By Dr. Meir Tamari With the appointment of judges and court
officers, comes the injunction against an altar of the single
memorial stone- matzevah, rather the altar had to be built of a
number of stones. It is well known that the memorial stone was a
favorite altar in the days of the Patriarchs. Each of the
Patriarchs was an individual: "Only one is Abraham" (Ezekiel,
33: 24) and when Jacob came down to Egypt, it is written, "70
nefesh-soul", not nefashot-souls. They, like each of the people
mentioned in the book of Bereishit, acted as individuals; indeed
the very purpose of that book was to teach that individuals are
able to reach and connect to G-d. This was the purpose of the
matzevah. Now, however, it had become a means for idolatry, so
had to be replaced by the altar of many stones. Elijah at Mount
Carmel took 12 stones corresponding to the 12 Tribes, the sons
of Jacob whom G-d had called, Israel (1 King's, 18: 31). If the
stones of the altar correspond to the tribes, then it is
obviously required that t