From Chapter 40 onward, we enter the great section known in Sefer Yechezkel as the prophecy of the construction of the Third Temple. Yechezkel, as recalled, is by the Kevar River, and an angel leads him to the site of the Mikdash and shows him the dimensions of the Third Temple. These matters are exceedingly obscure, and for this reason numerous differing opinions have been offered: when does a verse refer to length, when to width, when to thickness, alongside many other questions raised by this subject.
We will hold to a single approach and study, as is our custom, according to the Malbim. Although the Malbim also establishes his explanations by raising difficulties on the other commentators and demonstrating where their interpretations are difficult within the plain meaning of the verses, since the subject matter is inherently complex, we have no desire to complicate it further. We will not delve into the other commentaries or analyze why they should not be adopted, but will turn directly to the Malbim's explanation. One who wishes to explore other views may look to Rashi, Radak, and other commentators, and examine the differences in their respective places.
The Tosafot Yom Tov writes that whoever merits to engage in the study of the construction of the Third Temple will surely merit to witness its building. These chapters are complex, and if we make the effort to understand them and exert ourselves in their study - which is no simple task - we will merit, with God's help, to see the Third Temple rebuilt. According to the effort is the reward.
בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה לְגָלוּתֵנוּ בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה אַחַר אֲשֶׁר הֻכְּתָה הָעִיר בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה הָיְתָה עָלַי יַד־ה' וַיָּבֵא אֹתִי שָׁמָּה׃ - In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me there.
"In the twenty-fifth year of our exile" refers to the exile of Yehoyachin, which took place eleven years before the destruction of the Temple. Thus, when this prophecy is revealed, fourteen years had elapsed since the city was struck down, exactly as the verse itself states.
The Malbim notes that if one calculates the years, this corresponds precisely to the Jubilee year. For the Jubilee occurred in the seventeenth year of Yoshiyahu, at the time when the Torah scroll was found open in the Temple Courtyard (the Azarah), as we learned at length, which was thirty-six years before the destruction. Consequently, when counting forward to the twenty-fifth year of our exile, one arrives exactly at the Jubilee year.
This is not merely a chronological calculation, but is compelled by the plain reading of the text itself: "at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month." Normally, Rosh Hashanah falls on the first of the month, not on the tenth; the tenth of the month is Yom Kippur, not Rosh Hashanah! Perforce, this must refer to the Jubilee year, on which the shofar is sounded on Yom Kippur and slaves are set free - "and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants." That day serves as the new year for the Jubilee, marking the start of the Jubilee year, and therefore Scripture refers to it as "Rosh Hashanah."
"The hand of the Lord was upon me" - the Malbim explains that when the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to show a prophet immense and exalted visions, it is stated that the hand of the Lord was upon him. This expresses an extraordinary strength bestowed upon the prophet, through which the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him great and elevated matters. "And He brought me there" - He brought me to the city that had been struck down, to Jerusalem.
בְּמַרְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל־אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנִיחֵנִי אֶל־הַר גָּבֹהַּ מְאֹד וְעָלָיו כְּמִבְנֵה־עִיר מִנֶּגֶב׃ - In visions of God He brought me to the Land of Israel, and placed me upon a very high mountain, upon which was the likeness of a city structure to the south.
"In visions of God He brought me" - from here, the Malbim explains, we see that he was not physically there, but saw this in a prophetic vision. There are instances where a prophet actually travels to the location, and there are instances where he sits in his place and sees a vision as if he were there. The Malbim adds that there is another layer of meaning here: there Yechezkel also saw the visions of the Chariot (the Merkavah), as we learned in chapter 43. The vision of the Merkavah took place there, and there he also saw the vision of the Temple, which corresponds to the celestial Chariot - the earthly sanctuary corresponding to the heavenly sanctuary - and therefore there was also a revelation concerning the Merkavah there.
"And placed me upon a very high mountain" - this is the site of the Temple, about which it is said, "The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established at the top of the mountains," a very high mountain. "And upon it was something like the structure of a city to the south" - here he is speaking of Jerusalem. But this presents a difficulty: the Temple stands in the heart of Jerusalem, so why does he see the city to the south?
The Malbim explains, as he elaborates in chapter 45 and chapter 48, that in the future Jerusalem will be to the south. The Beit HaMikdash will stand where Jerusalem is located today, while Jerusalem itself will be situated further south, at a distance of forty-five mil. This is why he says "like the structure of a city" - as if he cannot discern the details clearly due to the great distance of forty-five mil. It is a very distant city, located in the south, and is not directly adjacent to the site of the Temple.
וַיָּבֵיא אוֹתִי שָׁמָּה וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ כְּמַרְאֵה נְחֹשֶׁת וּפְתִיל־פִּשְׁתִּים בְּיָדוֹ וּקְנֵה הַמִּדָּה וְהוּא עֹמֵד בַּשָּׁעַר׃ - And He brought me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of copper, with a cord of flax in his hand and a measuring rod, and he was standing at the gate.
