What was 60 Amos?
Rashi, Targum Yonasan: It was the height of the Eilim of Safei ha'Ulam.
What do we learn from "v'El Ayil he'Chatzer ha'Sha'ar Saviv Saviv"?
Rashi: Similarly, all the Eilim of the Chatzer, in all the Ulamos of the gates around. Even in the north and south there were gates like this gate, like the verses will explain.
Radak: Similarly, all the Eilim of the Chatzer, which are Eilim of the gate around, were 60 tall. "Ayil" refers to "he'Chatzer" and to "ha'Sha'ar"; it is a Klal, in place of Eilim. There were five gates in the wall of Har ha'Bayis in Bayis Sheni (Midos 1:3). Two Sha'arei Chuldah were in the south for entrance and exit 1 . Tadi (a man's name) was in the north ? it had no use. The eastern gate had a picture of Shushan ha'Birah on it. Via it, the Kohen who burns Parah Adumah and all his helpers go out to Har ha'Mishchah. Our verse teaches that just like the eastern gate had Eilim, also all the gates around had Eilim.
Malbim: The Tzir (pivot-hinge) of the gate 2 was fixed between the two Sapei ha'Sha'ar. The gate had two Sapim ? each was six Amos wide, and there was an Amah between them. The Tzir of the gate was there. We do not know if the gate opened to the inside or to the outside. Here it explains that it opened inside to the Chatzer 3 . It turned on its Tzir, El Ayil he'Chatzer. Ayil of the Chatzer was fixed in Pesach ha'Ulam. There stood an Ayil on each side, one Amah into the interior of the Ulam (verse 9). When the gate opened, it reached until the Amah before one Ayil. The gate was 10 Amos wide, and when it opened, it spanned six Amos of the inner Saf of the gate, and four Amos in the interior of the Ulam. Only one Amah remained until Ayil ha'Ulam, for the Ulam extended only six Amos inside (verse 8).
Midos 1:3: Kiponos was in the west for entrance and exit. (Why did Radak omit this? ? PF)
I.e. the gate was a door that opened via turning on a pivot-hinge on one side. (PF)
Malbim: We should not err to say that it opened to the outside. If it did, it would reach until the middle of the opening of the cell, which was open in its middle to the side of the gate. From the middle until the border of the cell was three Amos. The border of the cell was one Amah, and the outer Saf of the gate was three Amos wide ? in all, this is 10 Amos. It cannot close half the opening and window of the cell! Therefore, our verse teaches that it opened to the inside.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that the height of the Eilim of Safei ha'Ulam was 60. The verse did not discuss their height; this entire Nevu'ah does not mention any height ? why should it teach only the Eilim's height? Also, "Eilim" without the prefix Hei implies that they were not mentioned yet. And if they are the Eilim of verse 9, it should have taught their height there!
Malbim #1: The cells extended in the wall on the side of the gate, for 40 Amos in each direction. Afterwards, the wall was open. They made there Eilim that extended from the end of the cells for 60 Amos. They stood even with the cells, and there were 12 Amos between them and the wall of the Chatzer. This was beauty for the Bayis.
Malbim #2: He made 60 Eilim. Each occupied one Amah, just like the Eilim of Pesach ha'Ulam and the openings of the cells were one Amah each (verse 10). The verse means 'Asah Eilim Shishim Shel Amah.' (Perhaps there was one Amah between consecutive Eilim. If so, they occupied 119 Amos on the width of the wall.) From the opening of Sha'ar Chatzer ha'Chitzonah until the northern wall was 158 Amos. This encompassed 45 Amos corresponding to the interior of Chatzer ha'Penimis 1 , 13 Amos opposite the thickness of the wall of Chatzer ha'Penimis, and Chatzer ha'Chitzonah extends 100 Amos past Chatzer ha'Penimi [on each side]. The Eilim begin where the cells end, 40 Amos from the gate (some of the 118 remained). The last Ayil was where the thickness of the northern and southern walls began. It was in the place of the Soreg in Bayis Sheni. Therefore, the Eilim were along the entire wall [until the northern and southern walls]. Since these Eilim were only in the east, it says "va'Ya'as Eilim", and not 'there were Eilim.'
Ohr Eliyahu (Milu'im 1), based on Likutei ha'Gra: If only two dimensions are given, this shows that the matter is in the world of thought; all three dimensions show that it is closer to revelation in the world of action. Bayis Shelishi will come from Shamayim; it has no expression in the world yet. The Shechinah will enter via Sha'ar ha'Ison, due to arousal of Yisrael from below ? only this depends on our world of action.
Its interior was 100 by 100; 50 Amos were in the north, and five of them were opposite the opening of Sha'ar Chatzer ha'Chitzonah, and similarly in the south. (PF)
Rashi writes that the same applies to all the Eilim of the Chatzer, in all the Ulamos of the gates around. Yechezkel was only in the eastern gate ? how did he know about the other gates? Also, later when he went to the other gates, it says that their cells, Eilim and Ulamos had the same measures as of the eastern gate. There was no need to teach this here! And why did it mention here only the Eilim, but not the cells and Ulamos? Also, it should have said 'and so were?', and not "v'El Ayil he'Chatzer?"!
Malbim: Refer to 40:14:2:1-2.
Ohr Eliyahu (Milu'im 1), based on Likutei ha'Gra: Only two dimensions are given for everything else, which has no expression in our world of action. The Eilim of Sha'ar ha'Ison are different (refer to 40:14:1:3) ? the Navi teaches their height, and Agav (along with) it, the height if all Eilim, just like Yisrael will enter Bayis Shelishi Agav the Shechinah.
