Menachot 196

דוחקין ובולטין בפרוכת ודומין כמין שני דדי אשה שנאמר (שיר השירים א, יג) צרור המור דודי לי בין שדי ילין

They pressed against the curtain and bulged out as the two breasts of a woman, as it is said, My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. I, 13. As the staves bulged in the curtain they obviously pointed eastward.');">¹</span> But whence do we know that the staves lay along the breadth of the ark?

ומנלן דבדיו לפותיא דארון הוו יתבי דילמא לארכו דארון הוו יתבי אמר ר' יהודה תרי גברי באמתא ופלגא לא מסתגי להו

Perhaps they lay along the length of the ark? - Rab Judah answered, Because in the space of one cubit and a half two men could not stand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the ark was one cubit and a half wide if, as suggested, the staves lay along the length of the ark, there would then have been only the space of one cubit and a half between the staves, and within this space two men could not have walked side by side carrying the ark.');">²</span> And whence do we know that four persons carried it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that two Levites walking side by side carried the ark in front and two behind. Perhaps only two persons carried it, one carrying the two ends of the staves on one side, and the other the two ends of the staves on the other side.');">³</span>

ומנא לן דבארבעה הוו דרו להו דכתיב (במדבר י, כא) ונסעו הקהתים תרי נושאי המקדש נמי תרי

- Because it is written, And the Kohathites<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. X, 21.');">⁴</span> [which are at least] two, the bearers of the sanctuary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. X, 21.');">⁴</span>

תנו רבנן עשרה שולחנות עשה שלמה המלך שנאמר (דברי הימים ב ד, ח) ויעש שולחנות עשרה וינח בהיכל חמשה מימין וחמשה משמאל

again two,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus there were four Levites that carried the ark.');">⁵</span> set forward.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. X, 21.');">⁴</span>

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.');">⁶</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.');">⁷</span>

אלא של משה באמצע חמשה מימינו וחמשה משמאלו

and five on the left side of the entrance, then we should have tables placed on the south side [of the Temple], but the Torah says, And thou shalt put the table on the north side.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVI, 35.');">⁸</span> You must therefore say that [the table] of Moses stood in the middle with five [tables] to the right of it and five to th left of it.

תנו רבנן עשר מנורות עשה שלמה שנאמר (דברי הימים ב ד, ב) ויעש את המנורות הזהב עשר כמשפט ויתן בהיכל חמשה מימין וחמשה משמאל

Our Rabbis taught: King Solomon also made ten candlesticks, as it is written, And he made the ten candlesticks of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the Temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. IV, 7.');">¹⁰</span> If you were to say that five were on the right side of the [Temple] entrance and five on the left side, we should then have candlesticks set on the north side [of the Temple], but the Torah says, And the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle towards the south.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVI, 35.');">¹¹</span>

ואם תאמר חמשה מימין הפתח וחמשה משמאל הפתח אם כן מצינו מנורה בצפון והתורה אמרה (שמות כו, לה) ואת המנורה נכח השולחן

You must therefore say that [the candlestick] of Moses stood in the middle with five [candlesticks] to the right of it and five to the left of it. One [Baraitha] states that [the tables] stood in the inner half of the Sanctuary, whilst another [Baraitha] states that they stood in the inner third of the Sanctuary! - This, however, presents no difficulty, for the one [Baraitha]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The latter.');">¹²</span>

אלא של משה באמצע חמשה מימינה וחמשה משמאלה

includes the Holy of Holies in the term 'Sanctuary', whilst the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The former.');">¹³</span> does not include the Holy of Holies in the term 'Sanctuary'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sanctuary (lit., 'house') including the Holy of Holies was sixty cubits long, the first twenty cubits being taken up by the Holy of Holies and in the space of the next twenty cubits stood the tables. Now these latter twenty cubits were half the Sanctuary space (if one excludes from this term the Holy of Holies) or a third of the Sanctuary space (if one includes in that term the Holy of Holies) .');">¹⁴</span>

תני חדא מחצי בית ולפנים היו מונחין ותני חדא משליש הבית ולפנים היו מונחין

Our Rabbis taught: [The tables] were placed [lengthwise] from east to west. So Rabbi.

ולא קשיא מר קא חשיב בית קדשי הקדשים בהדי היכל מר לא קא חשיב בית קדשי הקדשים בהדי היכל

R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon says, From north to south. What is Rabbi's reason? - He derives it from the candlestick: as the candlestick stood [with its branches] towards east and west, so these stood from east to west.

תנו רבנן מזרח ומערב היו מונחין דברי רבי רבי אלעזר בר' שמעון אומר צפון ודרום מאי טעמא דרבי גמר ממנורה מה מנורה מזרח ומערב אף הני נמי מזרח ומערב

But whence do we know this of the candlestick itself? - Since of the western lamp<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the second lamp from the eastern end.');">¹⁵</span> the verse says, Aaron shall order it.

