Kaisipang Hudyo sa Ezekiel 40:30: The Third Beit HaMikdash

“There were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.”¹Yechezkel 40:30. These vestibules were inside the gate to the Inner Courtyard. We are forced to say this, because outside there were six chambers, whose length, the length of their walls, and the 15 cubits of the width of the gate between the three cells on either side equal 91 cubits.²On each side of the gate, 3 cells and 4 cell walls, totaling 38 cubits. In addition, there were 15 cubits between these two sets of cells. Thus, there were a total of 91 cubits (38+15+38). Now, the entire inner courtyard was only 100 cubits by 100 cubits, as will be stated in sec. 36 and mentioned several times.³Thus, there would not be room for these chambers on the outside of the wall. Instead, these vestibules were located inside the Inner Courtyard around – and indeed, extended into the thickness of – its wall. Rashi also mentions this.⁴Rashi, Yechezkel 40:30. Since each vestibule was 25 cubits long, it appears that the prophet saw all these vestibules with one glance, seeing the north, east, and south sides of the courtyard at once. This is alluded to by the words, “all around.” For if the vestibules were located only on the southern side of the wall, the words “all around” would not be appropriate. Furthermore, if the prophet had only seen one side of the courtyard with this glance, he would have only seen two vestibules, one on either side of the gate. Moreover, the part of the wall on each side of the gate was less than 50 cubits long, and it was not long enough to contain two vestibules.

Rashi explains the phrase,⁹Yechezkel 41:15-16. “the vestibules of the courtyard. Its doorposts, its windows,” as follows: “This refers to the vestibules of the courtyard mentioned above, as it is written: ‘There were vestibules all around.’ ” The phrases “Its doorposts” and the words “its windows” refer to these vestibules. The fact that the verse mentions “the courtyard,” and not “the courtyards,” teaches that this verse is only referring to one courtyard. Thus, this verse is referring to the vestibules located within the Inner Courtyard and not those outside its walls, in the Outer Courtyard.