Talmud for Middot 2:5

עֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים הָיְתָה אֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וּשְׁלשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ עַל רֹחַב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ. וְאַרְבַּע לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ בְאַרְבַּע מִקְצוֹעוֹתֶיהָ, שֶׁל אַרְבָּעִים אַרְבָּעִים אַמָּה. וְלֹא הָיוּ מְקוֹרוֹת. וְכָךְ הֵם עֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל מו), וַיּוֹצִיאֵנִי אֶל הֶחָצֵר הַחִיצוֹנָה וַיַּעֲבִירֵנִי אֶל אַרְבַּעַת מִקְצוֹעֵי הֶחָצֵר וְהִנֵּה חָצֵר בְּמִקְצֹעַ הֶחָצֵר, חָצֵר בְּמִקְצֹעַ הֶחָצֵר, בְּאַרְבַּעַת מִקְצֹעוֹת הֶחָצֵר חֲצֵרוֹת קְטֻרוֹת. וְאֵין קְטֻרוֹת אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינָן מְקוֹרוֹת. וּמֶה הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּשׁוֹת. דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הַנְּזִירִים, שֶׁשָּׁם הַנְּזִירִים מְבַשְּׁלִין אֶת שַׁלְמֵיהֶן, וּמְגַלְּחִין אֶת שְׂעָרָן, וּמְשַׁלְּחִים תַּחַת הַדּוּד. מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת הָעֵצִים, שֶׁשָּׁם הַכֹּהֲנִים בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִין מַתְלִיעִין הָעֵצִים. וְכָל עֵץ שֶׁנִּמְצָא בוֹ תוֹלַעַת, פָּסוּל מֵעַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, הִיא הָיְתָה לִשְׁכַּת מְצֹרָעִים. מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית, אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב, שָׁכַחְתִּי מֶה הָיְתָה מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, שָׁם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין יַיִן וָשֶׁמֶן, הִיא הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת לִשְׁכַּת בֵּית שְׁמַנְיָה. וַחֲלָקָה הָיְתָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, וְהִקִּיפוּהָ כְצוֹצְרָה, שֶׁהַנָּשִׁים רוֹאוֹת מִלְמַעְלָן, וְהָאֲנָשִׁים מִלְּמַטָּן, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מְעֹרָבִין. וַחֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת עוֹלוֹת מִתּוֹכָהּ לְעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּנֶגֶד חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּהִלִּים, שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶן הַלְוִיִּם אוֹמְרִים בַּשִּׁיר. לֹא הָיוּ טְרוּטוֹת, אֶלָּא מֻקָּפוֹת כַּחֲצִי גֹרֶן עֲגֻלָּה:

The Woman's Courtyard was one hundred and thirty five [ amah] by thirty five [ amah]. And there were four chambers in its four corners each forty amot [long] and they did not have a roof. And this is the way they will be in the future [in the Third Temple], as is stated "And he took me to the outer Courtyard and passed me around the four corners of the Courtyard, and an enclosure in the corner of the Courtyard etc. And at the four corners of the Courtyard were enclosures that were keturot.(Ezekiel 46:21-22). The word keturot means nothing but without roofs. And what were these chambers used for? In the southeastern corner was the chamber of the Nezirim where the Nezirim would cook their peace offerings, shave their heads, and throw [the hair] underneath the pot. The Northeastern chamber was the chamber of the wood, where the Kohanim who were [physically] blemished would check the wood [to be used on the alter] for worms. Any piece of wood containing a worm was unfit for use on the alter. In the Northwestern corner was the chamber of the lepers. The Southwestern corner, Rabbi Eliezer son of Yaakov said "I forgot what it was used for." Abba Shaul said it was used to store the wine and oil. It was called the Chamber of the House of Oil. [The wall around the Women's Courtyard] was originally smooth [with no protrusions from it] but later a balcony was built around it, so that the women could watch from above with the men from below so they would not intermingle. There were fifteen steps going up [from the Women's Courtyard] to the Courtyard of the Israelites, equivalent to the fifteen songs of Ascent in psalms, and upon them the Levites would sing their songs. They [the fifteen steps] were not straight but rounded like a semi circular threshing floor.

Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah

⁴⁹Babli 51b/52a.“And instituted there a great alteration.” What alteration did they make there? They caused the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, following what we have stated there⁵⁰Mishnah Middot 2:5.: “Originally it⁵¹The wall of the women’s courtyard. was smooth but they surrounded it with ledges standing out⁵²Greek ʼεξωστήρ “what is standing out”, beams standing out from the wall which for the water-drawing festivities could be covered with planks to create a balcony for the women. This dates the (pharisaic) festivities clearly at a date later than the return from Babylon. that the women could see from above and the men below, so they should not be mixed. From where did they learn? From the words of the Torah: The Land will be lamenting, all families separately⁵³Sach. 12:12(-14). The essence of the proof is from the part of the verses not quoted in the text, ending with v. 14: each family separately and their women separately.. Two Amoraim, one said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, but the other one said, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations⁵⁴According to the Babli, the Messiah referred to here is the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph who will be killed in the war of Gog (Ez. 39). When evil inclinations will be abolished, it will appear to the just ones like a big mountain and they will cry because they could not believe they overcame such a big obstacle, but to the sinners it will appear as a small lump and they will cry for they could not overcome such a little obstacle.. He who said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, if at the moment they are mourning you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when they are merry not so much more? He who says, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations, if there are no evil inclinations you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when evil inclinations exist not so much more!

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Jerusalem Talmud Taanit

HALAKHAH: ³⁹¹Babli 30b. One understands the Day of Atonement which is atonement for all of Israel. ³⁹²Babli 30b,31a; Bava batra 121a. Why on the Fifteenth of Av? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa: For this is the good time to cut wood, because any wood cut on this day does not develop worms; as we have stated there, “any wood containing a worm is disqualified from the altar.³⁹³Mishnah Middot 2:5. In the Babli the reason is given that this is the last day on which wood for the altar may be cut before the rainy season.” Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav, because on it Hoshea ben Ela abolished the guards which Jeroboam ben Nabath posted on the roads³⁹⁴To prohibit pilgrimages to Jerusalem.. Cahana asked [Rav]. He did all this good deed and it is written about him³⁹⁵2K. 17:3., against him came Salmanessar the king of Assyria? He answered him, because he removed the collar from his neck and hung it on the community’s neck. He did not say, all the people should go on pilgrimage, but, any one who wants to go may go. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac, but some say in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: On it the tribes were permitted to intermarry. As it is written³⁹⁶Num. 36:7., family heritage should not be transferred from tribe to tribe; but the Children of Israel shall stick everyone to the family heritage of his forefathers, etc. And it is written³⁹⁷Num. 36:8., any daughter inheriting family heritage in the tribes of the Children of Israel, etc. How is it possible for a daughter to inherit from two tribes? Explain it if her father was from one tribe and her mother from another tribe³⁹⁸According to the Babli, a later generation read Num. 36 to apply only to the daughters of Salpaad and their contemporaries.. But the Rabbis say, on it the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to intermarry, as it is written³⁹⁹Jud. 21:18., cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin. They read a verse and included him; they read a verse and excluded him. They read a verse and included him⁴⁰⁰Gen. 48:5., Ephraim and Manasse shall be to me like Reuben and Simeon. They read a verse and excluded him, a people and community of peoples shall be from you and kings will come from your loins⁴⁰¹Gen. 35:11.
In the explanations, the terms “included” and “excluded” have to be switched. The text follows the usual pattern, that if possibilities A and B are raised, B is explained before A. Since the number 12 of tribe cannot be changed, either Joseph is counted as one tribe and Benjamin is included (35:11), or Ephraim and Manasse are counted as full tribes, there seems to be no place for Benjamin. This logic is not followed by the Babli., and Benjamin was not yet born. ⁴⁰²Thr. rabba, Introduction (33). Rebbi Abun said, digging stopped on it, as Rebbi Levi said, on every eve of the Ninth of Av, Moses had a declaration published in all the encampment and said, go out for digging, go out for digging. They went out, dug graves for themselves, and slept. In the morning they were getting up and found themselves missing 15’000 and detail⁴⁰³If always the same number died on the Ninth of Av and nobody during the year, the number would be 600’000:38 = 15’789.47.. In the last year they did that, got up, and found themselves whole. They said, maybe we erred in the computation. The same on the Tenth, the Eleventh, the Twelfth, the Thirteenth, and the Fifteenth. Since the moon was full they said, it seems that The Holy One, praise to Him, vacated this hard judgment against us. They got up and made a holiday.

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