משנה ו׳ וּלְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ תַּחַת עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְתוּחוֹת לְעֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים, שֶׁשָּׁם הַלְוִיִּם נוֹתְנִים כִּנּוֹרוֹת וּנְבָלִים וּמְצִלְתַּיִם וְכָל כְּלֵי שִׁיר.

mishna 2:6 And there were chambers built in tunnels that ran under the Israelite courtyard, and these chambers were open to the women’s courtyard, which was seven and a half cubits lower than the Israelite courtyard. As it was there, in those chambers, that the Levites would place the lyres, and harps, and cymbals, and all the other musical instruments they used when offerings were sacrificed and during the Celebration of the Drawing of the Water.

עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה אַמָּה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רוֹחַב אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה, וְכֵן עֶזְרַת כֹּהֲנִים הָיְתָה אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רוֹחַב אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה. וְרָאשֵׁי פִסְפְּסִין מַבְדִּיל בֵּין עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים.

The Israelite courtyard was a length of one hundred and thirty-five cubits from north to south by a width of eleven cubits from east to west, and likewise the priests’ courtyard was a length of one hundred and thirty-five cubits from north to south by a width of eleven cubits from east to west. And the tips of wooden posts would jut out from the walls in the north and south to divide between the Israelite courtyard and the priests’ courtyard, as a sign that Israelites were not permitted to enter further.

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: מַעֲלָה הָיְתָה, וּגְבוֹהָה אַמָּה, וְהַדּוּכָן נָתוּן עָלֶיהָ, וּבָהּ שָׁלֹשׁ מַעֲלוֹת שֶׁל חֲצִי חֲצִי אַמָּה. נִמְצֵאת עֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים גְּבוֹהָה מֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁתֵּי אַמּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה.

Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: A different sign divided between the Israelite courtyard and the priests’ courtyard, as there was a step whose length was equal to the width of the courtyard, i.e., one hundred and thirty-five cubits, and it was a cubit high, and the stone platform was placed on it. The platform, upon which the Levites would stand when they would recite songs, was one and a half cubits tall, and it had three steps of half a cubit each, which served as the entrance to the priests’ courtyard. One therefore finds that the priests’ courtyard was two and a half cubits higher than the Israelite courtyard.

כָּל הָעֲזָרָה הָיְתָה אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע עַל רֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ.

The entire courtyard, from the Israelite courtyard to behind the Holy of Holies, was one hundred and eighty-seven cubits in length from east to west, by one hundred and thirty-five cubits in width from north to south.

וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם. אַבָּא יוֹסֵי בֶּן חָנָן אוֹמֵר: כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שְׁעָרִים,

And those who passed would bow thirteen prostrations there, in thirteen places in the courtyard. Where were these prostrations performed? Abba Yosei ben Ḥanan says: Anyone who entered the courtyard and circled the courtyard wall from the inside would bow to God opposite the thirteen main gates in the courtyard and give thanks for the beauty of the building.

שְׁעָרִים דְּרוֹמִיִּים סְמוּכִים לַמַּעֲרָב: שַׁעַר הָעֶלְיוֹן, שַׁעַר הַדֶּלֶק, שַׁעַר הַבְּכוֹרוֹת, שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם.

The mishna elaborates: The four southern gates were adjacent to the west side of the courtyard. The westernmost of them was the Upper Gate, so named because the topography of the courtyard was such that there was an incline on the east-west plane, and therefore the westernmost gate was higher than the other gates. The second gate from west to east was the Gate of Kindling, through which the priests would bring the wood for the fire for the altar. The third is the Gate of the Firstborn, through which priests would bring the unblemished firstborn animals to be sacrificed, as it is permitted to slaughter offerings of lesser sanctity on the southern side of the courtyard. The fourth gate is the Gate of the Water.

וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ״שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם״? שֶׁבּוֹ מַכְנִיסִין צְלוֹחִית שֶׁל מַיִם שֶׁל נִיסּוּךְ בֶּחָג. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: וּבוֹ הַמַּיִם מְפַכִּים, וַעֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת יוֹצְאִין מִתַּחַת מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִת.

The mishna explains: And why was it named the Gate of the Water? The reason is that through it they would bring in the vial of water for the water libation on the festival of Sukkot , as they would ceremoniously draw the water from the Siloam Pool and bring it to the altar through this gate. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: And there was another reason for this name. It was called the Gate of the Water because the water that will emerge from the Holy of Holies in the Third Temple will trickle [ mefakim ] through it, and in the future this water will increase and go out from under the threshold of the House.

וּלְעֻמָּתָן בַּצָּפוֹן סְמוּכִים לַמַּעֲרָב: שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה, שַׁעַר הַקָּרְבָּן, שַׁעַר הַנָּשִׁים, שַׁעַר הַשִּׁיר.

And facing these gates were four more in the north, which were also adjacent to the western side: The Gate of Jeconiah, which is the Gate of the Spark; the Gate of the Offering, through which they would bring the offerings of the most sacred order, which could be slaughtered only in the northern part of the courtyard; the Women’s Gate, where women would enter the courtyard to place their hands on the heads of their offerings; and the Gate of the Song, through which they would bring the musical instruments into the courtyard.

וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ״שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה״? שֶׁבּוֹ יָצָא יְכָנְיָה בְּגָלוּתוֹ. שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח שַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר, וּשְׁנֵי פִשְׁפְּשִׁים הָיוּ לוֹ, אֶחָד מִימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ. וּשְׁנַיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב, לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם שֵׁם.

The mishna asks: And why was it called the Gate of Jeconiah? The reason is that through it Jeconiah left to his exile. Before Jeconiah was exiled by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon he came to pray and take leave of the Temple, after which he exited through this gate. The mishna resumes the description with one of the gates that is in the east: The Gate of Nicanor. And it had two wickets, one on its right and one on its left. And there were two gates in the west that did not have a name, for a total of thirteen gates, including wickets.

משנה א׳ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הָיָה שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם. עָלָה אַמָּה וְכָנַס אַמָּה – זֶה הַיְּסוֹד. נִמְצֵאת שְׁלֹשִׁים עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים. עָלָה חָמֵשׁ וְכָנַס אַמָּה – זֶה הַסּוֹבֵב. נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה עַל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה.

mishna 3:1 The outer altar was ten cubits tall, and was shaped as squares one on top of another. The bottom square was thirty-two cubits by thirty-two cubits. This square ascended one cubit high and indented a width of one cubit on all sides until the next square, and this is the base of the altar. One therefore finds that the second square is thirty cubits by thirty cubits. This square ascended five additional cubits and indented one cubit, and this indentation is called the surrounding ledge, which went around the entire altar, unlike the base, as explained further on. The square built above this ledge, after an indentation of one cubit, ascended three additional cubits; one therefore finds that it was twenty-eight cubits by twenty-eight cubits.

מְקוֹם הַקְּרָנוֹת – אַמָּה מִזֶּה וְאַמָּה מִזֶּה. נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וָשֵׁשׁ עַל עֶשְׂרִים וָשֵׁשׁ.

At the top of the altar there were four small, hollow squares, one in in each corner, for the blood of the offerings that was placed on the corners of the altar. The space occupied by each of the corners was one cubit on this side, along the length of the altar, and one cubit on that side, along the width of the altar. One therefore finds that the vacant area on the roof of the altar, i.e., apart from the corners and the area between them, was twenty-six cubits by twenty-six cubits.

מְקוֹם הִילּוּךְ רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים אַמָּה מִזֶּה וְאַמָּה מִזֶּה. נִמְצָא עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע עַל עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מְקוֹם מַעֲרָכָה.

Within the corners of the altar there was an area designated for the priests’ walking when they would move around the altar to perform their duties. This area was one cubit on this side and on that side, both for length and for width. One therefore finds that an area of twenty-four cubits by twenty-four cubits remained on the top of the altar as the area of the arrangement of wood on the altar.

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: מִתְּחִלָּה לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא שְׁמוֹנֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל שְׁמוֹנֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים, כּוֹנֵס וְעוֹלֶה בְּמִדָּה זוֹ עַד שֶׁנִּמְצָא מְקוֹם הַמַּעֲרָכָה עֶשְׂרִים עַל עֶשְׂרִים,

Rabbi Yosei said: Initially, in the First Temple, the base of the altar was not thirty-two by thirty-two cubits, but only twenty-eight by twenty-eight cubits. It was indented one cubit for the second square, and another cubit for the third square, and it ascended by this measure, as stated above, i.e., five cubits for the surrounding ledge and three for the top of the altar. It also contained the width of one cubit for the corners, and a width of one cubit on each side for the priests’ passage, until one finds, i.e., the result is that that the area of the arrangement of wood on the altar was only twenty by twenty cubits.

וּכְשֶׁעָלוּ בְּנֵי הַגּוֹלָה הוֹסִיפוּ עָלָיו אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת מִן הַצָּפוֹן וְאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת מִן הַמַּעֲרָב, כְּמִין גַּמָּא.

And when the exiles ascended from Babylonia and built the Second Temple, they added four cubits to the north and four cubits to the west to these squares, similar to the Greek letter gamma, which has the shape of a right angle. Therefore, the area of the arrangement of wood in the Second Temple was twenty-four by twenty-four cubits.

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָאֲרִיאֵל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֹרֶךְ בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רֹחַב רָבוּעַ״. יָכוֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עַל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר ״אֶל אַרְבַּעַת רְבָעָיו״ מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמִּן הָאֶמְצַע הוּא מוֹדֵד שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ.

As it is stated: “And the hearth shall be twelve long by twelve wide, square on its four sides” (Ezekiel 43:16). The hearth is the area of the arrangement of wood on the altar. From a straightforward reading of the verse, one might have thought that the area of the arrangement of wood was only twelve cubits by twelve cubits. When the verse states: “On its four sides,” this teaches that one measures twelve cubits to each side from the middle of the hearth, i.e., its entire area was twenty-four cubits by twenty-four cubits.

וְחוּט שֶׁל סִיקְרָא חוֹגְרוֹ בָּאֶמְצַע, לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַדָּמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים לַדָּמִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים. וְהַיְסוֹד הָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ עַל פְּנֵי כָּל הַצָּפוֹן וְעַל פְּנֵי כָּל הַמַּעֲרָב, וְאוֹכֵל בַּדָּרוֹם אַמָּה אַחַת וּבַמִּזְרָח אַמָּה אַחַת.

And a red [ sikra ] line encircled the altar in the middle, i.e., at the midpoint of its height, one cubit beneath the height of the surrounding ledge. Its function was to separate between the blood of offerings that must be presented on the upper part of the altar and the blood of offerings that must be presented on the lower part of the altar. And the base of the altar would not encircle the altar on all four sides, but would extend along the entire northern side of the altar, and along the entire western side. And the base would occupy only one cubit on the southern side and one cubit on the eastern side, but did not extend the rest of the length of these sides.