1)

(a)The Kohanim kept guard in the Beis Hamikdash - in three locations, and the Levi'im - in twenty-one. We already discussed the remaining details in the opening two Mishnahs in the first Perek of Tamid.

2)

(a)There were ...

1. ... five gates leading into the Har ha'Bayis.

2. ... two Sha'arei Chuldah on the south side - which were used for entering and exiting the Azarah (see Tiferes Yisrael, who also explains why these gates were called by that name).

(b)Sha'ar Kupinus in the west served the same purpose. Sha'ar Tedi on the north side, on the other hand, served no regular purpose (see commentaries on the Mishnah, who also discuss why it was called by that name).

(c)A picture of Shushan the capital of Bavel (to whom Yisrael were still subservient when they built the second Beis-Hamikdash [see Tiferes Yisrael]) was painted above the east-gate ...

(d)... which was used - as an exiting point for the Kohen Gadol who burned the Parah Adumah (according to Rebbi Meir [see also Tiferes Yisrael]), together with the Parah itself and all the Kohanim who assisted in its burning.

(e)They were all going to - the Har ha'Mishchah (which was located directly opposite) to burn the Parah.

3)

(a)There were - seven gates leading into the Azarah.

(b)There were three gates on the south side, Sha'ar ha'Delek, Sha'ar Bechoros and Sha'ar Mayim respectively. The Sha'ar ...

1. ... ha'Delek was - the gate through which they brought in the wood to burn on the Ma'arachah.

2. ... ha'Bechoros was - the gate through which they brought the firstorn anmals which were Shechted on the south side of the Azarah (since they were Kodshim Kalim), before being burned on the Mizbe'ach. Some have the text Sha'ar Korban - which pertains to the Tamid that was brought into the Azarah there (see Rosh).

3. ... ha'Mayim was - where the stream that flowed from the Kodesh Kodshim (as thin as locusts horns) left the Azarah (as thick as the entrance to an earthenware jar [as is recorded in Yechezkel]).

(c)The east-gate was called 'Sha'ar Nikanor' - after the person who donated them (the two gates) and who transported them, with great self-sacrifice, from Alexandria in Egypt.

4)

(a)One of the rooms that flanked the east-gate was called 'Lishkas Pinchas ha'Malbish' - where Pinchas ha'Malbish would dress the Kohanim each morning and undress them each afternoon at the conclusion of the Avodah.

(b)It was called by that name - after the first Kohen who performed that task, who was called Pinchas.

(c)The other room was called - 'Lishkas Osei Chavitin' ...

(d)... where the Chavitei Kohen Gadol were prepared (as we already learned in Tamid).

5)

(a)We already discussed many of the details concerning two of the three Lishkos in the north (the Sha'ar ha'Nitzutz and the Sha'ar Beis ha'Mokad) in the first Perek of Tamid. The Sha'ar ha'Nitzutz (which had an attic, where the Kohanim kept guard) was a kind of Achsadra - it had only two full walls (the east and the west walls). The northern and southern walls consisted of pillars.

(b)The attic of the Beis-ha'Nitzutz opened to the Chil (with steps leading down to it [Tiferes Yisrael]) - the Chil was a narrow area (ten Amos wide) located between the Har ha'Bayis and the Azarah.

(c)The Sha'ar ha'Korban, which was located between the Lishkas ha'Nitzut and the Lishkas Beis-ha'Mokad - was the gate through which they brought the Kodshei Kodshim animals (which were Shechted on the north side of the Azarah).

6)

(a)The Tana compares the four Lishkos in the four corners of the Beis-ha'Mokad to Kitoniyos Pesuchos li'Teraklin - small rooms that open on to the main hall.

(b)What distinguished two of the rooms from the other two - was the fact that the two in the south were Kodesh (since they were located in the Azarah), whereas the other two (which were situated in the Chil) were Chol.

(c)They marked this distinction - with a beam in the Chol section, protruding from either wall, ending exactly where the Kodesh began (see Tosfos Yom-Tov).

