Vayikra 1:11

11 And he shall slaughter (shachat) it on the side of the Mizbe’ach northward before Hashem: and the kohanim, Aharon’s banim, shall sprinkle his dahm around upon the Mizbe’ach.

Vayikra 1:11 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 1:11

And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward
before the Lord
This is a circumstance not mentioned in the killing of the bullock: Maimonides F7 says, there was a square place from the wall of the altar northward, to the wall of the court, and it was sixty cubits, and all that was over against the breadth of this, from the wall of the porch to the eastern wall, and it is seventy six cubits; and this foursquare place is called the "north", for the slaying of the most holy things; so that it seems this being a large place, was fittest for this purpose. Aben Ezra intimates, as if some respect was had to the situation of Mount Zion; his note is, "on the side of the altar northward", i.e. without, and so "the sides of the north", ( Psalms 48:2 ) for so many mistake who say that the tower of Zion was in the midst of Jerusalem; and with this agrees Mr. Ainsworth's note on ( Leviticus 6:25 ) hereby was figured, that Christ our sin offering should be killed by the priests in Jerusalem, and Mount Sion, which was on "the sides of the north", ( Psalms 48:2 ) crucified on Mount Calvary, which was on the northwest side of Jerusalem; as by the Jews' tradition, the morning sacrifice was killed at the northwest horn of the altar F8:

and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle the blood round about
upon the altar; (See Gill on Leviticus 1:5).


FOOTNOTES:

F7 In Misn. Zebachim, c. 5. sect. 1.
F8 Misn. Tamid, c. 4. sect. 1.

Vayikra 1:11 In-Context

9 But his innards and his legs shall he wash in mayim; and the kohen shall burn the whole on the Mizbe’ach, to be an olah, an offering made by eish, of a re’ach nicho’ach (sweet savour) unto Hashem.
10 And if his korban be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for an olah (burnt offering); he shall bring it a zachar tamim (male without blemish).
11 And he shall slaughter (shachat) it on the side of the Mizbe’ach northward before Hashem: and the kohanim, Aharon’s banim, shall sprinkle his dahm around upon the Mizbe’ach.
12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with his head and his fat; and the kohen shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the eish which is upon the Mizbe’ach:
13 But he shall wash the innards and the legs with mayim; and the kohen shall bring the whole, and burn it upon the Mizbe’ach: it is an olah, an offering made by eish, of a re’ach nicho’ach (sweet savour) unto Hashem.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.