 | Terumah |  |
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| | 27:3 |
Make pots to remove its greasy ashes, as well as scoops, sacrificial basins, flesh pokers, and fire pans [for the altar]. All these instruments shall be made of copper.
Ve'asita sirotav ledashno veya'av umizrekotav umizlegotav umachtotav lechol-kelav ta'aseh nechoshet. |
| 27:4 |
Make a screen out of copper net to go around [the altar]. Place four copper rings on the four corners of the screen.
Ve'asita lo michbar ma'aseh reshet nechoshet ve'asita al-hareshet arba tabe'ot nechoshet al arba ketsotav. |
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Commentary:
scoops
(Rashi, videl in French). These were used to scoop up the ashes.
| sacrificial basins
To catch the blood of sacrifices and splash it on the altar (Rashi; Rashbam).
| flesh pokers
To turn over the sacrifices on the altar. They were in the shape of curved hooks (Rashi). Others say that they were like pitchforks (Or HaAfelah) or rakes (Ralbag).
| fire pans
To carry fire to the inside altar (Rashi). Some say that they were like large spoons (Ralbag). According to others, they were pokers for the ashes on the altar (Rashbam; Midrash HaGadol).
| screen
This was one cubit wide, covering the space directly above the middle of the altar (Maaseh Choshev 6:5). According to the opinion that the altar was 3 cubits high, it began 1 1/2 cubits (27') above the ground, and extended upward to 2 1/2 cubits above the ground. Some say that it protruded to catch any stray coals falling from the altar (Targum Yonathan on Exodus 27:5). However, the Septuagint translates mikhbar here as esxapon, a hearth or place for offerings. It was made out of heavy copper netting to provide draft for the fire (cf. Josephus 3:7:8).
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