The Third Beit HaMikdash · The Third Beit HaMikdash, Chapter 13
1
סימנים יג–טז
SECTIONS 13–16
2
"בְּאַרְבַּעַת מִקְצֹעֹת הֶחָצֵר חֲצֵרוֹת קְטֻרוֹת" (יחזקאל מו, כב) פֵּרוּשׁ: שֶׁאֵינָן מְקוּרוֹת וְהֶעָשָׁן וְהַקִּטּוֹר עוֹלֶה מֵהֶם. וּפֵרֵשׁ הַר"ר שְׁמַעְיָה בְּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּשְׁנָה (פ"ב מ"ה) שֶׁבְּמַרְאֵה יְחֶזְקֵאל הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין הַמִּרְפֶּסֶתאהחצרות צריכות להיות בלתי מקורות – “קטורות”. על כן צריך לאמר שבבית שלעתיד יש מרפסת (כצוצטרא) סביבות חומת החצר החיצונה מבפנים, והיא נמשכת רק בין החצרות ולא מעליהן, שלא יהוו להן תקרה., הִיא הָרִצְפָה הַמְהַלֶּכֶת סְבִיב כָּל הֶחָצֵר, עכ"ל.
“In the four corners of the courtyard, there were roofless courtyards.”1Yechezkel 46:22. They were roofless to allow smoke and steam2I.e., from the sacrificial foods cooked within. to rise from them. In his commentary to the Mishnah,3Middos 2:5. Rabbeinu Shemayah writes that in Yechezkel’s vision, the balcony that surrounded the courtyard on its walls was interrupted by these courtyards.
“They were forty [cubits] long and thirty [cubits] wide. The four [courtyards] were of the one measure…. There was a row of inlaid stones around all four of them and cooking places were made under these rows,”4Yechezkel 46:2-23. i.e., a row of inlaid stones jutted out from the wall around the earth. There were holes on top of the stones, with places to put pots. There was empty space below this row of stones where a fire could be kindled beneath the pots placed on top of the stones.5I.e., there was a series of cooking hearths around the inner walls of these courtyards.
“And he said to me, ‘These are the cooking places where those who serve in the House will cook the sacrifices of the people.’ ”6Ibid.:24. The sacrifices mentioned in this verse are the breast and the lower leg of peace-offerings, which would not be disqualified by being taken out of the Courtyard of the Israelites. In contrast, this would disqualify the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings. Hence, a special place was set aside to cook them within the Inner Courtyard, as will be explained in sec. 71.
Tractate Middos, states: [In the Women’s Courtyard,] there were four chambers, [one in each] of the four corners. [Each chamber measured] forty cubits by forty cubits. They were not roofed, nor will they be so in the Future…. What purpose did they serve? In the southeast corner was the Chamber of the Nazirites. There, they would cook their peace offerings and shave their hair, casting it under the cooking urn. In the northeast corner was the Wood Storage Bin. There the kohanim who were physically blemished would check the wood for worms. Any wood that was worm-ridden was disqualified for the Altar. In the northwest corner was the Chamber of Those Stricken with Tzaraas.7Tzaraas is a malady similar to leprosy, whose cause is spiritual, not physical (see Rambam, the end of Hilchos Tumas Tzaraas). [The chamber in] the southwest corner: Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: “I forgot which purpose it served.” Abba Shaul said: “Wine and oil were stored there and it was called the Oil Storage Chamber.”
These courtyards, which the mishnah calls chambers, were located in the corners of the Women’s Courtyard. In addition to these chambers, there were other chambers built in the middle of the Women’s Courtyard. It would have been fitting to describe the other chambers here. However, since their nature and the order in which they were placed cannot be understood without first explaining the building of the Sanctuary in general and in particular, we will discuss these chambers in sec. 71.
7
גַּם שָׁם יִתְבָּאֵר לְךָ שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁכָּתוּב כָּאן בְּאֵלּוּ הַחֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁהֵם בְּמִקְצוֹעַ הֶחָצֵר. שֶׁרְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר בַּמִּקְצוֹעַ הַפְּנִימִית, וְלֹא בַּפִּנּוֹת מִבַּחוּץ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהֵבִין בַּעַל הַתְּמוּנָה הַנִּדְפֶּסֶת בְּמַנְטוֹבָהגמשניות דפוס מנטובה שכ”ב בסוף מסכת מדות. אלא שהציור שם משונה מאד משום שצייר כל ארבע החצרות ממזרח לשער ניקנור. ועיין בפי’ הרא”ש מדות פ”ב מ”ה שכתב שהיו בחוץ. ובפי’ הר”מ קזיס שם, וחנה”ב לרמ”ח אות ט, ובחנה”ב לרמ”א שם כתב שיש דעות בזה. אולם בפשטות גם להרא”ש נראה שהיו בחוץ נגד המקצועות של עז”נ לצפון ולדרום. וכן משמע מהגהת הרש”ש על תויו”ט שם. ועיין תוי”ט כתב רבינו שהדפיסו התמונה שנית בוינציא שנת אשמ”ח. עַל צוּרַת בַּיִת שֵׁנִי שֶׁשָּׂם אוֹתָן מִבַּחוּץ. וְאֵין הַדָּבָר כָּךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן בְּאוֹרֶךְ, עַיֵּן עָלָיו. וְעַל כֵּן שַׂמְנוּם אֲנַחְנוּ בַּתְּמוּנָה הַהִיא שֶׁהִדְפַּסְנוּ עַל צוּרַת זֶה הַבַּיִת הָאַחֲרוֹן הַמְקֻוֶּה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, שְׁתַּיִם מֵהַחֲצֵרוֹת בִּשְׁתֵּי מִקְצוֹעֵי הֶחָצֵר לִפְנִים בְּמִזְרָחוֹ, וּשְׁתַּיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב לִפְנִים. וְנִשְׁתַּנּוּ מִשֶּׁל בַּיִת שֵׁנִי בַּעֲמִידַת אֵלּוּ הַמַּעֲרָבִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָעֲזָרָה הַחִיצוֹנָה שֶׁבְּבַיִת זֶה הִיא מְסַבֶּבֶת כָּלדעיין בסימן הבא. הַבִּנְיָן וְכָל הַהֵיכָל.
Section 71 also explains that the statement here, that these courtyards were in the corners of the Women’s Courtyard, refers to the courtyard’s inner corners. These courtyards were not on the courtyard’s exterior corners, as depicted by the composer of the picture of the Second Beis HaMikdash printed in Manitoba.8Tosafos Yom Tov is referring to the Manitoba edition of the Mishnah from 5322 (1562 CE). The illustration accompanies Tractate Middos and was prepared by Rav Moshe Kazis, one of the leading sages of Italian Jewry in that era. This drawing is inaccurate, as explained later on in detail. Therefore in the picture of the Future Beis HaMikdash, may it be built speedily in our days, that we have printed,9As mentioned, that design is reproduced as a foldout at the end of this printing. we depicted these courtyards in the inner space of the Women’s Courtyard, two courtyards in the two eastern corners and two courtyards in the two western corners. The location of the courtyards in the western corners differs from their location in the Second Beis HaMikdash because, unlike the courtyard in the Second Beis HaMikdash, in the Future Beis HaMikdash, this courtyard will surround the entire complex and the Sanctuary.
סימנים יג–טז
SECTIONS 13–16
"בְּאַרְבַּעַת מִקְצֹעֹת הֶחָצֵר חֲצֵרוֹת קְטֻרוֹת" (יחזקאל מו, כב) פֵּרוּשׁ: שֶׁאֵינָן מְקוּרוֹת וְהֶעָשָׁן וְהַקִּטּוֹר עוֹלֶה מֵהֶם. וּפֵרֵשׁ הַר"ר שְׁמַעְיָה בְּפֵרוּשׁ הַמִּשְׁנָה (פ"ב מ"ה) שֶׁבְּמַרְאֵה יְחֶזְקֵאל הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין הַמִּרְפֶּסֶתאהחצרות צריכות להיות בלתי מקורות – “קטורות”. על כן צריך לאמר שבבית שלעתיד יש מרפסת (כצוצטרא) סביבות חומת החצר החיצונה מבפנים, והיא נמשכת רק בין החצרות ולא מעליהן, שלא יהוו להן תקרה., הִיא הָרִצְפָה הַמְהַלֶּכֶת סְבִיב כָּל הֶחָצֵר, עכ"ל.
“In the four corners of the courtyard, there were roofless courtyards.”1Yechezkel 46:22. They were roofless to allow smoke and steam2I.e., from the sacrificial foods cooked within. to rise from them. In his commentary to the Mishnah,3Middos 2:5. Rabbeinu Shemayah writes that in Yechezkel’s vision, the balcony that surrounded the courtyard on its walls was interrupted by these courtyards.
