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With the English translation
of the Kehati Commentary on The Mishnah
Masechet Midot
Chapter 2
Mishnah 2
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Anyone entering Har Habayit would enter from the right and go around
and depart from the left, except for someone to whom something had
happened, who would go around to the left. Why are you going around
to the left? Because I am a mourner! May He who dwells in this house
console you. Because I was excommunicated! May He who dwells in this
house put in their hearts to draw you near; so R. Meir. R. Yose said
to him: You have made them as though they violated the law towards
him; rather: May He who dwells in this house put in your heart that
you should accept your colleagues' words, and they will draw you near.
Kehati
Anyone entering Har Habayit - through any of the
gates - would enter from the right - i.e., tum right
upon entering - and go around and depart from - a
gate to - the left - of the one through which he
entered - e.g., if he entered from the east, he would go around to
the north and the west, and depart from the south - except
for someone to whom something - untoward - had happened
- as explained below - who would go around to the
left - to attract attention. They would ask - Why
are you going around to the left? - and if he answered -
Because I am a mournert - they would respond -
May He who dwells in this house console you - and if he said
- Because I was excommunicatedt - they would respond
- May He who dwells in this house put in their hearts to draw
you near; so R. Meir - who stresses the consolation of excommunicates.
But - R. Yose said to him - this is unacceptable
because - you have made them - the rabbis who excommunicated
him - as though they violated the law - i.e., committed
an injustice - towards him - by this act, whereas
it is legitimate to punish those who refuse to follow the majority;
rather - let them console him thus: May He
who dwells in this house put in your heart that you should accept
your colleagues' words, and - then - they will draw
you near - as it is you who must improve, not your colleagues.
Masechet Midot
Chapter 2
Mishnah 3
Within it was a latticework, ten tefahim high, and thirteen breaches
were there that the kings of Greece breached, and they repaired them
again, and decreed thirteen prostrations opposite them. Within it
was the Heil ten amot, and twelve steps were there, the height of
each step was half an amah, and its depth half an amah. All the steps
that were there, the height of each step was half an amah, and its
depth half an amah, except those to the ulam. All the doorways and
the gates that were there, their height was twenty amot and their
width was ten amot, except that of the ulam. All the doorways that
were there had doors, except that of the slam. All the gates that
were there had lintels, except the Gate of Tadi, where there were
two stones leaning against one another. All the gates that were there
were changed to be golden, except the Gate of Nikanor, because a miracle
was performed in their case. But some say: Because their copper had
a yellow hue.
Kehati
Within it - i.e., the enclosed area of Har Habayit
- was a latticework - wooden fence 1 surrounding
the walls of the courtyards (see Bartenura) - ten tefahim
high - to mark the line Gentiles were forbidden to cross
- and thirteen breaches were there that the kings of Greece-
who resented this restriction - breached - in the
fence - and - after the Hasmoneans defeated the Greeks
- they repaired them again, and decreed thirteen prostrations
opposite them - i.e., whoever passed one of these repaired
breaches would prostrate himself to give thanks for the victory over
the Greeks. Thus, a person who walked around Har Habayit would prostrate
himself thirteen times (tiferet Yisrael).
Within it - i.e., between the latticework and the
walls of the courtyards - was - an open area called
- the Heil - which was ten amot wide (Bartenura).
According to a variant reading, "Within it, the Heil, ten amot
tall" - the Heil was another wall between the latticework fence
and the walls of the azarah (Rambam, Hil. Bet Habehirah 5:3), but
most commentators reject this view (see Tosefot Yom Tov; Tiferet Yisrael).
And twelve steps were there - in the Heil, adjacent
to the walls of the courtyards - the height of each step was
half an amah - slightly less than one foot - and
its depth half an amah. Thus the steps took up six of the
ten amot of the Heil, leaving four amot for the flat area between
the fence and the steps (tiferet Yisrael).
All the steps that were there - in the entire Temple complex -
the height of each step was half an amah, and its
depth half an amah, except those - stairs 11 leading from
the altar to the ulam - which were much deeper (3:6).
All the doorways and the gates that were there -
in the entire Temple complex - their height was twenty amot
and their width was ten amot, except that of the ulam - which
was forty amot high and twenty wide (3:7), and - all the doorways
that were there had doors, except that of the ulam - which
had only a curtain.
All the gates that there were had lintels - i.e.,
doorposts on either side and a horizontal block over the top - except
the Gate of Tadi - the northern exit of Har Habayit where
- instead of two horizontal and one vertical stones - there
were two stones leaning against one another - which yielded
a triangular gate, thus: / \.
All the gates that were there were - originally made
of inexpensive material, and were later - changed to be golden
- plated, once the Judeans could afford it - except the Gate
of Nikanor - the main gate of the azarah, on the eastern
side - because a miracle was performed in their case
- Nikanor went to Alexandria to purchase doors for the Temple. They
made him magnificent copper doors, which he brought back from Egypt
by boat. A great storm arose, and the crew cast one of the heavy doors
overboard. They were about to throw over the other, when Nikanor grasped
it, and cried out, "Throw me overboard with it!", at which
point the storm instantly ceased. Nikanor grieved over the lost door,
but when they reached port, the missing door was found attached to
the bottom of the boat. And because of this miracle, they were never
changed. But some say that Nikanor's doors were not
overlaid with gold, because their - original - copper
surface - had a yellow hue - that gleamed more brightly
than gold.
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