Commentary for Menachot 196:5
ואם תאמר חמשה מימין הפתח וחמשה משמאל הפתחאם כן מצינו ששולחן בדרום והתורה אמרה (שמות כו, לה) והשולחן תתן על צלע צפון
Our Rabbis taught: King Solomon made ten tables, as it is written, He made also ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five on the right side and five on the left.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. IV, 8.');"><sup>6</sup></span> If you were to say that five were on the right side of the [Temple] entrance<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The entrance to the Temple was in the middle of the east side.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
Tosafot on Menachot
The middle is preferable. And the explanation of the book [Rashi] is regarding that we read the Torah that we do not read any less than ten verses, and the middle reads four verses, being preferable. And regarding this he brings the baraita there, in the third chapter of Megilah (Megilah 21b) but it is difficult - because they bring also other baraitot, that affirm that the first and the last [alyiot] are preferable [as well]. Therefor it seems that here in our mishnah regarding the three that walk in the way, the bigger is on the middle, as it is said in the chapter "The appointed one said to them" (Yoma 37a) and in Masechet Megillah (Megillah 21b) it brings that since other things are preferable, it is preferable that he reads 4 verses.
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Rashi on Menachot
From here we infer that the middle position is commendable - regarding three that read Torah on Mondays and Thursdays, and we say in Megillah 21b: "we do not read any less than ten verses. And Rabbi Yochana says: the middle [alyiah] is preferable, and that is four verses, and the others are three and three.
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