If there were 10 Shulchanot & 10 Menorot - then according to all opinions - then presumably the Cohen Gadol could only have walked towards the Inner Mizbeach directly from the west - ie not from the South or the North ...
Is this issue dealt with by the meforshim?
Thomas Sterling, Sydney, Austrlaia
We apologize for the delay in responding to your question.
The Gemara says that if the Shulchanos were placed length-wise from north to south, then there indeed was not room for the Kohen Gadol to walk from the Kodesh Kadoshim to the Mizbe'ach on the north side of the Heichal. The Gemara says further that he did not approach the Mizbe'ach by walking on the far south side (between the wall of the Heichal and the Menorah), in order to avoid blackening his Bigdei Kehunah.
Y. Shaw