How were the ends of the staves seen Al Pnei ha'Devir (the east wall of the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim in the Bayis)? One may not remove the staves from the rings, so the staves extended at least until the back rings of the Aron. If the Aron was in the middle of the Devir, the back rings were in the west half. The Devir was 20 wide. The staves were at most 10 long, for they fit in the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim in the Mishkan, and the Torah does not say that they jutted out on the Paroches. If so, they cannot reach Pnei ha'Devir!
'Rashi' (8): It does not say va'Yis'archu, (they extended by themselves) rather, "va'Yarichu" ? workers lengthened the staves.
Mahari Kara (Melachim I, 8:8): These were longer staves, 20 Amos long.
Radak: The Aron was not near the west wall 1 of the Devir. Rather, it was close enough to the east wall so that the staves could press against the Paroches. We need not say that there was a miracle.
Malbim (Melachim I, 8:7-8): They extended miraculously. 2
Why would we think that it is near the west wall? He should have said, it was not in the middle! (PF)
Malbim: The staves represent the spinal cord, which sends messages from the brain to the body, especially to the heart, which is the primary place of the Nefesh. The protrusions hint to the influence of the Neshamah on the Nefesh.
The ends of the staves were seen "Al Pnei ha'Devir." Why does it say that they were not seen outside?
Radak citing Menachos 98a: The ends press against the Paroches 1 and cause humps to stick out - "Dodi Li Bein Shadai Yalin." (Shir ha'Shirim 1:13).
