Parshas Toldos 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
זבחים דף סב:
The braisa says, the source that the ramp for the מזבח החיצון was on the south (צפון) side of the מזבח, is from the pasuk, "ומעלתהו פנות קדים". It’s ramp turns towards the east and "כל פינות שאתה פונה לא יהו אלא דרך ימין ולמזרח". This means, the ramp should be placed in a position that when the כהן ascends it and turns right, he will be facing east. This is only possible if the ramp is on the south side. The pasuk doesn’t mention making a right turn; maybe it means he can make a left turn, as long as he ends up facing east? This would put the ramp placement on the north side? The Gemara answers, all turns must be right turns. The מקור to this rule is from שלמה המלך. The pasuk describes that he built a huge basin and placed it in the עזרה to be used as a מקוה. Its base consisted of 12 statues resembling oxen. There were 4 groups of 3 oxen each. The נביא tells us that each set of 3 oxen were facing outwards and to a different direction. 3 were facing North, 3 were facing West, 3 to the South, and 3 to the East.
The Gemara learns that by stating the directions specifically in this order which is counterclockwise, when one circles an item, he should face it and keep circling in this direction. Thus, he will always be making right turns. This Limud has many ramifications. The [או"ח תרע"ו סי' ה'] שו"ע says: we always start lighting theחנוכה מנורה from the furthermost candle to the left (which is the new one for that night) and continue towards our right, "כדי להפנות לימין". Theביאור הלכה brings the ט"ז that quotes the לבוש that "כל פינות שאתה פונה" translates a little differently. He learns that it doesn’t mean we should go towards our right, rather it means we should start from the right. He brings a proof from כתיבת לשון קודש, that it’s written from right to left. He therefore holds to start from the right candle and continue towards the left. Theט"ז says he agrees to theפשט of the לבוש.
The [או"ח ס' קמא, סי' ז] שו"ע states, when walking to theבימה for an עלייה one should take the shortest route. If all routes are equal, one should go towards his right. The משנ"ב explains, this is to fulfill, ."כל פינות שאתה פונה לא יהו אלא דרך ימין" Similarly, the[או"ח קכ"ח סי' יז] שו"ע paskens, before theכהנים startנשיאת כפים they should be facing theארון קודש with their backs to the ציבור. As they turn around to face us, they should turn towards their right. When they are finished, they should turn back towards theארון and again turn towards their right.
The שו"ע [תרנ"א י'] states regarding the נענועים [לולב]: one should circle in all 4 directions starting with east which is in front of him and circling to his right to continue in all directions. The מגן אברהם [כא'] says: A lefty should turn in this direction as well like everyone else. He brings a ראיה from a mishnah [מדות פ"ב,ב'] that when one goes up to the הר הבית he goes up towards the right. When one leaves the הר הבית, he circles around to the left and leaves. If one is anאבל or in חרם, when he goes up, he changes and goes up towards the left. The Mishnah explains, since he’s going up in the wrong direction people will realize and know that he is either in אבלות or in חרם and they will know to be מנחם him or say a תפילה for him.