אַרְבָּעִים אֹרֶךְ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים רֹחַב מִדָּה אַחַת לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם ... וְטוּר סָבִיב בָּהֶם סָבִיב לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם וּמְבַשְּׁלוֹת עָשֹוּי מִתַּחַת וְגוֹ' (יחזקאל מו, כב - כג). וְשׁוּרַת נִדְבָּךְ חוֹמַת אֲבָנִים בּוֹלֵט מִן הַחוֹמָה סָמוּךְ לָאָרֶץ, וּבָהּ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים מְקוֹם שְׁפִיתַת קְדֵרוֹת. וּמִתַּחַת הַטּוּר חָלָל לְהַסִּיק בּוֹ אוּר מִתַּחְתָּיו, וְהַקְּדֵרוֹת מִלְּמַעְלָה.
“They were forty [cubits] long and thirty [cubits] wide. The four [courtyards] were of the one measure…. There was a row of inlaid stones around all four of them and cooking places were made under these rows,”4Yechezkel 46:2-23. i.e., a row of inlaid stones jutted out from the wall around the earth. There were holes on top of the stones, with places to put pots. There was empty space below this row of stones where a fire could be kindled beneath the pots placed on top of the stones.5I.e., there was a series of cooking hearths around the inner walls of these courtyards.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי אֵלֶּה בֵּית הַמְבַשְּׁלִים אֲשֶׁר יְבַשְּׁלוּ שָׁם מְשָׁרְתֵי הַבַּיִת אֶת זֶבַח הָעָם (יחזקאל מו, כד). חָזֶה וְשׁוֹק שֶׁל שְׁלָמִים שֶׁאֵינָם נִפְסָלִים בְּצֵאתָם חוּץ לְעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ הַחַטָּאת וְהָאָשָׁםבשהרי קדשי קדשים אסור להוציאם חוץ מהקלעים, שהוא עזרת ישראל (החצר הפנימית). שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד לְבִשּׁוּלָם מָקוֹם מְיוּחָד לִפְנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן (ע"א) [ע] בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
“And he said to me, ‘These are the cooking places where those who serve in the House will cook the sacrifices of the people.’ ”6Ibid.:24. The sacrifices mentioned in this verse are the breast and the lower leg of peace-offerings, which would not be disqualified by being taken out of the Courtyard of the Israelites. In contrast, this would disqualify the sin-offerings and the guilt-offerings. Hence, a special place was set aside to cook them within the Inner Courtyard, as will be explained in sec. 71.
וּבְמִדּוֹת (פ"ב מ"ה) שָׁנִינוּ, וּמֶה הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת? דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הַנְּזִירִים שֶׁשָּׁם מְבַשְּׁלִין שַׁלְמֵיהֶן וּמְגַלְּחִין אֶת שַׂעֲרָם וּמַשְׁלִיכִים תַּחַת הַדּוּד. מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת דִּיר הָעֵצִים שֶׁשָּׁם הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין מַתְלִיעִים בָּעֵצִים. כָּל עֵץ שֶׁנִּמְצָא בּוֹ תוֹלַעַת, פָּסוּל מֵעַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הַמְּצֹרָעִים. מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית, אָמַר ר' אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב שָׁכַחְתִּי מֶה הָיְתָה מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, שָׁם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין יַיִן וְשֶׁמֶן, וְהִיא הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת לִשְׁכַּת בֵּית שְׁמַנְיָא.
Tractate Middos, states: [In the Women’s Courtyard,] there were four chambers, [one in each] of the four corners. [Each chamber measured] forty cubits by forty cubits. They were not roofed, nor will they be so in the Future…. What purpose did they serve? In the southeast corner was the Chamber of the Nazirites. There, they would cook their peace offerings and shave their hair, casting it under the cooking urn. In the northeast corner was the Wood Storage Bin. There the kohanim who were physically blemished would check the wood for worms. Any wood that was worm-ridden was disqualified for the Altar. In the northwest corner was the Chamber of Those Stricken with Tzaraas.7Tzaraas is a malady similar to leprosy, whose cause is spiritual, not physical (see Rambam, the end of Hilchos Tumas Tzaraas). [The chamber in] the southwest corner: Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: “I forgot which purpose it served.” Abba Shaul said: “Wine and oil were stored there and it was called the Oil Storage Chamber.”
וּמִלְּבַד אֵלּוּ הַחֲצֵרוֹת, הַנִּקְרָאוֹת לְשָׁכוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַמִּשְׁנָה, שֶׁהֵם בְּמִקְצוֹעֵי הָעֲזָרָה, הָיוּ עוֹד לְשָׁכוֹת בְּנוּיִים בְּאֶמְצַע הֶחָצֵר הַזֶּה, וְהָיָה מִן הָרָאוּי לְסַדְּרָם הֵנָּה. וּלְפִי שֶׁתְּכוּנָתָן וְסֵדֶר עֲמִידָתָן, בִּלְתִּי מוּבָן מִבְּלִי קְדִימַת בִּנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל הֵיכָל בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט, לָכֵן אֵחַרְנוּם וּכְתַבְנוּם כִּדְחָזִי בְּסִימָן ע"א.
These courtyards, which the mishnah calls chambers, were located in the corners of the Women’s Courtyard. In addition to these chambers, there were other chambers built in the middle of the Women’s Courtyard. It would have been fitting to describe the other chambers here. However, since their nature and the order in which they were placed cannot be understood without first explaining the building of the Sanctuary in general and in particular, we will discuss these chambers in sec. 71.
גַּם שָׁם יִתְבָּאֵר לְךָ שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁכָּתוּב כָּאן בְּאֵלּוּ הַחֲצֵרוֹת שֶׁהֵם בְּמִקְצוֹעַ הֶחָצֵר. שֶׁרְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר בַּמִּקְצוֹעַ הַפְּנִימִית, וְלֹא בַּפִּנּוֹת מִבַּחוּץ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהֵבִין בַּעַל הַתְּמוּנָה הַנִּדְפֶּסֶת בְּמַנְטוֹבָהגמשניות דפוס מנטובה שכ”ב בסוף מסכת מדות. אלא שהציור שם משונה מאד משום שצייר כל ארבע החצרות ממזרח לשער ניקנור. ועיין בפי’ הרא”ש מדות פ”ב מ”ה שכתב שהיו בחוץ. ובפי’ הר”מ קזיס שם, וחנה”ב לרמ”ח אות ט, ובחנה”ב לרמ”א שם כתב שיש דעות בזה. אולם בפשטות גם להרא”ש נראה שהיו בחוץ נגד המקצועות של עז”נ לצפון ולדרום. וכן משמע מהגהת הרש”ש על תויו”ט שם. ועיין תוי”ט כתב רבינו שהדפיסו התמונה שנית בוינציא שנת אשמ”ח. עַל צוּרַת בַּיִת שֵׁנִי שֶׁשָּׂם אוֹתָן מִבַּחוּץ. וְאֵין הַדָּבָר כָּךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן בְּאוֹרֶךְ, עַיֵּן עָלָיו. וְעַל כֵּן שַׂמְנוּם אֲנַחְנוּ בַּתְּמוּנָה הַהִיא שֶׁהִדְפַּסְנוּ עַל צוּרַת זֶה הַבַּיִת הָאַחֲרוֹן הַמְקֻוֶּה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, שְׁתַּיִם מֵהַחֲצֵרוֹת בִּשְׁתֵּי מִקְצוֹעֵי הֶחָצֵר לִפְנִים בְּמִזְרָחוֹ, וּשְׁתַּיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב לִפְנִים. וְנִשְׁתַּנּוּ מִשֶּׁל בַּיִת שֵׁנִי בַּעֲמִידַת אֵלּוּ הַמַּעֲרָבִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָעֲזָרָה הַחִיצוֹנָה שֶׁבְּבַיִת זֶה הִיא מְסַבֶּבֶת כָּלדעיין בסימן הבא. הַבִּנְיָן וְכָל הַהֵיכָל.
Section 71 also explains that the statement here, that these courtyards were in the corners of the Women’s Courtyard, refers to the courtyard’s inner corners. These courtyards were not on the courtyard’s exterior corners, as depicted by the composer of the picture of the Second Beis HaMikdash printed in Manitoba.8Tosafos Yom Tov is referring to the Manitoba edition of the Mishnah from 5322 (1562 CE). The illustration accompanies Tractate Middos and was prepared by Rav Moshe Kazis, one of the leading sages of Italian Jewry in that era. This drawing is inaccurate, as explained later on in detail. Therefore in the picture of the Future Beis HaMikdash, may it be built speedily in our days, that we have printed,9As mentioned, that design is reproduced as a foldout at the end of this printing. we depicted these courtyards in the inner space of the Women’s Courtyard, two courtyards in the two eastern corners and two courtyards in the two western corners. The location of the courtyards in the western corners differs from their location in the Second Beis HaMikdash because, unlike the courtyard in the Second Beis HaMikdash, in the Future Beis HaMikdash, this courtyard will surround the entire complex and the Sanctuary.