Today we begin chapter 14 of Tractate Zevachim with a very long mishnah listing a number of exceptions to the rule we encountered at the beginning of chapter 13 prohibiting sacrifices anywhere other than the Temple in Jerusalem. At various times in Israel’s history, particularly during the time period before the building of the Temple, individuals were, in fact, permitted to offer sacrifices on private altars outside the communal center, but only some of the time.
After a long list of specific exceptions to the rule, the mishnah teaches this general principle:
Until the tabernacle was established, (private) altars were permitted, and the service (was performed) by the firstborn. And from the time that the tabernacle was established, (private) altars were prohibited and the service (was performed) by the priests. Offerings of the most sacred order were then eaten within the curtains (surrounding the courtyard of the tabernacle) and offerings of lesser sanctity (were eaten) throughout the camp of Israel.
In this passage, we learn three important things. First, until worship was centralized around the tabernacle in the wilderness, private altars were allowed. Second, until that time, offerings were made by firstborn children; afterwards, they were made by the priests. Third, the most sacred offerings were eaten within the tabernacle courtyard, but offerings of lesser sanctity could be consumed outside those boundaries. Once the Israelites crossed into the holy land, however, things changed. The mishnah continues:
When they arrived at Gilgal, (private) altars were permitted, offerings of the most sacred order were then eaten within the curtains, and offerings of lesser sanctity (were eaten) anywhere.
After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River and camped at Gilgal, near Jericho. There, private altars were once again permitted, although only for offerings of lesser sanctity. Those of greater holiness were still limited to the communal altar at Gilgal. Rashi notes that this permission lasted for 14 years until the Israelites encamped at Shiloh. The mishnah states:
When they arrived at Shiloh, (private) altars were prohibited.
This prohibition on private altars in favor of the communal sanctuary lasted for over 300 years until the destruction of Shiloh, during which time private altars were once again permitted. Finally, we learn:
When they arrived at Jerusalem (and built the Temple, private) altars were prohibited and were not permitted again.
The mishnah sets an important generalization. During the period prior to the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, at times when the Israelites established a communal center that allowed for a fixed central altar to be erected for a significant period of time, sacrifices (at least those of higher sanctity) were required to be offered there and private altars were prohibited. At times when the Israelites did not have a centralized worship site, private altars were permitted. Once the Temple was constructed, these permissions were rescinded and, as we saw at the beginning of the previous chapter, the punishment of karet (spiritual excision) was levied on those who flouted the law.
It’s fascinating to consider how deeply pragmatic the mishnah is being here. The rabbis understood that, one way or another, people needed to worship, which in this period meant offering sacrifices. Fully delineating when private altars were permitted and when they were not underscores how central the sacrificial service was in early Jewish history. Because sacrifices were the way in which people connected with God, Jewish law needed to find a way to allow them to occur, even in the absence of a central shrine. And so, we get a holy travelogue detailing how and when people must come together at an existing communal worship center, and when they’re given dispensation to go off on their own.
Read all of Zevachim 112 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on January 4, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
