Shekalim Chapter 6, Mishnah 3: The Thirteen Gates

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Shekalim, Chapter 6, Mishnah 3. In the first mishnah of the chapter we mentioned that there were thirteen places in the Beis HaMikdash where one would bow down. Our mishnah comes to clarify exactly where those places were.

The mishnah lists how they were distributed: "arba batzafon, arba badarom, shalosh bamizrach, shtayim bama'arav" - four in the north, four in the south, three in the east and two in the west. And what is the reason for this distribution? "keneged shelosha asar she'arim" - corresponding to the thirteen gates. The places of bowing were set to match the number of gates of the Azarah.

The dispute among the Tanna'im about the number of gates:

The Tanna'im disagree about how many gates there were in the Azarah. On the Temple Mount, on the outside, there were five gates; but regarding the Azarah itself opinions differ - some say there were thirteen gates, and some say only seven. Our mishnah follows the view that there were thirteen, and it now lists them one by one.

The southern gates, from west to east:

Sha'ar Ha'Elyon - the Upper Gate. The Temple Mount rises on its western side, behind the Beis HaMikdash, and from there it gradually descends and slopes downward. Therefore the westernmost gate on the south was called "Sha'ar Ha'Elyon", the highest of them.
Sha'ar HaDelek - the Gate of Kindling, the wood gate, through which they would bring in the wood to be burned on the Mizbe'ach for the arrangement of the fire.
Sha'ar HaBechoros - the Gate of the Firstborn, the gate through which they would bring in the firstborn animals. Since firstborn offerings are kodashim kalim and may be slaughtered in the south, a gate was designated for them in the southern wall.
Sha'ar HaMayim - the Water Gate. "velamah nikra shemo sha'ar hamayim? shebo machnisin tzelochis shel mayim shel nisuch bechag" - and why was it called the Water Gate? Because through it they would bring in the flask of water for the water libation on the festival. Through this gate they would bring in the vessel holding the water for the water libation on the Mizbe'ach on Sukkos. (It is said that the famous Watergate in Washington was named after the Water Gate of the Beis HaMikdash, and there is no way to know whether this is fact or legend.)

Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov gives a different reason for the name of the Water Gate, and his reason is rooted in Yechezkel's prophecy about the third Beis HaMikdash in the future: this is the place from which the waters will be "mefachim" - an expression of measure and size, the measure of a small flask or jug - the waters will emerge from beneath the threshold of the House and flow out through this gate.

The northern gates, opposite them, from west to east:

Sha'ar Yechanyah - this is the gate through which King Yechanyah went out in the time of the first Beis HaMikdash when he departed into exile. He was exiled to Bavel even before the destruction of the Temple, and on his way he stopped and came to the Beis HaMikdash to bow down there before going out into exile.
Sha'ar HaKorban - the Offering Gate, through which they would bring in the offerings that are slaughtered on the northern side, and these are many offerings, since they may be slaughtered only in the north of the Azarah.
Sha'ar HaNashim - the Women's Gate. According to the view that women too lean their hands on their offerings, they would enter through it for the leaning; and even according to the view that women do not lean, they wished to stand near their offering.
Sha'ar HaShir - the Gate of Song, the gate through which they would bring in the musical instruments.

The eastern and western gates:

In the east there was the famous gate, the opening on the east, and alongside it two gates smaller than it, one to its right and one to its left - three in all. In the west there were two gates behind the Heichal, behind the Holy, and these gates had no name at all.

And as we mentioned, this mishnah follows - as explained in the Yerushalmi - the view of Abba Yosef ben Chanan, that there were thirteen gates in the Beis HaMikdash. But the Sages hold that there were only seven gates, and according to their view the thirteen places of bowing correspond to the thirteen breaches that the Greek kings broke through when they persecuted Israel - the breaches that we mention in the song "Maoz Tzur". They broke thirteen breaches in the Cheil, the area surrounding the Azarah, beyond which a non-Jew was not permitted to enter. And after the Chashmona'im were victorious, they sealed up those breaches and instituted that people should bow down at those places, as thanksgiving for having merited to conquer the Greeks.

Original maamar

אות שקלים ו:ג

וְהֵיכָן הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים, אַרְבַּע בַּצָּפוֹן, וְאַרְבַּע בַּדָּרוֹם, שָׁלשׁ בַּמִּזְרָח, וּשְׁתַּיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר שְׁעָרִים. שְׁעָרִים דְּרוֹמִיִּים סְמוּכִין לַמַּעֲרָב, שַׁעַר הָעֶלְיוֹן, שַׁעַר הַדֶּלֶק, שַׁעַר הַבְּכוֹרוֹת, שַׁעַר הַמָּיִם. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם, שֶׁבּוֹ מַכְנִיסִין צְלוֹחִית שֶׁל מַיִם שֶׁל נִסּוּךְ בֶּחָג. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, בּוֹ הַמַּיִם מְפַכִּים וַעֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת יוֹצְאִין מִתַּחַת מִפְתַּן הַבַּיִת. לְעֻמָּתָן בַּצָּפוֹן סְמוּכִין לַמַּעֲרָב, שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה, שַׁעַר קָרְבָּן, שַׁעַר נָשִׁים, שַׁעַר הַשִּׁיר. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שַׁעַר יְכָנְיָה, שֶׁבּוֹ יָצָא יְכָנְיָה בְּגָלוּתוֹ. בַּמִּזְרָח, שַׁעַר נִיקָנוֹר, וּשְׁנֵי פִשְׁפְּשִׁין הָיוּ לוֹ, אֶחָד בִּימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ. וּשְׁנַיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם שֵׁם: The previous mishna mentioned that there were thirteen prostrations in the Temple. Where were these prostrations? There were four in the north of the courtyard, four in the south, three in the east and two in the west, as the thirteen prostrations were facing the thirteen gates of the Temple courtyard. The thirteen gates were as follows: The southern ones, listed in order, beginning with the one adjacent to the western side, were the Upper Gate, and the topography of the courtyard was such that there was an incline on the east-west plane, therefore the gate farthest to the west was higher than the other gates; the Gate of Kindling, through which the priests would bring the wood for the arrangement of fire on top of the altar; the Gate of the Firstborn, through which priests would bring the ritually pure firstborn animals to be sacrificed, as it is permitted to slaughter firstborn animals on the southern side of the courtyard; and the Gate of Water. The mishna elaborates: And why was it named the Gate of Water? Since through it they would bring in the vial of water for the water libation on the festival of Sukkot, as they would ceremoniously draw the water from the Pool of Siloam and bring it to the altar through this gate. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: There was a different reason for this name. It was called the Gate of Water because through it the water would trickle [mefakim], and in the future this water will increase and go out from under the threshold of the House. Facing these gates were the ones in the north, listed in order from the one closest to the west: The Gate of Jeconiah; the Gate of the Offering, through which they would bring the offerings of the most sacred order, as these could be slaughtered only in the northern part of the courtyard; the Gate of Women, where women would enter the courtyard to place their hands on the heads of their offerings; and the Gate of Song, through which they would bring the musical instruments into the courtyard. The mishna asks: And why was it called the Gate of Jeconiah? The reason is that through it Jeconiah went out to his exile. Before Jeconiah was exiled by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon he came to take leave of the Temple, and he left through this gate. The mishna resumes the list with the gates that are in the east: the Gate of Nicanor, which was named after Nicanor, who brought the doors of this gate from Egypt (see Yoma 38a). And the Gate of Nicanor had two wickets [pishpeshin], one on its right and one on its left. And there were two gates in the west that did not have a name, making a total of thirteen gates.