Shalom,
I have a few questions in perek Eizehu Mekoman.
1. Regarding the yesod at the NE and SW corners, Rashi draws it as coming around 1 ama onto the east/south. The picture distributed by Marot haDaf shows it extending in a straight line east/south, without turning at all. What is the source of that opinion?
2. According to that opinion, wouldn't "shtayim sheheim arba" put half of the blood not over any yesod? Especially according to Rabi Yishmael and Rav, who want individual applications on the two sides of the corner, the east side of NE, and the south side of SW, which have no yesod at all?!
Thank you,
Shimon Lebowitz
1) See the Introduction of the Tiferes Yisrael to Maseches Midos, chapter 3. One sees in the diagram there that the extra Amah extended in a straight line at the east-south corner.
2) See the Mesivta edition of the Gemara, in Yalkut Bi'urim, page 201, paragraph beginning "Ta'anah," which cites Sefer Taharas ha'Kodesh, who maintains the opinion that the Yesod came around 1 Amah onto the east-south. The Taharas ha'Kodesh cites your argument, Shimon, as a support for this opinion. I have not yet found any of the Mefarshim who explicitly defend the opinion mentioned in the Tiferes Yisrael from this criticism, but it would seem that the Tiferes Yisrael maintains that one does not require the blood to be sprinkled literally over the Yesod on the east side of north-east and the south side of south-west, but it is sufficent for it to be sprinkled directly next to the Yesod at that side.
This question deserves further study.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom
Dear Rabbi Bloom,
Thank you for your response.
After writing my question, I noticed Rashi on 54a,
who seems to support both opinions, in two
notes.
In "Rav Amar b'Vinyan" "רב אמר בבנין" he says "Banu ha'Yesod Amah b'Orech ha'Darom", "along the south side".
That sounds like the standard picture, with one ama on the actual south side.
But in "b'Mizrach Amah Achas" he says "Mashuch l'Tzad Mizrach Amah v'Lo Yoser", which implies sticking straight east,
without going around the corner southwards.
Someone told me that the straight line opinion is
brought in the "Zevach Toda". I am not familiar with
that sefer, and have not checked.
Thank you again,
Shimon
1) Rashi (DH b'Mizrach Amah Achas) writes that in the north-east corner the Yesod was drawn to the east side one Amah and no more. I would have thought that this means that on the east side, even though there is no Yesod for most of the side, there is a Yesod for the first Amah. This means that the Yesod goes around the corner eastwards, which is like the standard picture, with one Amah on the actual east side.
2) Zevach Todah was written by the Chafetz Chaim zt'l and is part of his sefer Likutei Halachos on Maseches Zevachim. The piece relevant to us is on 53b (on page 63 of the Sefer), DH "u'Mai Ta'ama Lo Havei Yesod."
3) I heard an explanation based on Tosfos (end of 65a, DH V'Im). The Gemara states that if the Kohen standing on the Sovev performed the Mitzuy even one Amah below his feet, this is acceptable. Tosfos writes that even though the burning of the bird offering is mentioned in the same verse as the Mitzuy (Vayikra 1:15), it is not required that the Mitzuy should be in exactly the same place as the Haktarah. In the same way that, concerning sprinkling the blood, one Amah near the Keren is considered as being on the Keren, so too if there is only a difference of one Amah between the Mitzuy and the place of the Haktarah, it is considered that they have been done in exactly the same place.
We learn from Tosfos that if one is only 1 Amah out of place, it is considered that one is exactly in place. Similarly, we can say that even though the blood put on the Keren is not directly over the Yesod, nevertheless since it is only 1 Amah out of place, this is acceptable.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom