“In front of the chambers, there was a passageway ten cubits wide leading to the inner area1This is referring to the Twenty Cubit Space between the building of the Sanctuary and the chambers mentioned in sec. 70. via a space of one cubit.”2Yechezkel 42:4. To explain: it was impossible to enter the Twenty Cubit Space between the chambers and the cells, via the Inner Courtyard or via the Outer Courtyard. The Inner Courtyard measured 100 cubits by 100 cubits in front of the building of the Beis HaMikdash to the east.3Ibid. 40:47. Now, it is written:4Ibid. 21:14. “The width of the House to the east was 100 cubits.” Thus, the width of the building matches the width of the Courtyard. The 5 cubits of the Twenty Cubit Space which extended beyond the fifteen cubits of Beis HaChalifos on either side were closed off by the width of the wall – 6 cubits wide – that separated between the Outer Courtyard and the Inner Courtyard when coming from the east to the west. If so, there would not be an entrance to that Twenty Cubit Space unless there was a space for a slanted5Here, the term מְשַׁפֵּעַ, translated as “slanted,” implies not only a slanted at an angle, but also inclined upward because the Twenty Cubit Space was on a higher portion of the Temple Mount. passageway that entered the wall. This slanted passageway would be located where the wall between the Inner and the Outer Courtyard ended. The passageway would be located in the thickness of the wall, and would be a cubit wide, of sufficient width to enable a person to enter.6As Sukkah 7b states, an ordinary person is a cubit wide. One would enter the 5-cubit space between the wall of Beis HaChalifos and the chambers, and proceed westward 10 cubits within that space. After 10 cubits, Beis HaChalifos ended. This is the meaning of the phrase, “a passageway 10 cubits wide.” From that point on, there was a twenty-cubit space between the chambers and the side-chambers adjacent to the Sanctuary. Why was this passageway described as 10 cubits wide? Seemingly, it would have been more proper to say, “ten cubits long.” Nevertheless, the term “wide” was used because the passageway ran from east to west, adjacent to Beis HaChalifos. Beis HaChalifos measured 15 cubits from north to south. Since the distance from north to south was longer than the distance from east to west, the 10 cubits that Beis HaChalifos ran from east to west is described as its width. Similarly, the distance 15-cubit distance from north to south is described as the length because it is a larger distance. This is Rashi’s understanding of the verse.
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וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ יְכוֹלִין לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל הָאֲוִיר עֶשְׂרִים מֵאֲחוֹרֵי בֵּית הַכַּפֹּרֶת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הֻצְרַךְ לַמָּבוֹא שֶׁבְּכָאן שֶׁהוּא לְמִזְרַח הֶחָצֵר, שֶׁשָּׁם רֹב מַהֲלַךְ וְתַשְׁמִישׁ הֶחָצֵר. וְעוֹד שֶׁלְּפִי דַּעְתֵּנוּ בְּסִימָן י"ב אֵין שָׁם שַׁעַר אֶל הֶחָצֵר לַמַּעֲרָב, וְאִם כֵּן הָרוֹצֶה לֵילֵךְ מֵהֶחָצֵר אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים יִצְטָרֵךְ לָלֶכֶת לִפְנֵי מִזְרָחָןגדהיינו לצאת מן החצר הפנימית דרך השער ולהקיף את הלשכות. ולפני מזרחן, היינו מזרח הלשכות בצפון או בדרום דרך שערי החצר. ועיקר האריכות הוא בזה שצריך להקיף כל הלשכות לצפון או לדרום ושוב למערב, שהרי גם אחרי שיש מבא לאויר העשרים צריך לצאת מן החצר הפנימית., וּלְהַקִּיף חֲמִשִּׁים רֹחַב מִזְרָחָן, וּמֵאָה אָרְכָּן, וַחֲמִשִּׁים רָחְבָּן שֶׁל מַעֲרָב, עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים. מִשּׁוּם כָּךְ הָיָה הַמָּבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִזְרָחָן.
True, it is possible to access the Twenty Cubit Space from the area behind the Holy of Holies. Nevertheless, it was necessary that there be access from the eastern portion of the courtyard, for the overwhelming majority of use of the courtyard was from this direction. Moreover, according to our explanation in sec. 12, there is no gate through which to enter the courtyard from the west. Therefore, someone wanting to enter the Twenty Cubit Space from the courtyard would have to enter in the east, circle 50 cubits to the side, proceed 100 cubits for the length of the building of the Beis HaMikdash, and then 50 cubits past the chamber until he could enter the Twenty Cubit Space. Therefore, it was necessary that there be a passageway from the east.
For this reason, the entrances from the chambers to the courtyard and to the Twenty Cubit Space described in the previous section are not sufficient. For even were one to use these entrances, he would have to make a circuit, walking the chamber’s width to the side, then, half its length, and then traverse the width from entrance to entrance. Moreover, it is not appropriate that these chambers serve as shortcuts providing access to the Twenty Cubit Space. For these chambers should be closed rooms, that are entered only at specific times. In contrast, the Twenty Cubit Space is open space like the remainder of the courtyard. Hence, it should be open like the courtyard allowing one to enter it at all times, in the same manner as he enters the entire courtyard.
"וְלִפְנֵי הַלְּשָׁכוֹת מַהֲלַךְ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת רֹחַב לָבֹא אֶל הַפְּנִימִית דֶּרֶךְ אַמָּה אֶחָת" (יחזקאל מב, ד). פֵּרוּשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ יְכוֹלִין לָבֹא אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים שֶׁבֵּין הַלְּשָׁכוֹת וְהַתָּאִים לֹא בֶּחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי וְלֹא בֶּחָצֵר הַחִיצוֹנָה. כִּי הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית לֹא הָיְתָה, רַק מֵאָה עַל מֵאָה לִפְנֵי הַבַּיִת לַמִּזְרָח (יחזקאל מ, מז), וְנֶאֱמַר (יחזקאל מא, יד) עַל רֹחַב הַבַּיִת "לַקָּדִים מֵאָה אַמָּה". נִמְצָא רֹחַב הַבַּיִת סוֹתֵם אֶת רֹחַב הֶחָצֵר, וְאוֹתָן חָמֵשׁ הַיְּתֵרִים מִט"ו שֶׁל בֵּית הַחֲלִפוֹת, סוֹתְמָן עֹבִי כֹּתֶל הַמַּפְסִיק בֵּין הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי וּבֵין הֶחָצֵר הַחִיצוֹנָה הַבָּא מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב, שֶׁהֲרֵי עָבְיוֹ שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת. וְאִם כֵּן, לֹא הָיָה מָבוֹא לְשָׁם אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה מְשַׁפֵּעַאבפשטות 'משפע' הכוונה מלמטה למעלה - שהרי מפלס החצר החיצונה נמוך מן הפנימית וכדי ליכנס לפנימית צריך לשפע ולעלות, אלא שבתמונה הכללית שצייר רבינו, משמע כי שיפוע מתייחסת לשיפוע (החתך) בכותל. וְכוֹנֵס, [כְּלוֹמַר] כְּשֶׁהָיָה מְכַלֶּה סוֹף חוֹמָה שֶׁבֵּין שְׁתֵּי הַחֲצֵרוֹת, שִׁפֵּעַ בְּתוֹךְ חָצֵר הַחִיצוֹנָה בְּעֹבִי הַחוֹמָה אַמָּה כְּדֵי כְּנִיסַת אָדָםבכדאמרינן (סוכה ז:) גברא באמתא יתיב.. וְנִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ אֲוִיר חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת שֶׁבֵּין כֹּתֶל הַחֲלִפוֹת וְכֹתֶל הַלְּשָׁכוֹת, וְהוֹלֵךְ בְּאוֹתוֹ אֲוִיר לְצַד מַעֲרָב עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, וְשָׁם כָּלֶה מֶשֶׁךְ בֵּית הַחֲלִפוֹת. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "מַהֲלַךְ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת רֹחַב", וּמִשָּׁם וְאֵילָךְ עֶשְׂרִים אַמּוֹת הָאֲוִיר שֶׁבֵּין הַלְּשָׁכוֹת וְהַתָּאִים. וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵהוּ מַהֲלַךְ רֹחַב, וַהֲלֹא הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר מַהֲלַךְ עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת אֹרֶךְ? לְפִי שֶׁלְּעִנְיַן בֵּית הַחֲלִפוֹת הוּא רֹחַב. לְפִי שֶׁבִּנְיַן הַחֲלִפוֹת מִן הַצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם ט"ו אַמָּה, וּמִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, עַד כָּאן דִּבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י ז”ל.
