“He measured the vestibule (ulam) of the gateway from the inside.”1Yechezkel 40:8. This verse is teaching that this vestibule is located inside the gateway, unlike the other vestibules which were like anterooms on the outside, e.g., the Ulam before the Sanctuary, or the vestibules before the Chamber of the Israelites. This vestibule, and similarly all the other vestibules of the gates to the Women’s Courtyard, were inside the gateway. The angel measured the thickness of the walls on the right and the left of this vestibule, and they were “one measuring rod” thick. The vestibules had doors and doorposts at their edge, as the verse states,2Ibid.:7. “The doorpost of the gateway on the inside of the vestibule of the gateway was one measuring rod” wide.
The walls of the vestibules were positioned a cubit-and-a-half from either side of the inner space of the gateway.3I.e., the walls of the vestibule were 1 1/2 cubits away from the inner space of the gateway. Thus, the inner space of the vestibule was 13 cubits wide. Thus, the measure of the expanse of the vestibule from north to south was 13 cubits: There were 10 cubits inside the gateway, and 1 1/2 cubits between the wall of the vestibule and opening of the gateway on either side. This is implied by the verse,4Yechezkel 40:11. “The length of the gateway was 13 cubits.”
4
וּלְפִי שֶׁעֹבִי חוֹמַת הָאוּלָם שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמְשׁוּכָה אַמָּה וּמֶחֱצָה מֵחֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר וְחוֹמַת הַתָּא עָבְיָהּ חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמְשׁוּכָה שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה מֵחֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר, נִמְצָא שֶׁחֲלַל הַתָּא מָשׁוּךְ מֵחֲלַל הָאוּלָםאוהיינו מעבר לחומה שהתאים הם ממזרח (חוץ) לחומה והאולם הוא במערב (בפנים), מ”מ אינם בקו שוה שהרי עובי כותל התא חמש ועובי חומת האולם שש נמצא שיש הפרש אמה ביניהם. שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת. זֶהוּ שֶׁחָזַר הַכָּתוּב וְאָמַר (יחזקאל מ, יב) "וְהַתָּא שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת מִפּוֹ וְשֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת מִפּוֹ", אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה מִדַּת חֲלַל הַתָּא. אֶלָּא בָּא לוֹמַר שֶׁהַתָּא הַדְּרוֹמִי נִמְשַׁךְ מֵחֲלַל הָאוּלָם שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, וְכֵן הַתָּא הַצְּפוֹנִי, כֵּן כָּתַב הָרַדַ"ק.
The wall of the vestibule was 6 cubits thick, and it was positioned 1 1/2 cubits from the inner space of the gateway. The wall of the cell was 5 cubits thick, and it was positioned 2 1/2 cubits from the inner space of the gateway. Thus the inner space of the cell was positioned 6 cubits from the inner space of the vestibule. This is the meaning of the verse,5Ibid.:12. “The cell,6Even though the cells and the vestibule were on different sides of the gate, the prophet mentions one in connection with the other. six cubits on one side and six cubits on the other side.” Even though the narrative mentioned the dimensions of the cell previously,7Ibid.:7. here, the verse is saying that both the southern and the northern cells were positioned 6 cubits from the inner space of the vestibule. Radak offers a similar interpretation.
5
וַיָּמָד אֶת רֹחַב "אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁמֹנֶה אַמּוֹת" (יחזקאל מ, ט), וְהוּא מְשִׁיכַת בְּלִיטָתוֹ מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב. "עַל לִפְנֵי אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר" (יחזקאל מ, טו) פֵּרוּשׁ גָּבְהוֹ "חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה". וְהָיוּ לוֹבהכוונה שלאולם היו חלונות וכמו שכתוב (מ, טז) וכן לאלמות ופרש”י וז”ל : וכן היו חלונות לאילמות של כל שער ושער ע”כ. "חַלּוֹנוֹת אֲטֻמוֹת".
“He measured the width of the vestibule of the gateway as 8 cubits.”8Ibid.:9. This refers to the extent that vestibule juts out from east to west. The passage states:9Ibid.:15.Al lifnei ulam hashaar…chamishim amah – “The height of the vestibule of the gateway was 50 cubits.” In this verse, the word al means “height.”10See sec. 3 above. The vestibule had narrowing windows.11Ibid.:16.
סימנים ה–ו
SECTIONS 5–6
"וַיָּמָד אֶת אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבַּיִת" (מ, ח), אָמַר שֶׁזֶּה הָאוּלָם הוּא מִבִּפְנִים לַשַּׁעַר, לֹא מִבַּחוּץ כִּשְׁאָר אוּלָם שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ בֵּית שַׁעַר שֶׁהוּא מִבַּחוּץ, כְּמוֹ הָאוּלָם שֶׁלִּפְנֵי הַהֵיכָל, וְכֵן אוּלַמֵּי עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲבָל זֶה הָאוּלָם וְכֵן כָּל אוּלַמֵּי שְׁאָר שַׁעֲרֵי עֶזְרַת נָשִׁים הֵם מֵהַבַּיִת, כְּלוֹמַר מִבִּפְנִים. "וַיָּמָד עֹבִי" חוֹמַת הַיָּמִין וְהַשְּׂמֹאל שֶׁהָאוּלָם נָכוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם, "קָנֶה אֶחָד" (שם). וּבְרֹאשָׁן דְּלָתוֹת וּמְזוּזוֹת, זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר (מ, ז) "וְסַף הַשַּׁעַר מֵאֵצֶל אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבַּיִת קָנֶה אֶחָד".
