The Copper Mizbeach-Altar

Parshat Terumah

The seventh of eight items of the Sanctuary mentioned in Parshat Terumah is the Copper Mizbeach on which sacrifices were offered. It stood in the Outer Courtyard of the Sanctuary.

It was named simply as “The Altar”- הַמִּזְבֵּח "HaMizbeach".

The gematria of the word “The Mizbeach”-   הַמִּזְבֵּח is 62=8. 

The gematria of the words “The Copper Mizbeach”- מִּזְבֵּח הַנְחֹשֶׁת is 820=10=1.

The Mizbeach is also known by three other names which reflected its characteristics:

·         The Mizbeach of Offerings-   מִּזְבֵּח העלה =167=14=8.

·         The Outer Mizbeach-             מִּזְבֵּח החיצון=226=10=1.

·         The Mizbeach of Earth-          מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה =107=8.

The joint gematria of all four names of the Mizbeach is: 

·         The Copper Mizbeach-        מִּזְבֵּח הַנְחֹשֶׁת= 820

·         The Mizbeach of Offerings-    מִּזְבֵּח העלה  =167

·         The Outer Mizbeach-             מִּזְבֵּח החיצון =876 (final Nun as 700)

·         The Mizbeach of Earth-          מִּזְבֵּח אדמה =107

1970=8

The Talmud teaches us the following about the Mizbeach:

Rabbi Eleazar said, ‘The Mizbeach removes and nourishes, makes beloved, atones. Do not the words ‘atones’ and ‘removes’ have the same meaning? It removes evil decrees and atones for sins - אמר רבי אלעזר מזבח מזיח ומזין מחבב מכפר היינו מכפר היינו מזיח מזיח גזירות ומכפר עונות

Thus the entire spiritual and economic stability of the physical world were dependent upon the sacrifices that were brought to the Temple and offered up upon the Mizbeach which ascended to the metaphysical world-The Eighth Sphira.

This conclusion is proved by the following gematria:

Removes-Nourishes-Makes beloved-Atones

מזיח-מזין-מחבב-מכפר

1214=8 (final Nun as 700)