“In front of the chambers, there was a passageway ten cubits wide leading to the inner area1This is referring to the Twenty Cubit Space between the building of the Sanctuary and the chambers mentioned in sec. 70. via a space of one cubit.”2Yechezkel 42:4. To explain: it was impossible to enter the Twenty Cubit Space between the chambers and the cells, via the Inner Courtyard or via the Outer Courtyard. The Inner Courtyard measured 100 cubits by 100 cubits in front of the building of the Beis HaMikdash to the east.3Ibid. 40:47. Now, it is written:4Ibid. 21:14. “The width of the House to the east was 100 cubits.” Thus, the width of the building matches the width of the Courtyard. The 5 cubits of the Twenty Cubit Space which extended beyond the fifteen cubits of Beis HaChalifos on either side were closed off by the width of the wall – 6 cubits wide – that separated between the Outer Courtyard and the Inner Courtyard when coming from the east to the west. If so, there would not be an entrance to that Twenty Cubit Space unless there was a space for a slanted5Here, the term מְשַׁפֵּעַ, translated as “slanted,” implies not only a slanted at an angle, but also inclined upward because the Twenty Cubit Space was on a higher portion of the Temple Mount. passageway that entered the wall. This slanted passageway would be located where the wall between the Inner and the Outer Courtyard ended. The passageway would be located in the thickness of the wall, and would be a cubit wide, of sufficient width to enable a person to enter.6As Sukkah 7b states, an ordinary person is a cubit wide. One would enter the 5-cubit space between the wall of Beis HaChalifos and the chambers, and proceed westward 10 cubits within that space. After 10 cubits, Beis HaChalifos ended. This is the meaning of the phrase, “a passageway 10 cubits wide.” From that point on, there was a twenty-cubit space between the chambers and the side-chambers adjacent to the Sanctuary. Why was this passageway described as 10 cubits wide? Seemingly, it would have been more proper to say, “ten cubits long.” Nevertheless, the term “wide” was used because the passageway ran from east to west, adjacent to Beis HaChalifos. Beis HaChalifos measured 15 cubits from north to south. Since the distance from north to south was longer than the distance from east to west, the 10 cubits that Beis HaChalifos ran from east to west is described as its width. Similarly, the distance 15-cubit distance from north to south is described as the length because it is a larger distance. This is Rashi’s understanding of the verse.
וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ יְכוֹלִין לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל הָאֲוִיר עֶשְׂרִים מֵאֲחוֹרֵי בֵּית הַכַּפֹּרֶת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הֻצְרַךְ לַמָּבוֹא שֶׁבְּכָאן שֶׁהוּא לְמִזְרַח הֶחָצֵר, שֶׁשָּׁם רֹב מַהֲלַךְ וְתַשְׁמִישׁ הֶחָצֵר. וְעוֹד שֶׁלְּפִי דַּעְתֵּנוּ בְּסִימָן י"ב אֵין שָׁם שַׁעַר אֶל הֶחָצֵר לַמַּעֲרָב, וְאִם כֵּן הָרוֹצֶה לֵילֵךְ מֵהֶחָצֵר אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים יִצְטָרֵךְ לָלֶכֶת לִפְנֵי מִזְרָחָןגדהיינו לצאת מן החצר הפנימית דרך השער ולהקיף את הלשכות. ולפני מזרחן, היינו מזרח הלשכות בצפון או בדרום דרך שערי החצר. ועיקר האריכות הוא בזה שצריך להקיף כל הלשכות לצפון או לדרום ושוב למערב, שהרי גם אחרי שיש מבא לאויר העשרים צריך לצאת מן החצר הפנימית., וּלְהַקִּיף חֲמִשִּׁים רֹחַב מִזְרָחָן, וּמֵאָה אָרְכָּן, וַחֲמִשִּׁים רָחְבָּן שֶׁל מַעֲרָב, עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים. מִשּׁוּם כָּךְ הָיָה הַמָּבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִזְרָחָן.
True, it is possible to access the Twenty Cubit Space from the area behind the Holy of Holies. Nevertheless, it was necessary that there be access from the eastern portion of the courtyard, for the overwhelming majority of use of the courtyard was from this direction. Moreover, according to our explanation in sec. 12, there is no gate through which to enter the courtyard from the west. Therefore, someone wanting to enter the Twenty Cubit Space from the courtyard would have to enter in the east, circle 50 cubits to the side, proceed 100 cubits for the length of the building of the Beis HaMikdash, and then 50 cubits past the chamber until he could enter the Twenty Cubit Space. Therefore, it was necessary that there be a passageway from the east.
וּמֵהַאי טַעֲמָא נַמִּי, לָא סַגִּי בְּפִתְחֵי הַלְּשָׁכוֹת שֶׁאֶל הֶחָצֵר וּמֵהֶם אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים כִּדְפֵרַשְׁתִּי בַּסִּימָן הַקּוֹדֵם, וְיִהְיוּ אִם כֵּן יְכוֹלִין לַהֲלֹךְ אֲלֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַלְּשָׁכוֹת. דְּהָכִי נַמִּי יִצְטָרֵךְ לְהַקִּיף בְּרָחְבָּן שֶׁל מִזְרָח, וַחֲצִי אָרְכָּן, וְרָחְבָּן מִבִּפְנִים מִפֶּתַח לְפֶתַח. וּבְלָאו הָכִי נַמִּי אֵין מִן הָרָאוּי שֶׁפִּתְחֵי הַלְּשָׁכוֹת יִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ אֶל אֲוִיר הָעֶשְׂרִים, שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַלְּשָׁכוֹת הֵם חֲדָרִים רְאוּיִם לִהְיוֹת מְסֻגָּרִים, אֵין יוֹצֵא וּבָא אֶלָּא לְעִתּוֹ וְשַׁעְתּוֹ. וְאֵלּוּ הָעֶשְׂרִים אֲוִיר הִנֵּה הִנָּם כְּכָל שְׁאָר הֶחָצֵר, רְאוּיִם לִהְיוֹת פְּתוּחִים כְּדֶרֶךְ הֶחָצֵר, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶן כְּמוֹ אֶל כָּל הֶחָצֵר.
For this reason, the entrances from the chambers to the courtyard and to the Twenty Cubit Space described in the previous section are not sufficient. For even were one to use these entrances, he would have to make a circuit, walking the chamber’s width to the side, then, half its length, and then traverse the width from entrance to entrance. Moreover, it is not appropriate that these chambers serve as shortcuts providing access to the Twenty Cubit Space. For these chambers should be closed rooms, that are entered only at specific times. In contrast, the Twenty Cubit Space is open space like the remainder of the courtyard. Hence, it should be open like the courtyard allowing one to enter it at all times, in the same manner as he enters the entire courtyard.