The previous verse said that Ulam ha'Sha'ar was six Amos. Here it says that it was eight Amos!
Rashi: The previous verse taught the thickness of the walls on each side, with which the Ulam is aligned. Here it teaches that they jutted out eight Amos into Ezras Nashim.
Vilna Gaon: The previous verse is from north to south. Here is the measure from east to west.
Malbim: This was the opening of the Ulam. It was 10 wide, but one Amah on each side was sealed via an Ayil (refer to 40:9:2:1).
What is "v'Elav"?
Rashi: Its Mezuzos 1 . All the Eilim here are like round trees made from hewn rocks. They stand at the opening ? one on the right and one on the left, in place of Mezuzos. Targum Yonasan of "va'Yanu'u Amos ha'Sipim" (Yeshayah 6:4) is Eilvas Sipei. They are called Eilim because they are round, like Elah and Alon (oak and acorn).
Also Radak says that they are Mezuzos, but he did not discuss their shape. Below (41:1) he says that they were like domes above. (PF)
What was two Amos?
Rashi: The thickness of their circles. They stand at the end of the interior of the Ulam ? one clings to the right wall, and the other to the left wall. It turns out that the Ulam and its Eilim jut out 10 Amos into the Azarah (Ezras Nashim), past the gate.
Radak: The Mezuzos of the Ulam inside.
What is the meaning of "v'Ulam ha'Sha'ar meha'Bayis"?
Rashi: The Ulamim of the gate of Ezras Yisrael jutted outside 1 , like it explains. Therefore it explains that the Ulamim of the gates of Ezras Nashim extend inside. The gates of Ezras Nashim are in line with the gates of Ezras Yisrael, so Ulam is in line with Ulam ? this is beautiful.
Radak: Also the Ulam of the Heichal jutted outside.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that the Ulam juts out 10 Amos into the Azarah. How can it be that the Ulam was just two walls, without Tzuras ha'Pesach? This is not a Beis Sha'ar!
Malbim: The verse discusses measuring Ulam ha'Sha'ar from north to south. It was eight Amos, and its Eilim were two Amos. The width of the interior of the Ulam from north to south was 10 Amos, like the width of the interior of the gate. The two Eilim stood at the sides of the opening. Each was a circle of one Amah. They stood in Pesach ha'Ulam and closed an Amah of the opening on each side, so the interior was only eight Amos, or 10 with the Eilim, like the interior of the gate; the walls of the Ulam were even with the gate on the inside.
