יחזקאל, פרק מ״ג, פסוק כ״א

The dedication of the future Temple closely mirrors the original dedication of the Tabernacle during the days of Moses. As part of this renewal, a bull is brought as a sin offering. Unlike certain sacrifices that are eaten, this specific offering must be completely consumed by fire [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. To carry out this task, the bull is handed over to an appointed individual whose specific duty is to take the animal and burn it [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

A central focus of this process is the exact location where the burning takes place. While the instructions state that it must be done outside the main sanctuary, there is a broad consensus that the fire is not lit outside the entire Temple Mount. Instead, the process occurs just outside the inner courtyard, remaining safely within the outer walls in a holy area deemed appropriate for such a sacred task [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל].

The precise nature of this location is understood in two distinct ways. One perspective views the area as an officially appointed space. In this light, there is a pre-designated spot on the Temple Mount set aside exclusively for the priests to burn holy offerings, such as specific bulls and goats [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, another approach understands the location description as a physical boundary, indicating the very edge of the Temple complex. According to this view, the burning happens at the exact point where the building ends, a detail that clearly reinforces the requirement for the action to take place strictly outside the sanctuary [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ].