“So declares God, the Lord: ‘The gate to the Inner Courtyard facing east”1Yechezkel 46:1. – this refers to the wicket at the northern side of the gate to the Sanctuary – “shall be closed during the six days of work; it shall be opened on the Shabbos day and it shall be opened on the day of the New Moon.” The Sanctuary is referred to as “the Inner Courtyard,” as reflected in Rashi’s commentary to the verse, “And it will come to pass when they enter the gates of the Inner Courtyard.”2Rashi, Yechezkel 44:17. Consult that source.
“And the Nasi will enter the courtyard from the outside via the vestibule of the gate. He will stand at the doorpost of that gate,”3Yechezkel 46:2. i.e., at the northern wicket. “The kohanim will prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offering. He will prostrate himself on the threshold of the gate and depart, but the gate will not close until the evening. The people of the land will prostrate themselves at the entrance to that gate on Shabbasos and the days of the New Moon before God.”4Ibid.:2-3. “When the Nasi will offer a freewill-offering… they shall open the gate.”5Ibid.:12. Previously, in his commentary,6Rashi, Yechezkel 45:17.Rashi states, “Here, the term Nasi refers to the kohen gadol. This applies whenever the term is mentioned in the passage. [However,] I heard in the name of Rabbi Menachem that it refers to the king.”
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וְעַל פִּשְׁפָּשׁ זֶה תְּנַן (מדות פ"ד מ"ב): נָטַל אֶת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ וּפָתַח אֶת הַפִּשְׁפָּשׁ וְנִכְנַס לְהַתָּא וּמֵהַתָּא לַהֵיכָלאמדברי רבינו משמע שכן יהיה גם בבית העתיד שהפשפש אינו פתוח להיכל אלא לחלל שיש בתוך כתל ההיכל ולקמן בסימן סד-סט יבאר באריכות.. וְכָתַב הָרַמְבָּ"ם (פ"ד מבית הבחירה ה"ו) וּמְהַלֵּךְ בֵּיןְ שְנֵיבלכאורה נראה שדברי הרמב”ם (יתבאר בדברי רבינו לקמן סימן סד סט) לשיטתו דכותל ההיכל חלול, ולשטת רש”י צריך לומר שמהלך בתא עצמו וכפשטות לשון המשנה. הַכְּתָלִיםגכתל התא וכתל ההיכל. עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לְמָקוֹם פָּתוּחַ לַקֹּדֶשׁ מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ, וְנִכְנַס לְתוֹךְ הַהֵיכָל, וּמְהַלֵּךְ עַד שַׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל וּפוֹתְחוֹ, ע"כ.
Concerning this wicket, the mishnah teaches:7Middos 4:2, regarding opening the Sanctuary in the morning. See sections 64-69 where this concept is explained at length. “He would take the key, open the wicket, and enter the cell. From the cell, he would enter the Sanctuary.” Rambam explains8See Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 4:6. that after entering the wicket, “he would proceed between the two walls9The wall of the cell and the wall of the Sanctuary. until he reached a place that opened to the left side of the Sanctuary.10I.e., when looking to the east, the north is to the left. He would enter the Sanctuary through it, proceed to the Great Gate, and open it.”
"כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹקִים שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית הַפֹּנֶה קָדִים", פֵּרוּשׁ פִּשְׁפָּשׁ הַצְּפוֹנִי שֶׁבְּשַׁעַר הַהֵיכָל, "יִהְיֶה סָגוּר שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וּבְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת יִפָּתֵחַ וּבְיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ יִפָּתֵחַ" (יחזקאל מו, א). וְקָרָא לַהֵיכָל בְּשֵׁם חָצֵר פְּנִימִית, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י גַּבֵּי (יחזקאל מד, יז) "וְהָיָה בְּבוֹאָם אֶל שַׁעֲרֵי הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית" עַיֵּן שָׁם.
“So declares God, the Lord: ‘The gate to the Inner Courtyard facing east”1Yechezkel 46:1. – this refers to the wicket at the northern side of the gate to the Sanctuary – “shall be closed during the six days of work; it shall be opened on the Shabbos day and it shall be opened on the day of the New Moon.” The Sanctuary is referred to as “the Inner Courtyard,” as reflected in Rashi’s commentary to the verse, “And it will come to pass when they enter the gates of the Inner Courtyard.”2Rashi, Yechezkel 44:17. Consult that source.
וּבָא הַנָּשִׂיא דֶּרֶךְ אוּלָם הַשַּׁעַר שֶׁל עֲזָרָה "מִחוּץ, וְעָמַד עַל מְזוּזַת" אוֹתוֹ "הַשַּׁעַר" הַקָּטָן הוּא הַפִּשְׁפָּשׁ. "וְעָשׂוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת עוֹלָתוֹ וְאֶת שְׁלָמָיו וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה עַל מִפְתַּן הַשַּׁעַר וְיָצָא וְהַשַּׁעַר לֹא יִסָּגֵר עַד הָעָרֶב, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ עַם הָאָרֶץ פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר הַהוּא בַּשַּׁבָּתוֹת וּבֶחֳדָשִׁים לִפְנֵי ה' " (יחזקאל מו, ב-ג). וְכִי יַעֲשֶׂה הַנָּשִׂיא נְדָבָה ... וּפָתַח לוֹ אֶת הַשַּׁעַר וגו' (יחזקאל מו, יב). וּבְּפֶרָשָה מ"ה (יז) כָּתוּב בְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י ז"ל שֶׁהַנָּשִׂיא הַזֶּה בְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל מְדַבֵּר, וְכֵן כָּל הַנָּשִׂיא שֶׁבָּעִנְיָן. וְשָׁמַעְתִּי מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל מְנַחֵם שֶׁבַּמֶּלֶךְ מְדַבֵּר, עכ"ל.
“And the Nasi will enter the courtyard from the outside via the vestibule of the gate. He will stand at the doorpost of that gate,”3Yechezkel 46:2. i.e., at the northern wicket. “The kohanim will prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offering. He will prostrate himself on the threshold of the gate and depart, but the gate will not close until the evening. The people of the land will prostrate themselves at the entrance to that gate on Shabbasos and the days of the New Moon before God.”4Ibid.:2-3. “When the Nasi will offer a freewill-offering… they shall open the gate.”5Ibid.:12. Previously, in his commentary,6Rashi, Yechezkel 45:17. Rashi states, “Here, the term Nasi refers to the kohen gadol. This applies whenever the term is mentioned in the passage. [However,] I heard in the name of Rabbi Menachem that it refers to the king.”
וְעַל פִּשְׁפָּשׁ זֶה תְּנַן (מדות פ"ד מ"ב): נָטַל אֶת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ וּפָתַח אֶת הַפִּשְׁפָּשׁ וְנִכְנַס לְהַתָּא וּמֵהַתָּא לַהֵיכָלאמדברי רבינו משמע שכן יהיה גם בבית העתיד שהפשפש אינו פתוח להיכל אלא לחלל שיש בתוך כתל ההיכל ולקמן בסימן סד-סט יבאר באריכות.. וְכָתַב הָרַמְבָּ"ם (פ"ד מבית הבחירה ה"ו) וּמְהַלֵּךְ בֵּיןְ שְנֵיבלכאורה נראה שדברי הרמב”ם (יתבאר בדברי רבינו לקמן סימן סד סט) לשיטתו דכותל ההיכל חלול, ולשטת רש”י צריך לומר שמהלך בתא עצמו וכפשטות לשון המשנה. הַכְּתָלִיםגכתל התא וכתל ההיכל. עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לְמָקוֹם פָּתוּחַ לַקֹּדֶשׁ מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ, וְנִכְנַס לְתוֹךְ הַהֵיכָל, וּמְהַלֵּךְ עַד שַׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל וּפוֹתְחוֹ, ע"כ.
Concerning this wicket, the mishnah teaches:7Middos 4:2, regarding opening the Sanctuary in the morning. See sections 64-69 where this concept is explained at length. “He would take the key, open the wicket, and enter the cell. From the cell, he would enter the Sanctuary.” Rambam explains8See Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 4:6. that after entering the wicket, “he would proceed between the two walls9The wall of the cell and the wall of the Sanctuary. until he reached a place that opened to the left side of the Sanctuary.10I.e., when looking to the east, the north is to the left. He would enter the Sanctuary through it, proceed to the Great Gate, and open it.”