Pyres of Fire Located on the Outer Altar

Pyres of Fire Located on the Outer Altar

The Big Pyre

Pyre (of coals) for the incense on inner Altar

Pyre for a continuous fire

Pyre to burn limbs not completely burnt from the day before

Additional pyre just for coals for Ketores on Yom HaKippur

Pyres on the Outer Altar

All YearOn Yom HaKippurRabbi YehudahTwo (1,2)Three (1,2,5)Rabbi YossiThree (1,2,3)Four (1,2,3,5)Rabbi MeirFour (1,2,3,4)Five (1,2,3,4,5)

Sources for Taking the Coals from the Pyre on Outer Altar for Fire

• To light the Menorah
• To take the coals for the Ketores on the inner Altar
• The constant fire on the Altar should not be put out

(From Sedrah Selections by Zvi Akiva Fleisher)

• Rashi (Gemara Yoma 45b) tells us that the word "tomid" does not refer to the fire itself (as "eish" is feminine and would require the adjective "t'midah"), but rather it teaches us that this fire is used for another function which is associated with the word "tomid," namely the kindling of the menorah about which the Torah says in Shmos 27:20 "L'haalos neir TOMID." Rabbi Noach Mindes in Parp'ro'os L'chochmoh finds a mathematical allusion to this. "Eish" and "menorah" each equals 301.
• It is well-known that if unholy, improper thoughts enter one's mind during prayer, he should say this verse to chase away the negative thoughts. This might be inherent in the verse. The FIRE refers to the fervour and spiritual energy one exerts. The altar refers to the connection one has with HaShem through prayer. LO, meaning NO, refers to the negative thoughts which crop up in one's mind but should NOT be there. If one exerts much fervor and concentration continuously, "Eish tomid tukad," - during prayer, "al hamizbei'ach" - then the negative thoughts, "lo," - will be extinguished, "sichbeh." The GR"A says that reading the prayers from the siddur chases away evil thoughts.
• Rashi on Shmos 30:3 "V'tzipiso oso zohov tohore es GAGO" says that only the golden incense altar had a roof, but not the copper clad altar which was in the Mishkon courtyard. Rather, it was hollow and was filled with sand, which was the surface upon which the sacrifices were burned. The Gemara Chagigah 27a says that although the top surface of the golden altar was quite thin, the fire did not burn through it. From this the Gemara extrapolates that a sinner will surely be protected from the fire of Gehinom in the merit of any mitzvos he has. This point can only be derived if the resistance to fire by the surface of the golden altar is a supernatural event, as explained by Rashi and others. The Gemara does not say this regarding the copper clad altar. It is therefore most puzzling that the Sforno, on Shmos 30:3, says that the top surface of the golden altar remained intact in spite of the fire on its surface which consumed the daily incense by natural means. He writes that since the amount of incense to be burned was small and the fire did not have to burn constantly, the integrity and durability of the top surface of this altar should come as no surprise. This seems to contradict the Gemara Chagigah.
• Rabbeinu Bachyei (6:3 and 6:21) and the Paa'nei'ach Rozo on 1:7 both say that the copper clad altar had a top surface of copper as well. They ask a question based on our verse, which says that there must be a permanent fire, always burning on the copper altar. Since the copper altar was ten cubits high and five cubits wide, it is obvious that the Kohanim must process the burning of the sacrifices while standing on the top surface of the altar. Since a fire was permanently burning it must have heated the complete copper top of the altar as copper is an excellent heat conductor. (See Sh.O. Y.D. #121.) If so, how could the Kohanim stand on the top surface with their bare feet? Rabbeinu Bachyei and the Paa'nei'ach Rozo answer that since the fire on the altar came from heaven, it had the unusual property of only heating the surface space on which it was burning. Although there was a requirement to also add man-made fire, the heavenly fire's nature of not spreading heat by conduction spread into the man-made fire. (This might be the intention of the Gemara Yoma 21b, which says that the heavenly fire consumes man-made fire.) Please note that the Gemara Chagigah only mentions the miracle regarding the golden altar.
• Although Rashi seems to be in disagreement with Rabbeinu Bachyei, the Paa'nei'ach Rozo, writes that both opinions are true. There was no roof on the copper clad altar when it was originally crafted. However, after the rebellion of Korach and his 250 followers, a test of offering incense took place (Bemidbar 16:17). The result was the death of Korach's 250 followers. In Bemidbar 17:2 HaShem commanded Moshe to have Elozar collect the 250 pans that were used to hold and burn the incense and have them flattened and used as a cladding for the outer altar. He says that these were not used as an extra layer where there already was copper cladding, but rather as a roof for the altar.