Greetings,
On Sotah 14b, the Gemoro says that Rebbi Elozor prefers the Mincha should be touched to the south side of the keren, because he holds that the Mizbeach was totally in the North, so that the South side of the Mizbeach was aligned with the middle of the Heichal.
Why could Rebbi Elozor not hold that the Mizbeach is centrally aligned?
True that the BASE of the Mizbeach would then be just exactly in line with the south wall of the Heichal (so that touching the Mincha to the south side of the Mizbeach would be outside the line of the Heichal), but the wall of the Mizbeach moves INWARDS 1 Amah after the 1 Amah rise of the Yesod! This means that provided the Mizbeach is touched above the Yesod, the southern side of the Mizbeach will be WITHIN the walls of the Heichal!
Meir Eliezer Bergman
Manchester UK
The Gemara in Yoma 16b explains that according to the opinion that the Mizbei'ach was in the middle of the Azara, only the middle ten were in front of the opening of the Heichal. This is because opening of the entrance of the Heichal was no more than ten Amos wide (Mishnah Midos (4:1)). When the Gemara says that the Mizbei'ach is exactly in line with the walls of the Heichal, this is because the inside measurement of the Heichal was twenty Amos, and the thickness of the walls on each side was six Amos, giving a total width of thirty two Amos. When the Passuk says Lifnei Hash-m this means in front of the opening of the Heichal, and is therefore not possible according to the opinion that the Mizbei'ach was in the center of the Azara.
Dov Freedman