(d)This was necessary - because of the many Halachic distinctions between Kodesh and Chol (for example, up to which point the Kohanim were permitted to eat Kodshim, and up to which point they were forbidden to sit down.

7)

(a)We already discussed in Tamid, what purpose each of the four Lishkos in the Beis-ha'Mokad served. The Tana lists the Lishkos on the south side (Delek, Bechoros and Mayim) of the Beis ha'Mikdash - going from west to east, and those on the north side (Nitzutz, Korban and Beis-ha'Mokad) - from east to west.

(b)Two fires burned in the entire Beis ha'Mokad - one in the main room, for Kohanim with cold feet to warm themselves, and one in the north-western Lishkah (that led down to the Beis-ha'Tevilah) for a Ba'al Keri who had Toveled.

(c)The Beis-ha'Moked had two gates, one on its north side - which opened out to Chol, and one on its south side - which opened out to Kodesh.

(d)We already learned in Tamid that, according to Rebbi Yehudah, the southern gate contained a Pishpesh (a small door) - which they used to enter the Azarah (before dawn-break) to check whether all the K'lei Kodesh were in place.

8)

(a)The Beis-ha'Mokad was unusual in that - it was shaped like an archway.

(b)We already discussed in Tamid the tiers of stone ledges (in the Chol) on which the Ziknei Kehunah slept. The Pirchei Kehunah slept - on the floor besides the tiers of ledges.

(c)As cushions they used - their folded clothes (see Sugya in Tamid).

(d)The Kohanim, who were officially on guard duty - would take it in turns to sleep for a short while (see Tiferes Yisrael).

9)

(a)The stone plate that was located in the Chol section of the Beis-ha'Mokad - covered a hole which housed the keys to the Azarah, which were suspended on a chain that was attached to the back of the marble plate ...

(b)... which measured one square Amah.

(c)We know that it was located in the Chol section of the Beis-ha'Mokad - because a Kohen slept on it, as we will soon see.

10)

(a)When the time arrived to lock the doors of the Azarah - the Kohen currently on guard locked the doors of the Meduras Beis-ha'Mokad, leaving a ben Levi sitting outside.

(b)The only location to which this ruling could possibly refer is - the Beis-ha'Mokad, which had an arched roof, and where the Kohanim therefore guarded within, and the Levi'im, without (whereas in the Beis Avtinas and the Beis ha'Nitzutz, which had attics, the Kohanim guarded above and the Levi'im below).

(c)The guard who locked the door of the Beis-ha'Mokad then - suspended the keys on to the chain, replaced the stone plate, put his clothes on top of it and went to sleep on it.

(d)We already described the procedure of a Kohen who had an emission, in Tamid. According to Rebbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov - after Toveling, the Kohen did not return to the Lishkas Beis-ha'Mokad, but followed the tunnel to the Sha'ar Tedi (See Tif'eres Yisrael).

11)

(a)The Mishnah now describes the Har ha'Bayis. When the Tana says that the majority of it was on the south, and then came the east - he means that the distance from the wall of the Har ha'Bayis to the south of the Azarah was greater than it was to the east.

(b)The narrowest of the remaining two areas was - the west side.

(c)The Har ha'Bayis was arranged in this way - according to the usage (because most of the Avodah was performed in the south).

12)

(a)Whoever entered the Har ha'Bayis would turn right - he would continue walking towards the right after concluding whatever he set out to do, and leave the Har ha'Bayis from the left of where he entered.

(b)The two exceptions were - an Aveil and a Menudeh (someone in Cheirem).

(c)To someone who responded to the question why he was walking towards the left, by saying that he was an Aveil one would reply - 'May the One who dwells in this house comfort you'.

13)

(a)According to Rebbi Meir, if the person replied that he was a Menudeh, they would respond with 'May the One who dwells in this house put into their hearts to bring you close, to which Rebbi Yossi objected to that - in that it implies that those who placed him in Cherem had erred (which of course, they had not).

(b)The correct response in his opinion was therefore - 'May the One who dwells in this house place in your heart to accept the opinion of your colleagues, in which case they will bring you close'.

(c)And the Halachah is - like Rebbi Yossi.