1)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan defines an Amah Beinonis as - six Tefachim.

(b)Rebbi Yossi bar Avin proves this from the fact that Rebbi Meir in our Mishnah gives the measurements of the Shulchan as six by twelve Tefachim - which is equivalent to the two by one Amos prescribed by the Torah.

(c)We can extrapolate from the fact that the Tana refers to an Amah of six Tefachim as Amah Beinonis that - there must be an even larger Amah.

2)

(a)The Mishnah in Keilim refers to two 'Amos' on the north and south eastern corners of Shushan ha'Birah - a room that was built on top of the eastern gate (Sha'ar Nikanor) of the Azarah, and on whose outer wall was a picture of Shushan the capitol, from where they had come (see Tosfos Anshei Shem).

(b)These two 'Amos' were - rods of six Tefachim plus an Etzba and six Tefachim plus half an Etzba, respectively.

(c)Their function was - to prevent the workers who worked in the Beis-Hamikash, and who got paid from Hekdesh funds, from committing Me'ilah (the misappropriation of Hekdesh), by inadvertently getting paid for a larger area than the work that they actually performed.

(d)So they would measure what they were expected to build with the Amah rod of Mosheh (six Tefachim), and receive payment after measuring what they had built, using the first or the second of the two longer rods, causing them to lose a little out of their own pockets.

(e)It was necessary to have *two* such 'Amos' - the longer one for when they built in wood or stone, the shorter one for when they built in silver and gold, where the loss would otherwise be much greater.

3)

(a)Rav Chisda and Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi argue about the reason for the 'Shushan ha'Birah'. One of them explains that it was to remind them from where they came - so that they should be grateful to Koresh for allowing them to return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild the Beis-Hamikdash.

(b)The other one explains that - it was to inspire them with a fear of the realm (Eimas Malchus), to dispel any thoughts that they may have had of rebelling against Koresh (in that case, one can assume that the Shushan ha'Birah was built on the orders of Koresh, King of Persia).

(c)Rebbi Yanai learns the concept of Eimas Malchus from Moshe's words to Paroh. He derives it from the Pasuk in Bo "Veyardu Kol Avadecha Eileh eilai Vehishtachavu li ... " - where, out of respect for Paroh, Moshe deliberately avoided saying that it was Paroh himself who would later prostrate himself before him (Moshe).

(d)Rebbi Yochanan learns it from Eliyahu ha'Navi - who afforded the wicked Achav the undeserved honor of running on foot in front of his carriage until the king arrived in (the valley of) Yizre'el.

4)

(a)Rav Chisda and Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi argue over the Pasuk in Yechezkel "Ve'aleihu li'Terufah" - with regard to the fountain that will in time to come flow from the Kodesh Kodshim, turning first, into a stream, and ultimately, into a river, and on whose banks will grow fruit-trees.

(b)Chizkiyah and bar Kapara already disputed the same point. According to Chizkiyah, the leaves of those trees will cure the dumb (Lehatir Peh Ilmin). bar Kapara says that - it will cure the barren (Lehatir Peh Akaros).

(c)The source for both opinions lies - in the word "ve'Aleihah *li'Terufah*", which is the acronym of Lehatir Peh (only one learns Peh she'Lema'alah [the opening above - the mouth], and the other, Peh she'Lematah [the o0pening below - the womb]).

5)

(a)The Torah writes in Emor "Velakachta So'les Ve'afisa osam Sh'teim-Esrei Chalos Ve'samta osam Shetayim Ma'arachos, Sheish ha'Ma'araches." We would have thought, had the Pasuk ...

1. ... omitted "Sheish ha'Ma'araches" that - it is permitted to place eight loaves in one row, and four in the other.

2. ... omitted "Sh'teim-Esrei" that - they are obligated to arrange two rows of six loaves, but that they may add a third row of six, should they so wish.

3. ... written "Velakachta So'les Ve'afisa osam Sh'teim-Esrei Chalos Ve'samta osam Ma'arachos al ha'Shulchan" that - they are supposed to arrange three rows, each consisting of four loaves.

(b)It they placed two rows of seven, Rebbi rules that - they would be Yotzei, because we simply consider the top loaf in each row as if it was not there (see Tosfos DH 'Ro'in Oso').

(c)The problem with this is that - the Pasuk writes "Venasata al ha'Ma'araches Levonah Zakah" - meaning that the Levonah has to be placed in the top loaf. However, since in this case, the top loaf is not one of the six required loaves, placing it there would constitute a Chatzitzah (an interruption between the top loaf and the Levonah).

(d)Rav Chisda, speaking to Rav Hamnuna (or vice-versa) solved the problem - by reminding us that Rebbi, who explains "al" as 'be'Samuch' (next to, as we learned in the fifth Perek), requires the Bazichin to be placed on the Shulchan in between the rows (and not in the top loaf).

6)

(a)The Beraisa states that all the Keilim in the Beis-Hamikdash were placed lengthwise along the length of the Bayis, with the exception of one - the Aron.

