Kaisipang Hudyo sa Ezekiel 41:8: The Third Beit HaMikdash

I will not withhold a possible resolution of Rambam’s approach – that the figure 100 by 100 refers to the foundation of the Beis HaMikdash, i.e., although the walls of the building would narrow, the building’s foundation was 100 cubits by 100 cubits. Support for this interpretation can be drawn from the description of the foundation in the verse,¹⁶Yechezkel 41:8. “Its size was 6 cubits.” In his interpretation of that verse, Rashi states that the foundation was 6 cubits high, including the portion embedded in the ground. The portion above the ground, however, was only 5 cubits high. See sec. 64, where this concept is explained. A similar statement can be made regarding the width of the building of the Beis HaMikdash. Below the ground, the building was a 100–cubit square; above the ground, the walls would taper.

“The foundations of the side-chambers were a full measuring-rod wide, a space of 6 cubits.”¹Yechezkel 41:8. The verse uses the word אצילה, which Targum Yonason explains means “space”. Radak offers a similar interpretation, stating that אצילה reflects “size” or “greatness,” as in the phrase,²Shmos 23:11. “Against the great ones (אצילי) of the Children of Israel.” Rashi explains that the verse in Yechezkel’s prophecy refers to the foundation of the wall of the side-chamber which was embedded in the ground. Above the ground, however, the wall was 5 cubits wide, as reflected by the following verse:

Similarly, with regard to the western wall, the narrative explicitly states that the foundation was 6 cubits wide, as it is written:³⁸Ibid.:8. “The foundations of the side-chambers were a full measuring rod wide, a space of six cubits.” Rashi explains that this verse is referring to the foundation of the outer wall of the side-chambers, as explained in sec. 63. It is also explained later in this section that the phrase, “Its length was ninety cubits,” includes the 6 cubits of the foundation as part of the length of the House.