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Middot 2:6
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וּלְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ תַחַת עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְתוּחוֹת לְעֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים, שֶׁשָּׁם הַלְוִיִּם נוֹתְנִים כִּנּוֹרוֹת וּנְבָלִים וּמְצִלְתַּיִם וְכָל כְּלֵי שִׁיר. עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיְתָה אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה אַמָּה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רֹחַב אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה. וְכֵן עֶזְרַת כֹּהֲנִים הָיְתָה אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רֹחַב אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה. וְרָאשֵׁי פִסְפְּסִין מַבְדִּילִין בֵּין עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים. 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. כָּל הָעֲזָרָה הָיְתָה אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע עַל רֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ, וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם. אַבָּא יוֹסֵי בֶּן חָנָן אוֹמֵר: כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שְׁעָרִים. שְׁעָרִים דְּרוֹמִיִּים סְמוּכִים לַמַּעֲרָב: שַׁעַר הָעֶלְיוֹן, שַׁעַר הַדֶּלֶק, שַׁעַר הַבְּכוֹרוֹת, שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם? שֶׁבּוֹ מַכְנִיסִין צְלוֹחִית שֶׁל מַיִם שֶׁל נִסּוּךְ בֶּחָג. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: וּבוֹ הַמַּיִם מְפַכִּים, וַעֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת יוֹצְאִין מִתַּחַת מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִת.
וּלְעֻמָּתָן בַּצָּפוֹן סְמוּכִים לַמַּעֲרָב: שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה, שַׁעַר הַקָּרְבָּן, שַׁעַר הַנָּשִׁים, שַׁעַר הַשִּׁיר. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה? שֶׁבּוֹ יָצָא יְכָנְיָה בְגָלוּתוֹ. שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח שַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר. וּשְׁנֵי פִשְׁפָּשִׁים הָיוּ לוֹ, אֶחָד מִימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד מִשְֹּׂמֹאלוֹ. וּשְׁנַיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם שֵׁם.
And there were chambers beneath the Israelites’ Courtyard which were open to the Women’s Courtyard; there the Leviim would place harps, lyres, cymbals, and all [other] musical instruments. The Israelites’ Courtyard was one hundred thirty-five amos in length by eleven [amos] in width. And similarly, the Kohanim’s Courtyard was one hundred thirty-five [amos] in length by eleven [amos] in width. And the ends of beams separated between the Israelites’ Courtyard and the Kohanim’s Courtyard. R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: There was a step [there], one amah high, and the Platform rested upon it, and in [the Platform were] three steps, each with a height of half an amah. It is found [that] the Kohanim’s Courtyard is higher than the Israelites’ Courtyard [by] 21/2 amos. The entire Courtyard was one hundred eighty-seven [amos] in length by one hundred thirty-five [amos] in width, and there were thirteen prostrations there. Abba Yose ben Chanan says: Corresponding to [the] thirteen gateways [of the Courtyard]. The southern gateways, adjacent to the west: the Upper Gate, the Kindling Gate, the Gate of the Firstborns, and the Water Gate. And why was its name called the Water Gate? Because through it they would bring in the flask of water for the libations during Succos. R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: And because there the [stream of] water is as [wide as that which issues] from a flask, and in the future will emerge from under the threshold of the Temple. And opposite [the southern gateways], in the north, adjacent to the west: the Gate of Yechoniah, the Gate of the Offering, the Women’s Gate, the Gate of the Song. And why was it called the Gate of Yechoniah? Because through it Yechoniah exited [the Courtyard] when he was exiled. In the east [was] the Nikanor Gate. And [the Nikanor Gate] had two minor doorways, one to its right and one to its left. And there were two [gateways] in the west that did not have any name.
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