The rabbis of old grappled with this question, especially concerning the laws around building altars for sacrifice outside the designated Temple in Jerusalem. This wasn't some free-for-all. The general rule, according to the Torah (specifically Deuteronomy 12:13), was pretty clear: “Beware, lest you offer up your burnt offerings in any place that you see." So, stick to the central sanctuary.

But, as with most things in Jewish tradition, there are nuances and exceptions. Times when the rules seemed…bendable.

Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina, as quoted in Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Leviticus, said that building a private altar is only permitted with the explicit authorization of a prophet. So where do we see that?

Well, think about Elijah. Remember that dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings chapter 18? Elijah sacrificed a bull, calling down fire from heaven to prove the power of God. But wasn't that outside the Temple? So how did he get away with it? Rabbi Simlai explains that God Himself told him to do it! The verse "And by Your word I have performed" (1 Kings 18:36) is taken to mean that Elijah acted on God's direct command.

Then there’s Joshua. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Marei points to Joshua 8:30: “Then Joshua built an altar..." This suggests that when the Israelites first entered the Land of Israel and arrived at Gilgal, private altars were temporarily permitted again. So, maybe there's a pattern here.

But what about other instances? Like at Givon? The text in Vayikra Rabbah gets a little tricky here, referencing the story of Gideon from Judges 6:25: “It was on that night that the Lord said to him: Take your father's large bull.” Now, the text actually says Givon, but some scholars suggest it should actually say Gideon, as Gideon didn't live when the Tabernacle was at Givon. But regardless of whether the text is referring to Gideon or Givon, the underlying point is this: God authorized Gideon to sacrifice on a private altar, despite the general prohibition.

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana goes even further, pointing out, with a touch of irony, that Gideon’s offering was riddled with problems. No less than seven transgressions! The altar was made of trees and stones used for idolatry, the bull was meant for idol worship and was too old, and Gideon himself wasn’t a priest! It was done at night, and it wasn't the right time. Talk about a rule-breaker!

And what about Shilo? After the destruction of the Tabernacle at Shilo, were private altars allowed again? The text points to 1 Samuel 7:9: “Samuel took one suckling lamb and offered it up in its entirety as a burnt offering to the Lord.” This seems to suggest that private altars were permitted again after Shilo was destroyed.

However, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana again raises some issues. He notes that Samuel’s offering also had its problems: it was burned with its hide, offered at the wrong time (too young), and Samuel himself was a Levite, not a priest.

Rabbi Yosei wasn’t convinced by that prooftext. Instead, he suggests looking at 1 Samuel 7:17: “His return was to Rama, as his home was there. There he would judge Israel, and he built an altar there to the Lord.” Samuel built an altar in his hometown, Rama.

So, what do we make of all this? It seems like the rules around private altars were pretty strict, but there were exceptions. Sometimes, a prophet was given direct permission by God. Other times, during specific periods of transition, like entering the Land of Israel or after the destruction of a central sanctuary, the rules seemed to loosen.

But even then, the rabbis point out, these exceptions weren't always done perfectly. Sometimes, there were technical violations. Perhaps the point isn't that these individuals were perfect in their adherence to the law, but rather that they were acting on a higher calling, a divine imperative that superseded the usual rules.

It makes you wonder: when is it okay to bend the rules? When is it necessary, even? And who gets to decide? These are questions that continue to resonate today, long after the altars of old have crumbled to dust.