Lech Lecha: Abram's Altars

BySarah Chandler aka Kohenet Shamirah

An altar is a table of stones, but is also a way of saying: here is a meeting place between G!d and the world.

- Rabbi Jill Hammer

Source: soundcloud.com/romemu/it-is-time-to-move-the-altar

מִזְבֵּחַ

mizbeach

altar

Map source: https://biblemapper.com/gallery_files/AbramTravelsToCanaan_1_mark.jpg

Altar 1: Moreh / "Instruction"

בראשית י״ב:ו׳-ז׳

(ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (ז) וַיֵּרָ֤א ה' אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַה' הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃

Genesis 12:6-7

(6) Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land. (7) ה' appeared to Abram and said, “I will assign this land to your offspring.” And he built an altar there to ה' who had appeared to him.

רש"י על בראשית י״ב:ז׳:א׳

(א) ויבן שם מזבח. עַל בְּשׂוֹרַת הַזֶּרַע וְעַל בְּשׂוֹרַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Rashi on Genesis 12:7:1

(1) ויבן שם מזבח AND HE BUILDED THERE AN ALTAR — in thanksgiving for the good tidings that he would have children, and for the good tidings that they would possess the land of Israel.

רמב"ן על בראשית י״ב:ז׳

(א) וטעם לה' הנראה אליו כי הודה לשם הנכבד וזבח לו זבח תודה על שנראה אליו כי עד הנה לא נראה אליו השם ולא נתודע אליו במראה ולא במחזה אבל נאמר לו "לך לך מארצך" בחלום הלילה או ברוח הקדש ויתכן שירמוז "הנראה אליו" על סוד הקרבן (עיין רקאנטי כא ב) והמשכיל יבין:

Ramban on Genesis 12:7

(1) The sense of the expression, And there he built an altar unto the Eternal, who appeared unto him, is that he gave praise to the Glorious Name and offered unto Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving for His having appeared to him. Until now G-d had not appeared to him neither in a mar’eh nor in a machzeh. Rather, the command, Get thee out of thy country, was said to him in a nocturnal dream or through Ruach Hakodesh. It is possible that the expression, Who appeared unto him, alludes to the mystery of the sacrifice. The one enlightened [in the mysteries of the Torah] will understand.

Altar 2a: Between Bethel & Ai - To make a space to invoke G!d

בראשית י״ב:ח׳

(ח) וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אׇהֳלֹ֑ה בֵּֽית־אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽה' וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם ה'׃

Genesis 12:8

(8) From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and he built there an altar to ה' and invoked ה' by name.

רש"י על בראשית י״ב:ח׳:ד׳

(ד) ויבן שם מזבח. נִתְנַבֵּא שֶׁעֲתִידִין בָּנָיו לְהִכָּשֵׁל שָׁם עַל עֲוֹן עָכָן, וְהִתְפַּלֵּל שָׁם עֲלֵיהֶם:

Rashi on Genesis 12:8:4

(4) ויבן שם מזבח AND HE BUILDED THERE AN ALTAR — He perceived by the gift of prophecy that his descendants would once stumble (fall into sin) there through Achan’s transgression (see, Joshua 7): therefore he prayed there for them (Genesis Rabbah 39:15).

After the episode of traveling to Egypt to escape the famine, we witness Abram returning to the area between Bethel and Ai. He revisits the same altar and invokes G!d. I like to think of it as Abram making a quick update to G!d at the rest stop payphone.

Altar 2b: Between Bethel & Ai (same location at 2a)

בראשית י״ג:ג׳-ד׳

(ג) וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו מִנֶּ֖גֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל עַד־הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אׇֽהֳלֹה֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי׃ (ד) אֶל־מְקוֹם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה שָׁ֖ם בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֥א שָׁ֛ם אַבְרָ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם ה'׃

Genesis 13:3-4

(3) And he proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between Bethel and Ai, (4) the site of the altar that he had built there at first; and there Abram invoked ה' by name.

In this passage, the text uses the words “וַיֶּאֱהַל/va’ye’ehal” and “וַיֵּשֶׁב/vayeishev” to describe Abram settling his encampment and dwelling more permanently in Hebron.

Altar 3: Hevron

בראשית י״ג:י״ח

(יח) וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽה'׃ {פ}

Genesis 13:18

(18) And Abram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built an altar there to ה'.

The next place the book of Genesis mentions a mizbeach is the sacrifice of Isaac:

בראשית כ״ב:ט׳

(ט) וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹקִים֒ וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הָעֵצִ֑ים וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָעֵצִֽים׃

Genesis 22:9

(9) They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

שמות כ״ז:ב׳

(ב) וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ תִּהְיֶ֣יןָ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

Exodus 27:2

(2) Make its horns on the four corners, the horns to be of one piece with it; and overlay it with copper.

יחזקאל מ״ג:ט״ו

(טו) וְהַהַרְאֵ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע אַמּ֑וֹת (ומהאראיל) [וּמֵהָאֲרִיאֵ֣ל] וּלְמַ֔עְלָה הַקְּרָנ֖וֹת אַרְבַּֽע׃

Ezekiel 43:15

(15) and the height of the altar hearth shall be 4 cubits, with 4 horns projecting upward from the hearth: 4 cubits.

Four horned alter (hewn stone)

source: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/bamah-beersheba.jpg