1“He covers it throughout the day, and He dwells between his shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12). The term “covers it” is understood to mean that Benjamin is continually focused upon that site. Therefore, Benjamin the righteous was privileged and became the host of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as the Holy of Holies was built in his portion. As it is stated: “And He dwells between his shoulders.”
2The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita : How was the rite of a bird burnt offering performed? The priest ascended the ramp and turned to the surrounding ledge. When he arrived at the southeast corner, the priest would pinch the bird’s head by pinching at its nape with his thumbnail and sever the bird’s head from its body, and would squeeze out its blood on the wall of the altar.
3The Gemara states its objection: And if you say that the southeast corner of the altar had no base, is he merely performing the rite in the air, i.e., not within the domain of the altar? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Say that when Eretz Yisrael was apportioned, they made this condition: The airspace of what would become the southeast part of the altar is in the portion of the tribe of Benjamin, so the pinching of the bird offering was performed within the domain of the altar. But the land was in the portion of the tribe of Judah.
4§ The Gemara asks: What does the baraita mean when it states that the southeast corner of the altar had no base? Rav says: It is with regard to the fact that it had no base built on those sides. Levi says: It is with regard to the fact that no blood was sprinkled on that side, as the blood was not permitted to be presented there, even though there was a physical base. Based on this dispute, each of them disagreed as to the correct Aramaic translation of the verse: “Benjamin is a wolf that tears apart; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil” (Genesis 49:27). Rav translates this as: In his portion will the altar be built. Levi translates this as: In his portion will the Sanctuary be built, which means: A place sanctified for blood.
5The Gemara brings proof for each opinion: Come and hear a proof for the explanation of Rav from a mishna ( Middot 35b): The base of the altar would extend along all of the northern side and along all of the western side. It consumed one cubit on the southern side and one cubit on the eastern side. This indicates that there was no base on most of the southern or eastern sides of the altar. The Gemara comments: Levi would explain: What is the meaning of the term: Consume? The baraita , as well, is stated with regard to consuming blood of the offerings.
6The Gemara suggests: Come and hear a proof for the explanation of Levi from that same mishna: The altar was thirty-two cubits by thirty-two cubits. This indicates that there was a base on all four sides, in accordance with the opinion of Levi. Rav could answer: Here we are dealing with the measurement from the side. In other words, only the northern and western sides were thirty-two cubits in length.
7The Gemara suggests: Come and hear a proof for the explanation of Levi from a baraita : It turns out the top of the ramp of the altar would overhang one cubit in the air over the base of the altar and one cubit over the surrounding ledge. This indicates that it had a base on all four sides, as the ramp was on the southern side. Rav could answer: Say that the baraita means it would overhang toward the place where the base of a cubit would have been, and one cubit over the surrounding ledge.
8The Gemara suggests: Come and hear a proof, as Levi teaches in a baraita : How does one build the altar? He brings a square wooden frame, which is thirty-two cubits by thirty-two cubits, and its height is one cubit. And he brings pieces of damp [ mefulamot ] stone, both large and small, which are the main components of the altar, which is described as: “An altar of stone” (Exodus 20:22). And he brings plaster and molten lead and tar, and melts them and pours the mixture into the gaps between the stones. And this is the place of the base of the altar.
9And then he brings a square wooden frame, which is thirty cubits by thirty cubits, and its height is five cubits. And he brings pieces of damp stone, both large and small. And he brings plaster and molten lead and tar, and melts them and pours the mixture into the gaps between the stones. And then he brings a square wooden frame, which is twenty-eight cubits by twenty-eight cubits, and its height is three cubits. And he brings pieces of damp stone, both large and small. And he brings plaster and molten lead and tar, and melts them and pours the mixture into the gaps between the stones. And this is the place of the arrangement of wood on the altar.
10And then he brings a square wooden frame, which is one cubit by one cubit. And he brings pieces of damp stone, both large and small. And he brings plaster and molten lead and tar, and melts them and pours the mixture into the frame. And this is the corner of the altar. And so he does this for each and every corner. This baraita indicates that the altar had a base around all four sides.
11The Gemara comments: And if you would say