מדות א׳Middot 1

Perek 1 of 5 in Middot — 9 mishnayot

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Mishnah 1א׳

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:

In three places the Kohanim stood guard in the Temple: in the Chamber of Avtinas, in the Chamber of Nitsots [sparks] and in the Chamber of Fire. The Levites would [guard] in twenty one places: five [Levites] on the five gates of the Temple Mount, four [Levites] on the four corners [of the Temple Mount walls] from the inside, five [Levites] , on the five gates of the courtyard, four [Levites] on the four corners [of the courtyard] from the outside, one in the Chamber of the Sacrifices, one in the Chamber of the Curtain, and one behind in the Chamber of the Cover [the holy of holies].

Mishnah 2ב׳

אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת הָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל כָּל מִשְׁמָר וּמִשְׁמָר, וַאֲבוּקוֹת דּוֹלְקִין לְפָנָיו, וְכָל מִשְׁמָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד, אוֹמֵר לוֹ אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת, שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ. נִכָּר שֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן, חוֹבְטוֹ בְמַקְלוֹ. וּרְשׁוּת הָיָה לוֹ לִשְׂרֹף אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ. וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים, מַה קּוֹל בָּעֲזָרָה. קוֹל בֶּן לֵוִי לוֹקֶה וּבְגָדָיו נִשְׂרָפִין, שֶׁיָּשֵׁן לוֹ עַל מִשְׁמָרוֹ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, פַּעַם אַחַת מָצְאוּ אֶת אֲחִי אִמָּא יָשֵׁן, וְשָׂרְפוּ אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ:

The man [who is in charge] of the Temple Mount would go around to each and every guard. In front of him there were lit torches and any guard who was not standing [on guard], the man of the Temple Mount would say to him [the sleeping guard] "Peace onto you." If it was apparent that he [the guard] was sleeping he would hit him with his stick. He even had permission to burn his [the sleeping guard's] clothes. [If that occurred] they [the people on the outsde] would say "What is that noise in the Temple Courtyard?" [They were told that] it is the voice of a Levi being beaten and whose clothes are being burned because he slept on guard duty. Rebbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: "They once, found my mother's brother sleeping and they burned his cloak."

Mishnah 3ג׳

חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁעָרִים הָיוּ לְהַר הַבַּיִת. שְׁנֵי שַׁעֲרֵי חֻלְדָּה מִן הַדָּרוֹם, מְשַׁמְּשִׁין כְּנִיסָה וִיצִיאָה. קִיפוֹנוֹס מִן הַמַּעֲרָב, מְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּנִיסָה וִיצִיאָה. טָדִי מִן הַצָּפוֹן, לֹא הָיָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּלוּם. שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָחִי, עָלָיו שׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה צוּרָה, שֶׁבּוֹ כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל הַשּׂוֹרֵף אֶת הַפָּרָה וּפָרָה וְכָל מְסַעֲדֶיהָ יוֹצְאִים לְהַר הַמִּשְׁחָה:

There were five gates to the Temple Mount. [The] two Chulda gates in the south, used as entrance and as an exit. Kiponos in the west, used as an entrance and an exit. Tadi in the north, was not used at all. The Eastern Gate, was decorated with Shushan the capital [of Persia], and through it [the gate] the Kohen Gadol would burn the [red] heifer [for the purification ritual] and all those attending to it would exit to the Mount of Anointing [Mount of Olives].

Mishnah 4ד׳

שִׁבְעָה שְׁעָרִים הָיוּ בָעֲזָרָה, שְׁלשָׁה בַצָּפוֹן וּשְׁלשָׁה בַדָּרוֹם וְאֶחָד בַּמִּזְרָח. שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם, שַׁעַר הַדֶּלֶק. שֵׁנִי לוֹ, שַׁעַר הַבְּכוֹרוֹת. שְׁלִישִׁי לוֹ, שַׁעַר הַמָּיִם. שֶׁבַּמִּזְרָח, שַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר, וּשְׁתֵּי לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ, אַחַת מִימִינוֹ וְאַחַת מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ, אַחַת לִשְׁכַּת פִּנְחָס הַמַּלְבִּישׁ, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת עוֹשֵׂי חֲבִתִּין:

There were seven gates in the Temple Courtyard. Three to the north and three to the south and one to the east. In the south was the Fuel Gate [the wood for the altar was bought in through there]. Second to it was the Gate of the Sacrifice. Third to it was the Water Gate. In the east was the Nikanor gate, and it had two chambers, one on its right and one on its left. One was the chamber of Pinchas the Outfitter, and one was the Chamber of the Makers of the Chavitin [for the Kohen Gadol's daily offering].

…and 5 more mishnayot in this perek.

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Mishnah, Torat Emet 357 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0