“He measured the vestibule (ulam) of the gateway from the inside.”1Yechezkel 40:8. This verse is teaching that this vestibule is located inside the gateway, unlike the other vestibules which were like anterooms on the outside, e.g., the Ulam before the Sanctuary, or the vestibules before the Chamber of the Israelites. This vestibule, and similarly all the other vestibules of the gates to the Women’s Courtyard, were inside the gateway. The angel measured the thickness of the walls on the right and the left of this vestibule, and they were “one measuring rod” thick. The vestibules had doors and doorposts at their edge, as the verse states,2Ibid.:7. “The doorpost of the gateway on the inside of the vestibule of the gateway was one measuring rod” wide.
וְאֵלּוּ הַכְּתָלִים הֵם מְשׁוּכִין מִשְּׁנֵי צִדֵּי חֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר אַמָּה וּמֶחֱצָה מִכָּאן וְכֵן מִכָּאן, נִמְצָא מֶרְחַב הָאוּלָם מִצָּפוֹן לְדָרוֹם י"ג אַמּוֹת: י' אַמּוֹת נֶגֶד חֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר, וְאַמָּה וּמֶחֱצָה מִכָּאן וְאַמָּה וּמֶחֱצָה מִכָּאן. זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר (יחזקאל מ, יא) "אֹרֶךְ הַשַּׁעַר שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמּוֹת".
The walls of the vestibules were positioned a cubit-and-a-half from either side of the inner space of the gateway.3I.e., the walls of the vestibule were 1 1/2 cubits away from the inner space of the gateway. Thus, the inner space of the vestibule was 13 cubits wide. Thus, the measure of the expanse of the vestibule from north to south was 13 cubits: There were 10 cubits inside the gateway, and 1 1/2 cubits between the wall of the vestibule and opening of the gateway on either side. This is implied by the verse,4Yechezkel 40:11. “The length of the gateway was 13 cubits.”
וּלְפִי שֶׁעֹבִי חוֹמַת הָאוּלָם שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמְשׁוּכָה אַמָּה וּמֶחֱצָה מֵחֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר וְחוֹמַת הַתָּא עָבְיָהּ חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּמְשׁוּכָה שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה מֵחֲלַל הַשַּׁעַר, נִמְצָא שֶׁחֲלַל הַתָּא מָשׁוּךְ מֵחֲלַל הָאוּלָםאוהיינו מעבר לחומה שהתאים הם ממזרח (חוץ) לחומה והאולם הוא במערב (בפנים), מ”מ אינם בקו שוה שהרי עובי כותל התא חמש ועובי חומת האולם שש נמצא שיש הפרש אמה ביניהם. שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת. זֶהוּ שֶׁחָזַר הַכָּתוּב וְאָמַר (יחזקאל מ, יב) "וְהַתָּא שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת מִפּוֹ וְשֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת מִפּוֹ", אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה מִדַּת חֲלַל הַתָּא. אֶלָּא בָּא לוֹמַר שֶׁהַתָּא הַדְּרוֹמִי נִמְשַׁךְ מֵחֲלַל הָאוּלָם שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת, וְכֵן הַתָּא הַצְּפוֹנִי, כֵּן כָּתַב הָרַדַ"ק.
The wall of the vestibule was 6 cubits thick, and it was positioned 1 1/2 cubits from the inner space of the gateway. The wall of the cell was 5 cubits thick, and it was positioned 2 1/2 cubits from the inner space of the gateway. Thus the inner space of the cell was positioned 6 cubits from the inner space of the vestibule. This is the meaning of the verse,5Ibid.:12. “The cell,6Even though the cells and the vestibule were on different sides of the gate, the prophet mentions one in connection with the other. six cubits on one side and six cubits on the other side.” Even though the narrative mentioned the dimensions of the cell previously,7Ibid.:7. here, the verse is saying that both the southern and the northern cells were positioned 6 cubits from the inner space of the vestibule. Radak offers a similar interpretation.
וַיָּמָד אֶת רֹחַב "אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁמֹנֶה אַמּוֹת" (יחזקאל מ, ט), וְהוּא מְשִׁיכַת בְּלִיטָתוֹ מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב. "עַל לִפְנֵי אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר" (יחזקאל מ, טו) פֵּרוּשׁ גָּבְהוֹ "חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה". וְהָיוּ לוֹבהכוונה שלאולם היו חלונות וכמו שכתוב (מ, טז) וכן לאלמות ופרש”י וז”ל : וכן היו חלונות לאילמות של כל שער ושער ע”כ. "חַלּוֹנוֹת אֲטֻמוֹת".
“He measured the width of the vestibule of the gateway as 8 cubits.”8Ibid.:9. This refers to the extent that vestibule juts out from east to west. The passage states:9Ibid.:15. Al lifnei ulam hashaar…chamishim amah – “The height of the vestibule of the gateway was 50 cubits.” In this verse, the word al means “height.”10See sec. 3 above. The vestibule had narrowing windows.11Ibid.:16.