The ashes of Yitzchak and the mizbeach of the second temple.

Our sages learnt. When the exiles came up (from Bavel) they added four amos onto the south side of the mizbeach and four amos to the west, in the shape of "gam" (a corner). For what reason did they do this? 

Rav Yossef says, it's because there wasn't enough room for the sacrifices. Abaye asked, by the first temple it says "Yehuda and Israel where as numerous as the sands by the sea, yet there was enough room. Now, by the second temple when it says, "all the congregation together was fourty thousand" you want to say there was not enough room?! He answered, there (by the first temple) there was a flame from heaven that helped out. 

Rav Yossef said, Isn't this what the verse states (by Ezra), "they prepared the mizbeach to what it was prepared for (the end of its true measurements)? But doesn't it say (when David prepared the blueprints), "it was all understood from the of the hand of Hashem to my understanding (of how to build the temple)?

Rather, Rav Yossef said, they found a verse and expounded upon it (when they expanded the mizbeach), "David said, 'this is the house of Hashem Elokim and this is the mizbeach for the burnt offering". (Compare the house to the mizbeach), just as a house is 60 amos so too the mizbeach is 60 amos.

It makes sense that they would know the shape of a house, but how did they know they know the shape of the Mizbeach? 

Rabbi Elazar said, they saw (a vision of?) the built mizbeach and Micharel the great minister(ing angel) was offering upon it. 

Rav Yitzchak Nafcha said, they saw the ashes of Yitzchak gathered into a pile and placed there. 

Rav Shmuel the son of Nachmeni said, from the entire house smelled like ketoret incense except for that spot, that smelled like (burnt offering) limbs.

Rabba bar bar Hana said in the name of Rebbi Yochanan, three prophets came up with them from the exile. One testified about the (size/shape) of the mizbeach, one testified about the place of the mizbeach and one testified that we bring offerings even though there is no house. 

In the Mishna we learned, Rabi Elazar bar Yakov said, three prophets came up with them from the exile. One testified about the mizbeach and its place, one testified that we bring offerings even though there is no house and one testified that the Torah was written in Ashurit letters.

Yakut Shimoni ofan 1080

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