Profeetat

Description of the altar and the purification ritual

God gives detailed measurements for the new altar and instructs on a seven-day ceremony to cleanse and consecrate it using sin offerings and burnt offerings, led by priests from Zadok's lineage.

Hesekiel 43,13-27

13These are the measurements of the altar in cubits, each cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: its base shall be a cubit high and a cubit wide, with a rim of a span around its edge. This shall be the base of the altar.
וְאֵ֨לֶּה מִדּ֤וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בָּֽאַמּ֔וֹת אַמָּ֥ה אַמָּ֖ה וָטֹ֑פַח וְחֵ֨יק הָאַמָּ֜ה וְאַמָּה־רֹ֗חַב וּגְבוּלָ֨הּ אֶל־שְׂפָתָ֤הּ סָבִיב֙ זֶ֣רֶת הָאֶחָ֔ד וְזֶ֖ה גַּ֥ב הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ ‬
14From the base on the ground to the lower ledge is two cubits, with a width of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge is four cubits, with a width of a cubit.
וּמֵחֵ֨יק הָאָ֜רֶץ עַד־הָעֲזָרָ֤ה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה֙ שְׁתַּ֣יִם אַמּ֔וֹת וְרֹ֖חַב אַמָּ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּמֵהֳעֲזָרָ֨ה הַקְּטַנָּ֜ה עַד־הָעֲזָרָ֤ה הַגְּדוֹלָה֙ אַרְבַּ֣ע אַמּ֔וֹת וְרֹ֖חַב הָאַמָּֽה׃ ‬
15The altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth.
וְהַֽהַרְאֵ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע אַמּ֑וֹת וּמֵהָאֲרִאֵ֣יל וּלְמַ֔עְלָה הַקְּרָנ֖וֹת אַרְבַּֽע׃ ‬
16The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve cubits wide, on all four sides.
*והאראיל **וְהָאֲרִיאֵ֗ל שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ אֹ֔רֶךְ בִּשְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה רֹ֑חַב רָב֕וּעַ אֶ֖ל אַרְבַּ֥עַת רְבָעָֽיו׃ ‬
17The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen cubits wide on all four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it and a base of one cubit all around; and its steps shall face east.
וְהָעֲזָרָ֞ה אַרְבַּ֧ע עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה אֹ֗רֶךְ בְּאַרְבַּ֤ע עֶשְׂרֵה֙ רֹ֔חַב אֶ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣עַת רְבָעֶ֑יהָ וְהַגְּבוּל֩
18Then he said to me: Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, for offering burnt offerings on it and for sprinkling blood on it.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אֵ֚לֶּה חֻקּ֣וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּי֖וֹם הֵעָֽשׂוֹת֑וֹ לְהַעֲל֤וֹת עָלָיו֙ עוֹלָ֔ה וְלִזְרֹ֥ק עָלָ֖יו דָּֽם׃ ‬
19You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord GOD.
וְנָתַתָּ֣ה אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים הַלְוִיִּ֡ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵם֩ מִזֶּ֨רַע צָד֜וֹק הַקְּרֹבִ֣ים אֵלַ֗י נְאֻ֛ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה לְשָֽׁרְתֵ֑נִי פַּ֥ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֖ר לְחַטָּֽאת׃ ‬
20You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all around; so you shall cleanse the altar and make atonement for it.
וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ מִדָּמ֗וֹ וְנָ֨תַתָּ֜ה עַל־אַרְבַּ֤ע קַרְנֹתָיו֙ וְאֶל־אַרְבַּע֙ פִּנּ֣וֹת הָעֲזָרָ֔ה וְאֶֽל־הַגְּב֖וּל סָבִ֑יב וְחִטֵּאתָ֥ אוֹת֖וֹ וְכִפַּרְתָּֽהוּ׃ ‬
21Then you shall take the bull of the sin offering and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary.
וְלָ֣קַחְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת הַפָּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֑את וּשְׂרָפוֹ֙ בְּמִפְקַ֣ד הַבַּ֔יִת מִח֖וּץ לַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃ ‬
22On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and the altar shall be cleansed as it was cleansed with the bull.
וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י תַּקְרִ֛יב שְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים תָּמִ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְחִטְּאוּ֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵ֔חַ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר חִטְּא֖וּ בַּפָּֽר׃ ‬
23When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.
בְּכַלּוֹתְךָ֖ מֵֽחַטֵּ֑א תַּקְרִיב֙ פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֣ר תָּמִ֔ים וְאַ֥יִל מִן־הַצֹּ֖אן תָּמִֽים׃ ‬
24You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall throw salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.
וְהִקְרַבְתָּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְהִשְׁלִ֨יכוּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים עֲלֵיהֶם֙ מֶ֔לַח וְהֶעֱל֥וּ אוֹתָ֛ם עֹלָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃ ‬
25For seven days you shall provide a goat daily for a sin offering; they shall also provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish.
שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה שְׂעִיר־חַטָּ֖את לַיּ֑וֹם וּפַ֧ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֛ר וְאַ֥יִל מִן־הַצֹּ֖אן תְּמִימִ֥ים יַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ ‬
26For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so they shall consecrate it.
שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יְכַפְּרוּ֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְטִֽהֲר֖וּ אֹת֑וֹ וּמִלְא֖וּ *ידו **יָדָֽיו׃ ‬
27When they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar, and I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD.
וִֽיכַלּ֖וּ אֶת־הַיָּמִ֑ים ס וְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֜י וָהָ֗לְאָה יַעֲשׂ֨וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ אֶת־עוֹלֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ וְאֶת־שַׁלְמֵיכֶ֔ם וְרָצִ֣אתִי אֶתְכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃ ס ‬