Kaisipang Hudyo sa Ezekiel 42:12: The Third Beit HaMikdash

Before the Divine presence he saw a platform for the conductor of His musical praises,¹¹See Yechezkel 42:12 and sec. 26 above.

Targum Yonason interprets the hagederes haginah¹Yechezkel 42:12. as “the platform (duchan) of the Levites.” The term gederes implies a structure, a geder (“partition”), of stones on which the Levites would play their instruments and sing. This platform was “on the eastern way,” for the duchan was in the eastern portion of the Courtyard, as stated in the passage in Chronicles that describes the completion of the building of the First Beis HaMikdash:²II Divrei HaYamim 5:12. “The Levites of whom all were singers, of Asaf… stood at the east of the Altar.”

The above also enables one to understand the phrase,¹⁰Ibid. 42:12. “There was an entrance at the beginning of the pathway, the pathway before the platform of the musicians.” Rashi interprets this phrase as meaning that these chambers had an entrance at the beginning of the pathway before the Duchan, the musicians’ platform. The place where the chambers begin is at the place where the cells end. This place is parallel to a point 4½ cubits from the beginning of the Inner Courtyard, as will be explained in sec. 74. The entrance leading from the chamber to the Inner Courtyard opens up at, “the pathway before the platform of the musicians,” i.e., the Duchan. The entire area through which the Israelites were allowed to enter leads to the Duchan, which is positioned beyond this area. As explained in sec. 26, there were 17 cubits from the entrance to the Inner Courtyard until the Duchan. Thus, the entrance that was within the first 4½ cubits was, “at the beginning of the pathway” leading to the Duchan.