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In several places in this part of Zevachim, and at least once in Yoma, the gemara discusses the opinion of various tannaim on the position of the mizbeach. As Tosefos says explicitly in Yoma, the choices seem to be all or nothing: Either entirely to the tzafon (of the midline of the azarah), entirely to the dorom, or (R' Yehudah) exactly in the middle.
Tosefos (63a d"h kol) assumes that whatever they hold for this mizbeach, they would hold the same for the Mishkan with the copper mizbeach of Moshe Rabbeinu.
What I didn't see anywhere was a source for any of this. Why should it be north, south, or centered? I can imagine spiritual reasons - corresponding to the spiritual (south), physical (north), or both. But it would be good to see a discussion of the reasons.
Tosefos (63a d"h kol) assumes that whatever they hold for this mizbeach, they would hold the same for the Mishkan with the copper mizbeach of Moshe Rabbeinu.
What I didn't see anywhere was a source for any of this. Why should it be north, south, or centered? I can imagine spiritual reasons - corresponding to the spiritual (south), physical (north), or both. But it would be good to see a discussion of the reasons.
