Siman - Yoma Daf 52
- אמה טרקסין was neither in the Kodesh or in the Kodesh Hakedoshim
Rebbe Nassan said, אמה טרקסין לא הכריעו בו חכמים אי כלפנים אי כלחוץ – Regarding the amah-thick dividing wall, the Chochomim could not determine whether it was like the Kodesh Hakedoshim within, or like the Kodesh without. Ravina objected to this, saying that perhaps the wall was neither within either area, and he brings the following proof that wherever the spaces occupied by the Temple walls are counted, the אמה טרקסין is counted separately from the Kodesh Hakedoshim and the Kodesh. It was taught in a Mishnah in Middos, ההיכל מאה על מאה ברום מאה – The Heichal was one hundred amos by one hundred amos, with a height of a hundred amos. The Mishnah then precedes to give the measurements of the walls and the spaces within the Heichal, and the אמה טרקסין is counted separately from the forty-amah space of the Heichal and the twenty-amah space of the Kodesh HaKedoshim. The Gemara concedes and explains that the Rabbanon’s doubt was whether it had the kedushah of the Kodesh Hakedoshim or that of the Kodesh.
- חמש מקראות בתורה אין להן הכרע
It was taught in a Baraisa, that Isi ben Yehudah said, חמש מקראות בתורה אין להן הכרע – There are five pasukim in the Torah, whose grammatical structure cannot be determined. Each passuk contains a phrase that can be linked to either an earlier clause or a later clause. These phrases are 1. שאת, from Hashem’s warning to Kayin. It can either be read as “forgiven” when connected to the earlier phrase, or as “you shall bear your sin” when read with the latter part of the passuk. 2. משקדים – Engraved like almonds, referring to the Menorah. It can be applied to the cups mentioned beforehand, or to the knobs and flowers mentioned afterwards. 3. מחר – Tomorrow, mentioned by Moshe to Yehoshua regarding the war with Amalek. If connected to the earlier phrase it means to fight the war tomorrow. When connected to the latter phrase it means fight the war today, and tomorrow I will stand on the hill and pray. Today you do not need my tefillos. 4. ארור – Accursed, mentioned in Yaakov’s berachah to Shimon and Levi . It is not clear if accursed is going on their rage which is mentioned after it or it refers to Shechem who was alluded to in the previous passuk. 5. וקם – But will rise up, mentioned in Hashem’s message to Moshe near the end of Moshe’s life. It can be read with the beginning of the passuk, to teach that Moshe will lie with the avos and then rise and be resurrected, or with the latter part of the passuk, referring to the Jewish people rising up and straying after other gods.
- What Yoshiyahu hid away
The next Mishnah described how the Kohen Gadol walked between the two curtains from south to north, and then when he reached the north, he entered the space of the Kodesh Hakedoshim, and walked southward עד שהוא מגיע לארון – until he reached the poles of the aron. נותן את המחתה בין שני הבדים – He placed the shovel full of coals between the two poles. The Gemara wonders which Beis Hamikdash is described in the Mishnah. In Bayis Rishon, the Kodesh Hakedoshim and the Kodesh were divided by a stone wall. It cannot be referring to Bayis Sheini for a Baraisa taught that Yoshiyahu hid the aron along with the צנצנת המן - the jar of man, the flask of shemen hamishcha, Aharon’s staff that blossomed, and the box that the Plishtim sent as a present. The Gemara answers that the Mishnah is referring to Bayis Sheini, and the Mishnah means that the Kohen Gadol placed the shovel full of coals in the place of the aron where the polls would have been.