ומנורה גופה מנלן מדכתיב בנר מערבי (ויקרא כד, ג) יערוך אותו [אהרן וגו'] לפני ה'

before the Lord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVII, 21; Lev. XXIV, 3.');">¹⁶</span> it follows that all the others were not before the Lord; now if one were to assume [that the candlestick stood with its branches] towards north and south, all the lamps would then be before the Lord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that no one lamp could be said to be looking westwards any more than the others. Accordingly it must be concluded that the candlestick stood with its branches extended towards east and west.');">¹⁷</span>

מכלל דכולהו לאו לפני ה' ואי סלקא דעתך צפון ודרום כולהו נמי לפני ה' נינהו

And what is the reason for the view of R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon? - He derives it from the ark: as the ark stood [lengthwise in the direction of] north and south, so these also stood [lengthwise] from north to south. And why does not Rabbi derive it from the ark? - One may infer [an object that stood] outside<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Holy of Holies.');">¹⁸</span>

ור' אלעזר בר' שמעון מאי טעמא גמר מארון מה ארון צפון ודרום אף הני נמי צפון ודרום ורבי נמי ליגמר מארון דנין חוץ מחוץ ואין דנין חוץ מבפנים

from [another that stood] outside, but one may not infer [that which stood] outside from [that which stood] inside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ark was within the Holy of Holies but the candlestick and the tables were outside in the Sanctuary.');">¹⁹</span> And why does not R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon derive it from the candlestick? - He maintains that even the candlestick stood [with its branches extending] towards north and south.

ור' אלעזר בר' שמעון ליגמר ממנורה אמר לך מנורה גופה צפון ודרום הוה מנחה

But is it not written, Aaron and his sons shall order it. [before the Lord]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shows that only one lamp, 'it', was before the Lord, but if it is maintained that the candlestick stood with its branches extending to the north and to the south all the lamps alike would be before the Lord.');">²⁰</span>

אלא הכתיב יערוך אותו אהרן ובניו דמצדד להו אצדודי

- They were all made to face [the middle lamp].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whilst the middle lamp alone faced the Holy of Holies.');">²¹</span> For it has been taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Meg. 21b.');">²²</span>

דתניא (במדבר ח, ב) אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות מלמד שהיו מצדדין פניהם כלפי נר אמצעי אמר רבי נתן מכאן שאמצעי משובח

The seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. VIII, 2.');">²³</span> this teaches that they were made to face the middle lamp.

בשלמא למן דאמר מזרח ומערב היינו דהוו יתיבי עשרה בעשרים אלא למאן דאמר צפון ודרום עשרה בעשרים היכי הוו יתבי

R'Nathan said, This shows that the middle one is specially prized.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On Mondays, Thursdays and Sabbath afternoon, at least ten verses of the portion prescribed for the following Sabbath were read by three persons; and as 'the middle was specially prized' the second reader was privileged to read four verses whilst the other two read three verses hgmnta each. V. also Tosaf. s.v. .');">²⁴</span> It is quite clear, according to him who said [that the tables stood lengthwise] from east to west, to see ho the ten [tables]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each table being two cubits long and one cubit wide.');">²⁵</span>

ותו כהנים היכי הוו עיילי ותו מצינו חמשה שלחנות בדרום ותו שלחן דמשה היכא מנח ליה

were placed in the twenty cubits;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the twenty cubits furthest from the entrance of the Sanctuary. It is assumed, for the present, that the ten tables were placed head to head in one long line, thus forming one table measuring twenty cubits by one cubit. Now although it is impossible to place lengthwise an object twenty cubits long in a space exactly twenty cubits long or wide, since there was more space available in the Sanctuary it was of small consequence if the table protruded a little beyond the twenty cubits allotted to it.');">²⁶</span> but according to him who said [that they stood lengthwise] from north to south, how could the ten tables be placed in twenty cubits?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the Sanctuary was twenty cubits wide and the tables were placed parallel with the width of the Sanctuary.');">²⁷</span>

וליטעמיך למאן דאמר מזרח ומערב נמי שלחן דמשה היכא הוה מנח ליה

Furthermore,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Assuming even that the tables would just fit in the width of the Sanctuary.');">²⁸</span> how could the priests enter [the Holy of Holies]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. The tables formed a barrier across the entire width of the Sanctuary.');">²⁹</span>

אלא מי סברת חד דרא הוה תרי דרי נינהו

Furthermore, we would then have five tables on the south side!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In contravention of the Biblical ordinance. Cf. Ex. XXVI, 35.');">³⁰</span> And further, where did the table of Moses stand?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which stood, according to the Baraitha quoted above p. 601, between the other tables. There was thus insufficient room for all eleven tables.');">³¹</span> - But according to your argument [this question could] also [be raised] against him who said [that they stood lengthwise] from east to west: Where did the table of Moses stand?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it was among the other tables then one table must have stood completely in the front half of the Sanctuary!');">³²</span> But in fact [there is no difficulty] for you have assumed, have you not, that they stood in one row? [In reality, however,] they stood in two rows.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each row consisting of five tables and measuring ten cubits by one cubit. The table of Moses stood by itself between the two rows.');">³³</span>