The Wood and the Fire of the Altar Belong to the Public

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 444:6

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"The priests" (Leviticus 1:8) — this includes even bald priests; these are the words of Rabbi Yehudah. "And they shall arrange the pieces" — what does Scripture teach by saying "the head and the fat," and so on, as above? One might think that a person who freely vows a burnt offering should bring wood and fire along with it; therefore Scripture says, "upon the wood that is upon the altar" (Leviticus 1:8). Just as the altar is from the public, so too the wood and the fire are from the public — these are the words of Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi says: Just as the altar is something no layman has made use of, so too the wood and the fire must be such as no layman has made use of.

Themes

SacrificeTemplePriesthood

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