Комментарий к Мидот 1:1
בִּשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹמְרִים בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, בְּבֵית אַבְטִינָס, וּבְבֵית הַנִּיצוֹץ, וּבְבֵית הַמּוֹקֵד. וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד מָקוֹם. חֲמִשָּׁה, עַל חֲמִשָּׁה שַׁעֲרֵי הַר הַבַּיִת. אַרְבָּעָה, עַל אַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹתָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ. חֲמִשָּׁה, עַל חֲמִשָּׁה שַׁעֲרֵי הָעֲזָרָה. אַרְבָּעָה, עַל אַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹתֶיהָ מִבַּחוּץ. וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַקָּרְבָּן, וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַפָּרֹכֶת, וְאֶחָד לַאֲחוֹרֵי בֵית הַכַּפֹּרֶת:
В трех местах коанимы стояли на страже в Храме: в камере Автинаса, в камере Ницоца [искр] и в камере огня. Левиты [охраняли] в двадцати одном месте: пять [левитов] на пяти воротах Храмовой горы, четыре [левиты] на четырех углах [стен Храмовой горы] изнутри, пять [левитов] на пять ворот двора, четыре [левиты] по четырем углам [двора] снаружи, один в зале жертвоприношений, один в зале занавеса и один сзади в камере покрова [ святая святых].
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
בשלשה מקומות הכהנים שומרים – not because of fear of robbers and/or thieves, but that of the honor and splendor for the Temple, that it should not be without guards, and this guarding, its commandment is the entire night. And these three places that the Kohanim guard correspond to what is written in the Torah (Numbers 3:38): “Those who were to camp before the Tabernacle, in front – [before the Tent of Meeting, on the east – were Moses and Aaron and his sons,] attending to the duties of the sanctuary, as a duty on behalf of the Israelites,” as a hint to three watches in three places. For just as that in the Tabernacle, Aaron and his two sons were guarding in three places, even so in the Temple as well.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Middot
Introduction
Tractate Middot opens with the same exact line as did Tamid a list of where the priests kept watch all night. However, the interest of the two tractates is a bit different. Middot is interested in the watch itself, whereas Tamid was more interested in locating the priests before their daily work began.
The beginning of Numbers 18 states that the priests and Levites are to stand guard at the Tabernacle, an idea that was later applied to the Temple as well. It seems that this guarding could serve two functions: practical and ceremonial. The Temple is akin to a palace and a palace needs guard both for protection and protocol (think about the guards in front of Buckingham Palace). The idea that there were a total of twenty-four places in the Temple where either priests or Levites would stand guard is mentioned also in I Chronicles 26:17-18.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
בית אבטינס ובית הניצוץ – two upper chambers were built on the side of the gates of the Temple courtyard, but the House of the Hearth was not upon it, but rather an arch , ARKVELT in the foreign tongue, which was made in the land, such was explained at the beginning of the Tractate Tamid (1:1).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Middot
In three places the priests keep watch in the Temple: in the chamber of Avtinas, in the chamber of the spark, and in the fire chamber. There were three places in the Temple where the priests would keep watch at night: The chamber of Avtinas, where they would prepare the incense. The chamber of the spark, where they kept the fire to light the fires on the altars. The fire chamber where they kept a large fire to keep the priests warm at night.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
והלוים בעשרים ואחד מקום – that in twenty-four places they would need to guard the Temple, as it is written in [First] Chronicles [26:17-18): “At the east – six Levites; at the north – four daily; at the south – four daily; at the vestibule – two by two; at the colonnade on the west – four at the causeway and two at the colonnade,” that makes here twenty-four divisions of duty/watches, three of them were Kohanim as we stated in the opening clause [of the Mishnah], and twenty-one of them were Levites. But even though that Scripture did not state anything other than Levites, Kohanim are also called Levites , as it is written (Ezekiel 44:15): “But the Levitical priests descended from Zadok [who maintained the service of My Sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from Me – they shall approach Me to minister to Me.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Middot
And the Levites in twenty-one places: Five at the five gates of the Temple Mount; Four at its four corners on the inside; Five at five of the gates of the courtyard; Four at its four corners on the outside; One at the offering chamber; One at the chamber of the curtain, And one behind the place of the kapporet. There were twenty-one places where the Levites kept watch: A: The five gates to enter the Temple Mount. B: The four inside corners of the walls surrounding the Temple Mount. Sort of like prison guards. C: There were seven gates to the courtyard (see mishnah four) but the Levites guarded only five of them. D: At the four corners inside the walls surrounding the Temple. E: The “offering chamber” was in the burning place. We will learn more about this place in mishnah six. F: Where the curtain was kept. G: This refers to behind the Holy of Holies.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
חמשה – guards at the five gates of the Temple Mount.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
מתוכו – from inside to the walls of the Temple Mount.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
על חמשה שערי עזרה – this Tanna/teacher holds that there are only five gates for the Temple courtyards But even according to the one who states further on (see Tractate Middot, Chapter 1, Mishnah and Tractate Tamid 27a), he admits that there wasn’t a division of duty/guard other than on five [gates of the Temple courtyard – that the House of the Flame and the House of the Hearlth were watched by Kohanim or that the gates that were in the middle of the north and the south didn’t require special guarding, as they were guarded by those at the first and third gates].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Middot
על ארבע פנותיה מבחוץ – because there is no sitting in the Temple courtyard other than for only the kings of the House of David, and it was not possible for a guard to watch while standing all the night, therefore, the guards were in the corners of the Temple courtyard, and similarly, the guards in the gates of the Temple courtyard would guard from outside, in order that they would be permitted while sitting, and the Scriptural verse (First Chronicles 26:18) esd used as a support (i.e., they leaned their enactment against a Biblical text) – as it is written: “two at the colonnade,” towards the outside, meaning to say, outside the wall of the Temple courtyard.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy