Middos, Chapter 4, Mishnah 5. Our chapter has been describing the Heichal building from the outside in: its doors, its walls, and the three tiers of cells (ta'im) that surrounded it on the north, west and south. Now the Mishnah turns to a practical question. The Heichal was a tall structure, and roofs need repair. How did the kohanim get up there?
The Winding Ramp
"Umesibah haytah olah mikeren mizrachit tzefonit lekeren tzefonit ma'aravit": a winding ramp rose from the northeastern corner of the Heichal building at ground level up to the northwestern corner. "Shebah hayu olim legagot hata'im": by means of this ramp one would ascend to the roofs of the cells, and from there attend to whatever repairs were needed.
Now the Mishnah traces the path one leg at a time. "Hayah oleh bamesibah ufanav lema'arav": one made the climb with his face turned toward the west. "Hilech al kol penei hatzafon": he then traversed the entire northern face of the building, "ad shehu magia lama'arav", continuing on until the western end was reached.
"Higia lama'arav, hafach panav ladarom": on arriving at the west, he pivoted to face southward. "Hilech al kol penei ma'arav ad shehu magia ladarom": from there he crossed over the roofs of the cells that ran alongside the western wall, keeping on until the corner at the south lay before him.
"Higia ladarom, hafach panav lemizrach": at the south he turned a third time, now with his face to the east. "Hayah mehalech badarom", he proceeded eastward along the southern stretch, "ad shehu magia lepitcho shel aliyah", until the doorway of the upper chamber stood before him. "Shepitcho shel aliyah patuach ladarom": that doorway opened toward the south. A ladder reached this spot from the ground below, and by it one arrived both at the roof and at the aliyah of the Heichal.
The Upper Story
Several particulars about the aliyah, the Heichal's upper chamber, now follow. "Ufitcho shel aliyah", by its doorway, there were "shtei kelonasot shel erez", a pair of cedar poles bound to one another so that together they served as a ladder. "Shebahen hayu olim legago shel aliyah": using them, a person went up onto the roof above that chamber.
"Verashei fispasin mavdilin ba'aliyah": the tips of wooden beams jutted out of the northern and southern walls inside the upper chamber, "bein hakodesh uvein kodesh hakodashim", indicating where the space over the Kodesh left off and the space over the Kodesh Hakodashim began. Such markers were needed because the region lying directly over the Kodesh Hakodashim carried a sanctity of its own, and a person did not tread there casually. Entry was permitted once in seven years, and then only to check whether anything required repair. The Kodesh Hakodashim itself, below, was entered but once each year, on Yom Kippur, and by the Kohen Gadol alone.
Lowering the Craftsmen
"Velulin hayu petuchin ba'aliyah leveit kodesh hakodashim": openings were built into the floor of that chamber, giving access downward into the Kodesh Hakodashim. "Shebahen hayu meshalshelin et ha'umanim", through them the workmen were let down, "beteivot", enclosed in crates, "kedei shelo yazunu eineihem", so that they would draw no pleasure with their eyes, "mibeit kodshei hakodashim", from the splendor of that holiest place.
One may not derive benefit from gazing about that chamber. So rather than allow a worker to survey the room, they positioned the box directly over the spot in need of attention and lowered him in, with his view limited to the small area in front of him. He made his repair and was raised back up, and nothing more of the Kodesh Hakodashim was seen.