(b)And when, after adding that its length was placed across the width (from north to south), he continues ve'Kach Hayah Munach, ve'Kach Hayu Badav Munachim, he means that - this was because of its poles, which can only have run along its width (from east to west), as we will now see.

(c)And we cite a Beraisa to prove that this was the case. Rebbi Yehudah there proves that the poles must have been arranged along the width of the Aron and not along its length - because (based on the fact that four (two pairs of two) Levi'im carried the Aron [two at the front and two at the back]), two people would not have fitted in the one and half Amoh space of the width.

(d)He learn that from the Pasuk in Beha'aloscha "Venas'u ha'Kehasim, Nos'ei ha'Mikdash" - in that ("Venas'u' [plural] implies two, and so does "Nos'ei Hamikdash".

7)

(a)The Beraisa learns from the Pasuk in Beha'aloscha ...

1. ... "Vaya'arichu ha'Badim ... Va'Yera'u" that - the poles protruded into the Heichal and could be seen there.

2. ... "Lo Yera'u ha'Chutzah" that - they did not tear a hole in the Paroches, but that they protruded there together with the Paroches (like a woman's breasts [as we will explain shortly]).

(b)The Paroches referred to by the Pasuk is - the curtain that was spread across the entrance ato the D'vir (the Kodesh Kodshm) for Tz'niyus.

(c)Besides the fact that the Pasuk per se, is speaking about the first Beis-Hamikdash, it could under no circumstances be referring to the two curtains that divided between the Heichal and the D'vir during the era of the second Beis-Hamikdash) - because during that period, there was no Aron, and therefore there were no poles either.

(d)And the Tana learns from the Pasuk "Tz'ror ha'Mor Dodi li, bein Shadai Yalin" - that the poles appeared in the Heichal like the breasts of a woman (the symbol of affection and sustenance, denoting Hash-m's relationship with Yisrael).

8)

(a)The Beraisa discusses the ten tables that Shlomoh Hamelech made. When the Navi in Melachim refers to "five on the right and five on the left", he cannot mean five on the right of the entrance (of the Heichal) and five on the left - because that would place five tables on the south side of the Heichal, and the Torah writes in Terumah "ve'ha'Shulchan Titen al Tzela Tzfafon".

(b)What he therefore means is that - they were all placed on the north, five on either side of Moshe's Shulchan.

(c)The Beraisa which places them on the inner half of the Bayis confirms to the Beraisa which places them in the middle third in that - the first Beraisa is referring to the Heichal (which was forty Amos long) exclusively, whereas the second Beraisa, includes the D'vir (which was twenty Amos).

9)

(a)According to Rebbi, the tables were placed from east to west. Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon maintains that - they were placed from north to south.

(b)Rebbi learns his opinion with a Binyan Av from the Menorah. He learns from the Pasuk "Ya'aroch oso Aharon ... Lifnei Hash-m" that - since only one lamp of the Menorah (the Ner ha'Ma'aravi [the westernmost lamp] see Tosfos DH 'mi'di'Chesiv') is considered "Lifnei Hash-m", then the Menorah must be placed from east to west.

(c)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon learns that the tables were arranged from north to south - from the Aron, which was arranged that way, as we learned earlier).

(d)Rebbi learns from the Menorah rather than from the Aron - because he prefers to learn Chutz from Chutz (rather than Chutz from P'nim).

10)

(a)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon disagrees with Rebbi - because in his opinion, the Menorah too, was placed from north to south (in which case he may indeed learn Chutz from Chutz).

(b)He explains the Pasuk "Ya'aroch oso Aharon ... Lifnei Hash-m" to mean that - Aharon had to arrange for the middle wick to face westwards towards the Kodesh Kodshim.

(c)And he learns from the Pasuk in Beha'aloscha "el Mul P'nei ha'Menorah Ya'iru Shiv'as ha'Neiros" that - the other six lamps all had to face towards the middle lamp.

(d)Rebbi Nasan (or Rebbi Yochanan) learns from there the principle that - when it is a question of priority, the middle takes precedence over the first and the last.

(e)Consequently - when Leining the minimum of ten Pesukim during the week, it is the middle Aliyah who ought to Lein four Pesukim, and the other two, three each.

11)

(a)We query Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon on four scores. The problem with fitting the ten tables from north to south would be that - twenty Amos simply cannot fit into a space of twenty Amos.

(b)The practical problem that remains, even assuming that they could be squeezed in, is - how the Kohanim would be able to pass (to enter the Kodshei Kodshim [the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kipur])?

(c)The third problem that we have already mentioned before - is that half the tables will now be in the south side of the Heichal, and the Torah requires them all to be in the north.

12)

(a)The practical problem that is difficult according to Rebbi as well is - where they would then place Moshe's Menorah?

(b)The fact that not all the tables will be entirely in the inner half of the Heichal is not a problem according to Rebbi - because this is not a Torah-law, and it doesn't really matter if a small fraction of the tables extends into the outer section of the Heichal.

(c)We basically answer all the Kashyos on both opinions - by arranging the tables in two rows, and not just one, as we initially assumed.