Zevachim 54A

״חפף עליו כל היום״. לפיכך זכה בנימין הצדיק ונעשה אושפיזכן להקדוש ברוך הוא, שנאמר: ״ובין כתפיו שכן״.

“He covers it throughout the day, and He dwells between his shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12). The term “covers it” is understood to mean that Benjamin is continually focused upon that site. Therefore, Benjamin the righteous was privileged and became the host of God as the Holy of Holies was built in his portion. As it is stated: “And He dwells between his shoulders.”

מיתיבי: עולת העוף כיצד היתה נעשית? היה מולק את ראשה ממול עורפה, ומבדיל, וממצה דמה על קיר המזבח.

The Talmud raises an objection from a baraita: How was the rite of a bird burnt offering performed? The priest ascended the ramp and turned to the surrounding ledge. When he arrived at the southeast corner, the priest would pinch the bird’s head by pinching at its nape with his thumbnail and sever the bird’s head from its body, and would squeeze out its blood on the wall of the altar.

ואי אמרת לא היה לה יסוד ⁠– באוירא בעלמא הוא דקא עביד! אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק: אימר כך התנו ⁠– אוירא דבנימין, קרקע דיהודה.

The Talmud states its objection: And if you say that the southeast corner of the altar had no base, is he merely performing the rite in the air, i.e., not within the domain of the altar? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Say that when Eretz Yisrael was apportioned, they made this condition: The airspace of what would become the southeast part of the altar is in the portion of the tribe of Benjamin, so the pinching of the bird offering was performed within the domain of the altar. But the land was in the portion of the tribe of Judah.

מאי לא (הוה) [היה] לה יסוד? רב אמר: בבנין, לוי אמר: בדמים. רב מתרגם: ״באחסנתיה יתבני מדבחא״, לוי מתרגם: ״באחסנתיה יתבני מקדשא״⁠ – מקום מקודש לדמים.

§ The Talmud asks: What does the baraita mean when it states that the southeast corner of the altar had no base? Rav says: It is with regard to the fact that it had no base built on those sides. Levi says: It is with regard to the fact that no blood was sprinkled on that side, as the blood was not permitted to be presented there, even though there was a physical base. Based on this dispute, each of them disagreed as to the correct Aramaic translation of the verse: “Benjamin is a wolf that tears apart; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil” (Genesis 49:27). Rav translates this as: In his portion will the altar be built. Levi translates this as: In his portion will the Sanctuary be built, which means: A place sanctified for blood.