The Torah commands in the Book of Shemot (20:22), “Lo Tibneh Et’hen Gazit” – that it is forbidden to build the altar in the Bet Ha’mikdash with stones that had been hewn with an instrument. The Sages understood that the Torah here prohibits using a stone that had come in contact with metal, even if a metal object had just touched the stone. A stone that had come in contact with metal is disqualified from being part of the altar in the Bet Ha’mikdash. The Sefer Ha’hinuch explains that the reason underlying this command relates to the altar’s function to bring atonement for our wrongdoing, and thereby restore peace between us and G-d. As this is the role of the altar, it would be inappropriate to build the altar with a stone that had come in contact with metal, which is used to make knives, swords and the like, instruments which destroy and kill. The Sefer Ha’hinuch here reiterates the principle which he emphasizes several times in his work, that our actions have an effect upon our mind and heart. By ensuring that the altar’s stones had not come in contact with metal, we reinforce our awareness of the primary function of the altar – to atone for our sins and restore peace between us and our Creator. Others, including Rabbenu Bahya (Spain, 1255-1340) and Ibn Ezra (Spain, 1089-1167), offer a different explanation for this command. They observe that when stone is hewn, invariably, small pieces of the stone fall off and are discarded. It would be disrespectful to the altar if some pieces of its stones are discarded and allowed to go to waste, and so the Torah insisted that the altar be made only with whole stones, that had not been cut. Ibn Ezra adds that there was a concern that these small pieces of stone would be used to produce idols, which would be terribly disrespectful to the altar. A man or woman who takes a stone that had come in contact with metal, and places it as part of the altar – or even the ramp that leads to the altar – is in violation of this Biblical command and liable to Malkut. In order to avoid a possible violation of this command, the stones for the altar in the Bet Ha’mikdash were taken specifically from either virgin earth, which had never been cultivated, or from the bottom of the sea. Only stones taken from these areas could be determined with certainty to have not previously come in contact with metal, and so these were the stones from which the altar was constructed. The Hatam Sofer (Rav Moshe Sofer, Pressburg, 1762-1839) raised the question of why it was necessary to use specifically stones taken from these areas. Every stone, seemingly, has a Hazaka (presumption) that it had never come in contact with metal, and we should therefore rely on this Hazaka to permit using a stone for the altar until we have a reason to suspect that it had come in contact with metal. Several answers have been suggested. One explanation is that indeed, as far as Torah is concerned, it was not necessary to take a stone from virgin earth or the bottom of the sea. However, the Sages enacted this provision out of respect for the unique sanctity of the altar, requiring using only stones that we know for certain never came in contact with metal. Another answer is that if an ordinary stone would be taken for use in building the altar, two concerns arise – that this stone may have come in contact with metal, and that this stone may have been previously used for some mundane purpose. In either case, the stone is invalid for use in building the altar. Since two possible disqualifications are at stake, only stones which were known with certainty not to have been previously used were taken for the altar. Thirdly, some suggested that this measure was necessary because of the exceptionally grave repercussions of using an invalid stone for the altar. If one of the altar’s stones had come in contact with metal, then the altar is invalid for use, and thus all sacrifices offered on the altar are deemed invalid. This means that if somebody offe