The base of the altar: a step five tefachim high and five wide. It does not go all the way around. It runs along the whole north and the whole west, and extends only one amah onto the south, at the southwest corner, and one amah onto the east, at the northeast corner. The southeast corner has none. The remaining blood of the offerings is poured onto it.
Dimensions
- 5 tefachim high, 5 wide (Rambam, Beit HaBechirah 2:7); “one amah” in Middot 3:1, which the Rambam counts as five tefachim
- the whole north and the whole west: 32 amot each
- one amah on the south, at the southwest corner; one amah on the east, at the northeast corner
- the southeast corner has no yesod
Sources
- Middot 3:1“וְהַיְסוֹד הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ עַל פְּנֵי כָל הַצָּפוֹן וְעַל פְּנֵי כָל הַמַּעֲרָב, וְאוֹכֵל בַּדָּרוֹם אַמָּה אַחַת, וּבַמִּזְרָח אַמָּה אֶחָת”
- Rambam, Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 2:10“וְקֶרֶן דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית לֹא הָיָה לָהּ יְסוֹד”
- Middot 3:2“שֶׁהַדָּמִים הַנִּתָּנִין עַל יְסוֹד מַעֲרָבִי וְעַל יְסוֹד דְּרוֹמִי, יוֹרְדִין בָּהֶן”
- Zevachim 5:3“וְדָמָן טָעוּן אַרְבַּע מַתָּנוֹת עַל אַרְבַּע קְרָנוֹת… שְׁיָרֵי הַדָּם הָיָה שׁוֹפֵךְ עַל יְסוֹד דְּרוֹמִי”
- Rambam, Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 2:7“עָלָה חֲמִשָּׁה טְפָחִים וְכָנַס חֲמִשָּׁה טְפָחִים זֶהוּ יְסוֹד”
Project decisionAdopted: the five tefachim of height and of setback of the Rambam (Beit HaBechirah 2:7), who counts the amah of Middot 3:1 as five tefachim (Kessef Mishneh ad loc., following Menachot 97b). Choice of the tour: the amah that the yesod takes on the south and on the east, counted as six tefachim. Not modelled: the two holes at the southwest corner through which the blood poured on the yesod runs down, and the amah channel that carries it to the Kidron (Middot 3:2).