QUESTIONS: The Gemara attempts to answer a contradiction between the Mishnah
in Midos (1:6) and the Mishnah in Tamid (3:3) concerning the location of the
Lishkas ha'Tela'im. The Gemara suggests that the Mishnah in Midos is the
opinion of Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov, for we find elsewhere that he is the
Tana of a Mishnah in Midos (2:5).
The Gemara attempts to bring additional proof that the Mishnah in Midos is
Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov by showing that another Mishnah in Midos (2:4) is
based on his opinion. That Mishnah says that the Eastern Gate to Har
ha'Bayis was lower than the other walls, because the Kohen standing on Har
ha'Mishchah burning the Parah Adumah there would have to see the entranceway
to the Heichal. If the wall on top of the Eastern Gate was as high as all of
the others, he would not be able to see the entranceway to the Heichal from
his vantage point, since the ascents on Har ha'Bayis, blocked the view
through the Eastern Gate to the Heichal. Instead, the wall *above* the
Eastern Gate was made lower, so that he could see the entranceway to the
Heichal above the gate (and not through its opening). That Mishnah -- which
says that it was not possible to see the Heichal's entranceway through the
Eastern Gate -- makes sense only according to the opinion of Rebbi Eliezer
ben Yakov, who holds (Midos 2:6) that there was an additional ascent in the
Azarah which added an extra Amah to the height of the floor of the Azarah,
thereby blocking the view of the Heichal via the Eastern Gate.
Rav Ada bar Ahavah attempts to refute this proof that the Mishnayos in Midos
are the opinion of Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov. He offers an alternate
explanation why the Kohen could not see into the Heichal from Har
ha'Mishchah, even if there was no extra Amah. He says that perhaps the
Mishnah in Midos (2:4) is in accordance with *Rebbi Yehudah*, who says that
the Mizbe'ach stood in the center of the Azarah and thereby blocked the
Heichal's entrance from being seen by the Kohen standing on Har ha'Mishchah
peering through the Eastern Gate.
The Gemara says that this is not a valid explanation, because the Mishnah in
Midos (5:1) implies that the Mizbe'ach was *not* in the middle of the
Azarah, but it was to the south. Consequently, the Gemara's proof (that
since Midos 2:4 is according to Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov, then all of Midos
must be according to Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov) is still valid.
RASHI (DH Ruba d'Mizbe'ach) explains that when the Gemara refutes Rav Ada
bar Ahavah's assertion that the Mishnah in Midos (2:4) could be Rebbi
Yehudah, it is not only refuting the suggestion that the Mizbe'ach was
centered in the middle of the Azarah, but it is also proving that the
Mizbe'ach was so far to the southern side of the Azarah that it did not
block the Kohen's view of [part of] the Heichal's entranceway when peering
from Har ha'Mishchah. Consequently, there must have been some other object
or ascent blocking his view, which is true only according to Rebbi Eliezer
ben Yakov. In other words, the Gemara is not only proving that the Mishnah
in Midos (2:4) cannot be Rebbi Yehudah, but it is also proving that it
cannot be *any* Tana other than Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov.
Rashi explains this in the follow ways.
(1) First, Rashi says that when the Mishnah in Midos (5:1) accounts for what
took up the 135-Amah-width of the Azarah (see Chart #3), it leaves 25 Amos
unaccounted for. Some of these 25 Amos comprised the area of the Shulchanos
and the Nanasim, and the remaining Amos comprised the area between the
southern wall of the Azarah and the ramp of the Mizbe'ach. Since it does not
specify how many Amos were in each of those areas, we must assume, says
Rashi, that they were split evenly. However, we must first deduct 4 Amos for the area of the Shulchanos (the minimum possible space that they take up --
see Rashash), says Rashi, leaving us with 21 Amos to divide evenly between
the Nanasim and the area south of the ramp, such that 10.5 Amos were between
the southern wall and the ramp, and 10.5 comprised the area of the
Shulchanos and Nanasim. Accordingly, the northern side of the Mizbe'ach
reached to 5 Amos passed the center point of the width of the Azarah.
Therefore, the Kohen on Har ha'Mishchah would be able to see a part of the
Heichal's entranceway beyond the Mizbe'ach, by peering on the northern side
of the Mizbe'ach where the Mizbe'ach was recessed inwards two Amos, above
the recession of the Yesod and the Sovev.
Rashi then questions this explanation and says that if the Mishnah does not
specify how much space the Shulchanos took up, why should we assume that
they took up 4 Amos? Perhaps they were included in the space of the Nanasim
and took up no additional space from the width of the Azarah! If so, we
would divide the unaccounted-for 25 Amos evenly, such that 12.5 (instead of
10.5) comprised the area between the southern wall and the ramp, and 12.5
comprised the area of the Nanasim. Accordingly, the northern side of the
Mizbe'ach extended *7* Amos passed the center point of the width of the
Azarah, such that the Mizbe'ach *completely* covered the entranceway to the
Heichal (which extended only *5* Amos passed the center point), even taking
into account the 2-Amah recession above the midpoint of the Mizbe'ach due to
the Yesod and the Sovev. If so, the Mishnah in Midos (2:4) could be true
even *without being* Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov, for even without an additional
Amah-high ascent in the Azarah, the Heichal's entranceway was blocked from
the Kohen's view by the Mizbe'ach!
Finally, Rashi tells us the explanation of Rabeinu Yitzchak ben Yehudah
("Moreh Tzedek" -- the word *Mori* in our editions should be corrected to
*Moreh*). He explains that since the Mishnah does not specify how these
extra 25 Amos were used, we can assume that 12 (instead of 12.5) were
between the southern wall and the ramp, and 13 (instead of 12.5) comprised
the area of the Nanasim. If so, although the Mizbe'ach covered almost all of
the Kohen's view of the Heichal's entranceway, it left a small space of half
an Amah in width through which he could see the Heichal's entranceway! It
must be, then, that the Mishnah in Midos (2:4) is indeed Rebbi Eliezer ben
Yakov.
There are a number of questions with Rashi's explanation here.
(a) According to both Rashi's explanation and the Moreh Tzedek's
explanation, we assume that when there is an unspecified amount to be
distributed to two places (to the south of the ramp and to the area of the
Nanasim), we divide it evenly. If so, how do they explain the very next line
of the Gemara, "Shema Minah Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov Hi?" Rebbi Eliezer ben
Yakov says (Zevachim 59a, and Yoma 37a) that the Mizbe'ach was *only* in the
southern part of the Azarah (that is, the northern side of the Mizbe'ach
came to the center point of the Azarah and not passed it), leaving a good 5
Amos of space through which the Kohen could see the entranceway to the
Heichal. But the only way to have the Mizbe'ach completely in the south is
if the 25 unaccounted-for Amos are divided *unevenly* (Rashi 17a, DH Ela
Lav)! Why does Rashi use the assumption that the 25 Amos must be divided
evenly if following that assumption will mean that the Mishnah *cannot* be
according to Rebbi Elazar ben Yakov?
(b) Rashi writes that he is not satisfied with the first explanation,
because perhaps the space of the Shulchanos is grouped together with that of
the Nanasim. But he also rejects the Moreh Tzedek's explanation, because he
does not like the idea of an uneven split of the unaccounted-for Amos. Rashi
concludes by saying, "The best explanation, therefore, is the one that I
explained [above]." To which explanation is he referring? He obviously is
not referring to the two explanations that he rejected. The only other
explanation that he gave, though (12.5 Amos of space to the south of the
ramp of the Mizbe'ach), does not accomplish the Gemara's goal of proving
that the Mishnah in Midos is Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov, since according to
that explanation the Mizbe'ach indeed blocks the Heichal entranceway! Which,
then, is Rashi's preferred explanation?
(c) Rashi later (17a, DH Ela Lav) writes that the Mizbe'ach reached 7 Amos
north of the center of the width of the Azarah. That does not fit with his
own explanation (that it reach 5 Amos north of center) or with the Moreh
Tzedek's explanation (6.5 Amos north of center). The other explanation (12.5
Amos of space to the south of the ramp of the Mizbe'ach) indeed pushes the
northern edge of the Mizbe'ach 7 Amos north of the center of the Azarah, but
it does not accomplish the Gemara's goal of proving that the Mishnah in
Midos is Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov. Where, then, does he get 7 Amos?
(MAHARSHA)
ANSWERS:
(a) The explanations that Rashi gives here are learning that the Gemara is
*not* proving that the Mishnah in Midos (5:1) regarding the layout of the
Azarah was taught by Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov. Rather, the Gemara is merely
disproving that it is expressing Rebbi Yehudah's opinion regarding the
whereabouts of the Mizbe'ach. Another Mishnah in Midos (2:4) *will* follow
another opinion of Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov's, regarding the extra Amah
ascent in the Azarah, and this is what the Gemara means that the Mishnah is
Rebbi Elazar ben Yakov. As far as where the Mizbe'ach was located, though,
it follows a third opinion, neither Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov nor Rebbi
Yehudah, that puts the northern edge of the Mizbe'ach 5 or 6.5 Amos north of
the center of the Azarah. The Gemara is just trying to prove that the
Mizbe'ach did not block the Heichal's entranceway. This answers the first
question.
(b) Rashi himself prefers neither of the two explanations which he
questions. Rather, he prefers the middle explanation, even though according
to that explanation, it cannot be proven that the Mizbe'ach did not block
the Heichal's entranceway.
How can Rashi prefer that explanation? Perhaps the Mizbe'ach indeed blocked
the Kohen's view of the Heichal's entranceway and thus he could not see it
from the Har ha'Mishchah! Rashi answers this question later on (top of 17a)
by explaining that the Mishnah *certainly* cannot be Rebbi Yehudah, who says
that the Mizbe'ach was in the center of the Azarah, because that would leave
only 3.5 Amos for the area of the Shulchanos and Nanasim and they certainly
took up more space than that. Why does the Gemara conclude that the Mishnah
follows Rebbi Elazar ben Yakov, then (who holds that the Mizbe'ach was
entirely in the south), and not a third opinion? Rashi seems to learn like
TOSFOS (DH Ruba), who says that the Gemara is only accepting the possibility
of *two* opinions: the Mizbe'ach is either exactly in the center, or
completely in the south, and there is no opinion that says it was in-between
those two locations.
(c) This also answers the third question, why Rashi says (17a) that the
Mizbe'ach was 7 Amos to the north of center. Rashi, having rejected the
first explanation and that of the Moreh Tzedek, also retracts his assertion
that the 25 extra Amos must be divided evenly. Therefore, the Mishnah is
indeed Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov, as we have explained. However, he notes that
*had* we remained with the assertion that the extra Amos must be divided
evenly, then there will be 12.5 Amos between the southern wall and the ramp,
pushing the Mizbe'ach *7* Amos north of center.