Study Zevachim folio 64B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
הקפה ברגל. אמר רבא: דיקא נמי, דקתני ״נותנין לו יין לנסך״, ולא קתני ״אומר לו נסך״; שמע מינה.
The circling around the altar by the High Priest is done on foot, i.e., empty-handed, as he was given the wine to pour only once he arrived at the southwest corner. Rava said: The language of the Mishnah is also precise, as it teaches that he is given wine to pour, and the Mishnah does not teach that one tells him to pour the wine, which would have indicated that the High Priest was already holding the wine as he circled the altar. The Talmud comments: Conclude from the language of the Mishnah that the High Priest was given the wine only once he arrived at the southwest corner of the altar.
תנו רבנן: כל העולין למזבח – עולין דרך ימין ויורדין דרך שמאל, עולין דרך מזרח ויורדין דרך מערב; חוץ מן העולה לשלשה דברים הללו – שעולים דרך מערב ויורדין דרך מערב, עולין דרך ימין ויורדין דרך ימין.
§ A baraita states: All those who ascend the ramp to the altar ascend via the right side of the ramp and descend via the left side; they ascend via the east side of the ramp and descend via the west side, except for one who ascends for one of these 3 matters: The wine libation, the water libation, and the sacrificial rite of a bird burnt offering. In these cases, one ascends via the west side of the ramp and descends via the west side; one ascends via the right side and descends via the right side.
״דרך ימין״?! דרך שמאל הוא! אמר רבינא: תני ״שמאל״. רבא אמר: מאי ״ימין״ – ימין דמזבח, ומאי ״שמאל״ – שמאל דגברא.
The Talmud asks: Does one who ascends via the west side of the ramp do so via the right side? Ascending via the west side of the ramp is the same as ascending via the left. Ravina says: Emend the baraita so that it teaches that he ascends via the left side. Rava says: What is the meaning of the right side mentioned in the latter clause of the baraita? It is the right side from the standpoint of the altar, facing south, in which case the altar’s west side is synonymous with its right side. And what is the meaning of the left side mentioned in the first clause of the baraita? It is the left side from the standpoint of a person facing the altar.