Sukkah 49a — the Talmud in English

that any altar which has neither a ramp, nor a horn, nor a foundation, nor a square -

is unfit for service.

Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: Even the surrounding ledge;

if it is lacking, the altar is unfit for service.

Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The shitin,

the hollow channels in the altar, beneath the opening for the libations on the roof of the altar -

were created from the six days of Creation.

As it is stated

Song of Songs 7]: “

The hidden places of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skilled craftsman.” “

The hidden places”

hidden places of

your thighs” -

these are the shitin,

which are found in a hidden place, beneath the roof of the altar, at its side, which is called “the thigh of the altar.” “

Like jewels” -

which are hollowed out and descend to the depths. “

The work of the hands of a skilled craftsman” -

this is the work of the craftsmanship of the Holy One, blessed is He.

The tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael:

Genesis 1]: “

In the beginning.”

Do not read it bereishit, but bara shit.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says: The shitin -

are hollowed out and descend to the depths.

As it is stated

Isaiah 5], Isaiah the prophet said: “

I shall sing now of

the Holy One, blessed be He,

my beloved,

on His behalf and in His place,

the song of my beloved for his vineyard

the song of complaint about Israel, which is compared to his vineyard]:

My beloved had a vineyard

the Holy One, blessed be He,

on a fruitful hill.

In the Land of Israel, which is more fruitful [“oily”] than all the lands.

And he fenced it in,

he built fortified cities there for them, surrounded like a ring [called an izka].

And he cleared it of stones,

he cleared and removed the inhabitants of the land from before them.” “

And he planted it with choice vines.

And he built a tower within it, and he also hewed out a winepress in it.”

And we expound this verse in this manner: “

And he planted it with choice vines” -

this is the Temple,

which he built like a choice vineyard, in which new saplings with roots are planted, and in which cuttings of other grapevines are not planted. “

And he built a tower within it” -

this is the altar,

which is made in it like a strong tower [the wording of Rashi].

And he also hewed out a winepress in it,

in that tower -

these are the shitin.”

Shit is an expression for a pit, a dug-out hole].

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Elazar bar Tzadok said: A lul

like a skylight from above to below]

small in size was between the ramp and the altar

for the ramp was not adjacent to the altar, but was separated from it slightly],

on the western side of the ramp.

And at the bottom of the lul there was a marble floor, and the wine was not absorbed into the ground, according to Rabbi Elazar bar Tzadok.

And once in seventy years,

they

the young priests would descend there and gather from there congealed wine, which

was

similar to round cakes of pressed figs.

And they would come and burn it in sanctity,

in a holy place in the Temple courtyard, because it is forbidden to benefit from it.

As it is stated

Numbers 28]: “

In the sacred place pour a libation of strong drink to the Lord.”

And as will be explained below.