Rabbi Shimon said: There are two, the inner standing over the outer altar and the outer sustained by the inner, and both are mutually tied.

88. וְעַל דָּא אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְגוֹ,' אֵשׁ דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח תְּדִירָא. וּמַאי אִיהוּ. אֶשָּׁא דְּיִצְחָק. וּכְדֵין, שְׁמָא דָּא, אֲדֹנָ"י. וְכַד יְסַדָּר עָלָה כַּהֲנָא אִינּוּן אָעִין, אִתְבַּסְמָא בִּשְׁמָא, וְקָרֵינָן לָהּ בִּשְׁמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, יְיָ,' וְקָרֵינָן לָהּ בִּשְׁמָא דָּא. וּלְזִמְנִין קַיְּימָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, וּלְזִמְנִין קַיְּימָא כְּגַוְונָא דָּא. ר' שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, תְּרֵי הֲווֹ, וּפְנִימָאָה קַיְּימָא עַל הַהוּא דִּלְבַר, וּמִנָהּ אִתְּזָן, וְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא דָּא בְּדָא.