## Yoma Daf 16a

###### Yoma 16a:1
[Yoma 16a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:1)

דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית הִיא לִשְׁכָּה שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂין בָּהּ לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים. מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית — בָּהּ גָּנְזוּ בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי אַבְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ שֶׁשִּׁקְּצוּם מַלְכֵי גוֹיִם. צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית — בָּהּ יוֹרְדִין לְבֵית הַטְּבִילָה. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: מַאן תָּנָא מִדּוֹת — רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
the **southeast** chamber in the Hall of the Hearth **was the chamber in which the shewbread was prepared.** The **northeast** chamber was the chamber **in which the Hasmoneans sequestered the altar stones that were desecrated by the gentile kings** when they sacrificed idolatrous offerings. The **northwest** chamber was the chamber **in which** the priests **descended** through tunnels **to the Hall of Immersion.** There is a contradiction between the sources with regard to the location of the Chamber of the Lambs. **Rav Huna said: Who** is the *tanna* who **taught** the *mishnayot* in tractate ***Middot***? It is **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov,** who has a different opinion with regard to this matter.


###### Yoma 16a:2
[Yoma 16a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:2)

דִּתְנַן: עֶזְרַת נָשִׁים הָיְתָה אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רוֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ, וְאַרְבַּע לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ בְּאַרְבַּע מִקְצוֹעוֹתֶיהָ, וּמֶה הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת? דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית — הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הַנְּזִירִים, שֶׁשָּׁם נְזִירִים מְבַשְּׁלִים אֶת שַׁלְמֵיהֶן וּמְגַלְּחִין שְׂעָרָן וּמְשַׁלְּחִין תַּחַת הַדּוּד. מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית — הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת דִּיר הָעֵצִים, שֶׁשָּׁם כֹּהֲנִים בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין עוֹמְדִין וּמַתְלִיעִין בְּעֵצִים, שֶׁכׇּל עֵץ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ תּוֹלַעַת פָּסוּל לְגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**As we learned** in a mishna in tractate *Middot*: The dimensions of the **women’s courtyard were a length of 135** cubits **by a width of 135** cubits, **and there were four chambers in its four corners. And what** purpose did these chambers **serve?** The **southeast** chamber **was the Chamber of the Nazirites, as there the nazirites cook their peace-offerings and shave their hair and cast** it in the fire to burn **beneath the pot** in which the peace-offering was cooked, as the Torah instructs (see Numbers 6:18). The **northeast** chamber **was the Chamber of the Woodshed, where blemished priests,** who are disqualified for any other service, **stand and examine the logs** to determine if they were infested **by worms, as any log in which there are worms is disqualified for** use **on the altar.**


###### Yoma 16a:3
[Yoma 16a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:3)

צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית — הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הַמְצוֹרָעִין. מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית, אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב: שָׁכַחְתִּי מֶה הָיְתָה מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר: בָּהּ הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין יַיִן וָשֶׁמֶן, וְהִיא הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת ״לִשְׁכַּת בֵּית שְׁמָנַיָּא״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The **northwest** chamber **was the Chamber of the Lepers,** where lepers would immerse for purification. With regard to the **southwest** chamber, **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov said: I forgot what** purpose it **would serve. Abba Shaul says: They would place wine and oil there** for the meal-offerings and libations, **and it was called the Chamber of the House of Oils.** From this mishna it may be inferred that the *tanna* who taught the *mishnayot* in tractate *Middot* is Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov, as that is why the mishna finds it necessary to mention that he forgot the purpose of one of the chambers.


###### Yoma 16a:4
[Yoma 16a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:4)

הָכִי נָמֵי מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב הִיא, דִּתְנַן: כׇּל הַכְּתָלִים שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם הָיוּ גְּבוֹהִין, חוּץ מִכּוֹתֶל מִזְרָחִי, שֶׁהַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף אֶת הַפָּרָה עוֹמֵד בְּהַר הַמִּשְׁחָה וּמְכַוֵּון וְרוֹאֶה כְּנֶגֶד פִּתְחוֹ שֶׁל הֵיכָל בִּשְׁעַת הַזָּאַת הַדָּם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**So too, it is reasonable** to conclude that the *mishnayot* in tractate *Middot* are in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov, as we learned** in a mishna there: **All the walls that were there** surrounding the Temple Mount **were high except for the Eastern Wall, as the priest who burns the** red **heifer stands on the Mount of Olives,** where the red heifer was slaughtered and burned, **and directs** his attention **and looks toward the entrance of the Sanctuary when** he **sprinkles the blood.**


