Commentary for Yoma 41:9

ניסי דבראי קא חשיב ניסי דגואי לא קא חשיב אי הכי לחם הפנים נמי ניסי דגואי הוא לחם הפנים ניסי דבראי הוא דאמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב (ויקרא כד, ו) על השלחן הטהור טהור מכלל שהוא טמא

Has not R'Levi said: This matter has been handed down as a tradition to us from our forefathers: The place on which the ark stands is not included in the measurement;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Cherubim which Solomon made stood on the floor next to the ark, on the right and left, The spread of their wings was twenty cubits, Since the whole room had no more than twenty cubits, the body of the Cherubs, as separate from the wings, was in the room by miraculous provision. The same applies to the ark.');">¹⁷</span> and has not Rabbanai in the name of Samuel said: The Cherubs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Broken earthenware, crop, feathers, ashes. Broken earthenware was counted as one and all the other things swallowed up came as under one head, so that if they were all to be placed on one count, there would be one miracle short of the number.');">¹⁴</span> were standing by sheer miracle? - The count refers to miracles wrought outside [the Temple], miracles wrought inside are not mentioned. If that be so, what of the shewbread which is also a miracle that happened inside the Temple? - No, that miracle happened outside, for Resh Lakish said: What is the meaning of the passage: Upon the pure table before the Lord;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIV, 6.');">¹⁸</span> the statement that it is pure implies that it was susceptible to uncleanness.

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