@DoubleAA Indeed. We seem to get a lot of that type of question so I thought it might be useful. But I'm double checking with the community for their thoughts
I just got the weekly Mi.Yodeya email (sent out every Tuesday). Why isn't there a reminder for the weekly Parsha Chat event that is every Wednesday? It should be included in the email? Please upvote this proposal if you would also like it and other chat events to be included in the newsletter ema...
Proposed excerpt (I'll work on the wiki soon): "Questions about the origins of Jewish practices. Questions on the origins of Jewish customs, songs, foods, games, etc., are all fair game for this tag."
^Just off the top of my head. Please do revise as you feel necessary.
ping @msh210 @DoubleAA ^^^
@msh210 Agreed
I thought about "..origins and history of Jewish practices." But I decided against it.
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What are we going to do about this question? judaism.stackexchange.com/q/17137/759 As it is now, it is incomprehensible to users under 10k, and, well, it must look pretty odd to them.
I suggest that we either need to edit it or delete it.
@DoubleAA It seems to have already been judged too explicit to remain open. If the author doesn't change it after a specified amount of time, I say delete it.
@DoubleAA Let's try to be a tad less self-conscious about it for at least a little while, and let these yodeyan bams develop at least a little naturally.
In the beginning of Chapter 17 we learn about the covering made for the alter. I'm wondering: did it cover all 5 exposed sides of the cube? Was the same covering brought into Israel and used in the Temple? It seems odd that we would cover the alter with anything.
Why didn't they use it for some other decorative (and thereby Temple-related) purpose?
60 sq. cubits for the sides + 25 sq. c. for the top. How many fire-pans is that, I wonder? Is a fire-pan something you can hold in one hand, or bigger?
@MonicaCellio Glad to help. The big altar is called that because it was outside in the courtyard of the mishkan, while the incense one was inside the tent itself (and as such is sometimes called mizbeach hapenimi )
It seems odd that after giving us precise building instructions for the mishkan and all its furnishings, that God would then have us cover over part of it because of this rebellion. So I wonder what role the cover played and whether it was just for that generation.
@DoubleAA I think I hadn't realized that the latter was inside.
I tend to get lost in the details of mishkan logistics. Did the levi'im have access to either altar? If this was basically a levite rebellion (I have another question queued up about that), maybe it's an "in your face" reminder?
@DoubleAA Oh, I see -- good point.
About that other question: we're told that Korach (a Levi) and three Reuvenits (Datan, Aviran, and On (who dropped out)) started this rebellion, but when Moshe addresses the group he often calls them "sons of Levi". Was this basically a Levite rebellion with a couple outsiders, or did it involve more of the tribes?
(I'm not really sure how to understand "princes of the congregation" when the number is more than 12.)
@MonicaCellio I'm meforshim-less at the moment, but IIRC correctly reuven's encampment was right next to kehat's. So when Korach (ben Yitzhar) ben Kehat started complaining he got some local reubanites involved with his cause.
@MonicaCellio I'm not sure. We'd have to check other instances of the two words to see what they refer to. Off the top of my head I don't remember Sar being used anywhere actually except in Yitro's recommendation for Sar's of 10 50 100 etc.
I'm sure it's used somewhere else. I'm just not sure how noticable it is when that word isn't used.
@DoubleAA (My memory of) Yitro was what I was thinking of. If these are the same guys, why a different word? But I don't have a concordance here at work.
@DoubleAA Sar is used to describe Potiphar, but as for other Israelite uses I'm not sure. I think I've seen it in midrash, too.
@DoubleAA true. How thin is an incense-pan to begin with, how thin can it be pounded out without failing, and how long/wide is it? All unknown to me.
I'm sort of envisioning a cover like that armor made out of small plates hinged together, hanging over the altar like a big skirt or something -- 250 individual pieces connected versus one big sheet.
@MonicaCellio For future reference, just click on 'room' on the right, directly above where you see the icons of those in the chat room. Then click 'create a bookmark'.
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