###### Yoma 16a:5
[Yoma 16a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:5)

וּתְנַן: כׇּל הַפְּתָחִים שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם גּוֹבְהָן עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה וְרוֹחְבָּן עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת. וּתְנַן: לִפְנִים מִמֶּנּוּ סוֹרֵג. וּתְנַן: לִפְנִים מִמֶּנּוּ הַחֵיל עֶשֶׂר אַמּוֹת, וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, רוּם מַעֲלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁילְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara seeks the opinion according to which this would be feasible. **And we learned** in a mishna: **All the entrances that were there** in the Temple were **twenty cubits high and ten cubits wide. And we learned** in a different mishna describing the layout of the Temple: **Inside** the eastern wall of the Temple Mount was **a latticed gate. And we learned** in a different mishna: **Inside** the latticed gate was **the rampart,** which was an elevated area **ten cubits** wide. In that area **there were twelve stairs;** each **stair** was **half a cubit high and half a cubit deep,** for a total ascent of six cubits.


###### Yoma 16a:6
[Yoma 16a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:6)

חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת עוֹלוֹת מִתּוֹכָהּ, הַיּוֹרְדוֹת מֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים, רוּם מַעֲלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁילְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה. וּתְנַן: בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמָּה, וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, רוּם מַעֲלָה חֲצִי אַמָּה וְשִׁילְחָהּ חֲצִי אַמָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
In addition, **fifteen stairs ascend from within** the women’s courtyard and **descend from the Israelite courtyard to the women’s courtyard.** Each **stair** was **half a cubit high and half a cubit deep,** for an additional ascent of seven and a half cubits. The total height of both staircases together was thirteen and a half cubits. **And we learned** in that mishna: The area **between the Entrance Hall and the altar** was **twenty-two cubits** wide, **and there were twelve stairs** in that area. Each **stair** was **half a cubit high and half a cubit deep,** for an additional ascent of six cubits and a total height of nineteen and a half cubits.


###### Yoma 16a:7
[Yoma 16a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:7)

וּתְנַן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: מַעֲלָה הָיְתָה שָׁם וּגְבוֹהָ אַמָּה, וְדוּכָן נָתוּן עָלֶיהָ, וּבוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ מַעֲלוֹת שֶׁל חֲצִי חֲצִי אַמָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And we learned** in that mishna that **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: There was** an additional **stair there** between the Israelite courtyard and the priests’ courtyard. That stair was **one cubit high, and the platform** on which the Levites stood **was placed upon it and on it** were **three stairs, each** with a height and depth of **half a cubit,** for a total of twenty-two cubits.


###### Yoma 16a:8
[Yoma 16a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:8)

אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב הִיא — הַיְינוּ דְּאִיכַּסִּי לֵיהּ פִּיתְחָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Granted, if you say** that the *mishnayot* in tractate *Middot* are in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov, that is** how it can be understood that **the entrance was concealed.** The threshold of the entrance to the Sanctuary was more than twenty cubits higher than the threshold of the eastern gate of the Temple Mount. One looking through the Eastern Gate would be unable to see the entrance of the Sanctuary, because the gate was only twenty cubits high. In order to provide the priest performing the red heifer ritual on the Mount of Olives with a view of the entrance to the Sanctuary, the eastern wall had to be lowered.


###### Yoma 16a:9
[Yoma 16a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:9)

אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ רַבָּנַן, הָא אִיכָּא פַּלְגָא דְאַמְּתָא דְּמִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ פִּיתְחָא בְּגַוֵּויהּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**However, if you say** that the *mishnayot* in tractate *Middot* are in accordance with the opinion of **the Rabbis,** who do not add the two and a half cubits of the stair and the platform added by Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov, **isn’t there half a cubit through which the entrance can be seen?** Since the threshold of the Sanctuary is only nineteen and a half cubits higher than the threshold of the gate, the priest on the Mount of Olives could look through the eastern gate of the Temple Mount and see the bottom of the Temple entrance. There would be no need to lower the eastern wall.


###### Yoma 16a:10
[Yoma 16a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/16a:10)

אֶלָּא לָאו שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב הִיא. רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה אָמַר: הָא מַנִּי — רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הִיא. דְּתַנְיָא: רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְמוּצָּע וְעוֹמֵד בְּאֶמְצַע עֲזָרָה, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמּוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather,** must one **not conclude from it** that that the *mishnayot* in tractate *Middot* are taught by **Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov? Rav Adda bar Ahava said:** This is not a definitive proof, and it is still possible to interpret *halakhot* of this tractate in a different manner. **Rather, whose is that** opinion that the Eastern Wall was lowered? **It is** the opinion of **Rabbi Yehuda, as it was taught** in a *baraita* that **Rabbi Yehuda says: The altar is centered and stands in the middle of** the Temple **courtyard,** directly aligned with the entrances of the courtyards and the Sanctuary, and **it was thirty-two cubits** long and thirty-two cubits wide.