Commentary for Tamid 3:7
בָּא לוֹ לַפִּשְׁפָּשׁ הַצְּפוֹנִי. וּשְׁנֵי פִשְׁפָּשִׁין הָיוּ לוֹ לַשַּׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל, אֶחָד בַּצָּפוֹן וְאֶחָד בַּדָּרוֹם. שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם לֹא נִכְנַס בּוֹ אָדָם מֵעוֹלָם, וְעָלָיו הוּא מְפֹרָשׁ עַל יְדֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל (יחזקאל מד), וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי ה', הַשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה סָגוּר יִהְיֶה לֹא יִפָּתֵחַ וְאִישׁ לֹא יָבֹא בוֹ כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא בוֹ וְהָיָה סָגוּר. נָטַל אֶת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ וּפָתַח אֶת הַפִּשְׁפָּשׁ, נִכְנַס לַתָּא, וּמִן הַתָּא אֶל הַהֵיכָל, עַד שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ לַשַּׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל. הִגִּיעַ לַשַּׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל, הֶעֱבִיר אֶת הַנֶּגֶר וְאֶת הַפּוֹתְחוֹת וּפְתָחוֹ. לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹחֵט הַשּׁוֹחֵט, עַד שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל שַׁעַר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנִּפְתָּח:
He came to the northern small opening. There were two small openings in the Great Gate, one in the north [side of the gate] and one in the south [side]. The one in the south, no one ever entered through it, and about it Yechezkel explained and said, "And the L-RD said unto me: 'This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it, for the L-RD, the G-d of Israel, hath entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut." (Ezekiel 44:2) He took the key and opened the small opening. He entered the cell and from the cell to the sanctuary until he reached the Great Gate. [When] he reached the Great Gate he removed the bolt and the locks and opened it. The one who was slaughtering [the <i>tamid</i> offering] would not slaughter until he heard the sound of the Great Gate was opened.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The great gate had two small openings, one on the north and one on the south.
No one ever went in by the openings on the south, about which it is stated explicitly in Ezekiel, “And the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it” (Ezekiel 44:2).
He took the key and opened the small opening and went in to the cell and from the cell to the Sanctuary, until he reached the great gate.
When he reached the great gate he drew back the bolt and the latches and opened it. The slaughterer did not slaughter till he heard the sound of the great gate being opened.
Section one: The priest who was to open the gates of the Sanctuary would first come to the northern opening on the outside of the great gate.
Section two: The great gate had two openings, but because of the verse in Ezekiel, the southern opening was never used.
Section three: The priest would open the northern opening (this was described at the end of yesterday’s mishnah) and then he would go in to the cell. This was a chamber which would open up into the great gate of the Sanctuary. It seems to have been within the thickness of the walls of the great gate.
Section four: The priest would then open the gate of the sanctuary, which was the sign to the priest who was to slaughter the tamid that he could proceed with the slaughtering.