It was already stated, "And placed me toward [el] a very high mountain," which implies he had already arrived there; why then does it say a second time, "And He brought me there"? The Malbim explains: initially, He brought him close to the mountain, which is why it says "el har gavoha" (toward a high mountain) rather than "al har gavoha" (upon a high mountain). The word "el" signifies toward, close by, meaning he was not yet actually on the mountain itself - for from that vantage point the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted him to see the city standing in the distance. And now, "He brought me there" - to the holy site at the summit of the mountain, where the Beit HaMikdash is destined to be built.
There he sees a man - meaning an angel of God - whose appearance was like copper; this was his likeness. "With a cord of flax in his hand": when they wanted to survey a vast tract of land, they would measure it with a rope, a measuring line, which is called a cord of flax. Flax was used specifically because linen fibers do not stretch. If one takes plumbers' flax and tries to stretch it, one will see that it is impossible; at most it can tear, but it cannot stretch. Wool, on the other hand, which naturally stretches, cannot be used for measuring at all. Therefore, they made measuring ropes from flax and used them to measure large distances.
On the other hand, "and a measuring rod" - a sort of rigid ruler intended for measuring smaller dimensions; it is more precise and shorter, and with it they would measure details. "And he was standing at the gate" - this is the eastern gate of the Temple Mount, that is, on the side facing the Mount of Olives.
From here, the Malbim explains, the Holy One, blessed be He, shows him that the future construction of the Beit HaMikdash will not be carried out by human beings, but by heavenly beings through a miraculous construction. Therefore, He shows him an angel with measuring tools in his hand, acting as an architect, builder, and surveyor, demonstrating how the Beit HaMikdash is to be built.
In truth, this is a complex subject: how the Third Temple will be built. Some say it will descend ready-built in fire, which is the famous opinion of Rashi and others, and upon this our prayers are based: "Show us its rebuilding, gladden us in its restoration," and "May You build it swiftly and magnify its glory" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will build it Himself. Conversely, there are opinions that we will build it; the Jewish people will build the Beit HaMikdash.
There are also attempts to reconcile these opinions: that we will build it and the completion will come from Heaven, or conversely, that the Beit HaMikdash will descend built in fire and the finishing touches will be performed by us, so that it will be considered as if we built it. This is cited in the name of the Vilna Gaon regarding the words "gladden us in its restoration [tikkuno]" - that the restoration, the completion, will be done by us. Others say that this depends on our merits, whether we are worthy or not. In any case, from this verse the Malbim deduces that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to show him that the construction will be accomplished through heavenly forces.
וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי הָאִישׁ בֶּן־אָדָם רְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ שְּׁמָע וְשִׂים לִבְּךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי מַרְאֶה אוֹתָךְ כִּי לְמַעַן הַרְאוֹתְכָה הֻבָאתָה הֵנָּה הַגֵּד אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the man spoke to me: "Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your heart to all that I am showing you, for you have been brought here in order to show it to you; tell everything that you see to the House of Israel."
All the forms, figures, and measurements he is about to see - he must see them with his eyes, hear the explanations with his ears, and apply his heart. For beyond the superficial appearance, these matters contain inner secrets: set your heart to understand the deeper meaning and the hidden secrets concealed within the measurements and forms I am showing you.
"For you have been brought here in order to show it to you" - the entire reason you were brought here is to be shown this vision, and the primary purpose is for you to convey this to the Children of Israel, to comfort them and strengthen weak hands. They are immersed in the sorrow of exile and saying: Hashem destroyed our House, what hope remains for us? As we have seen, they would come to the prophet and argue: If a woman's husband divorces her, does she have any claim on him, or does her husband have any claim against her? So too, as it were, Hashem has expelled us from the Land, and thus there is a severance, so what more can be expected of us?
Therefore, Hashem sends the prophet to tell the House of Israel how he already envisions the Third Beit HaMikdash with his mind's eye, receiving it through prophecy from Hashem, so that they understand that the future redemption will surely come, and they will not despair or be broken. Thus: "Tell everything that you see to the House of Israel."
"And set your heart" - we explained that this refers to the allegorical meaning and the hidden secrets. One must know that in the First Temple, the Second Temple, and the Third Temple alike, everything was "from the hand of Hashem, He made me understand." The Beit HaMikdash was not built according to an interior designer: "it would look nicer here if we put this, and over there if we put that, and if we shrink this niche slightly it will be more practical." You build your personal home according to an interior designer, but the Beit HaMikdash - everything is directly from the hand of Hashem.
For the earthly Beit HaMikdash corresponds directly to the heavenly Beit HaMikdash, and therefore it must be constructed with the proper intentions and with exact measurements, strictly in accordance with the Divine will. Otherwise, there is no correspondence, and the structure would not reflect its celestial root - and how could the Shechinah rest down below? The Shechinah dwells below specifically because the physical structure corresponds directly to the Temple above.
Indeed, the sacred books elaborate on how the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash allude to exalted and sublime concepts, and how they hint at the dynamics of the microcosm - this physical world - corresponding to the upper macrocosm, and how all this also connects to man, who is himself a microcosm (a "small world") that aligns with all of this. This is why the angel tells him: this is not merely an architectural blueprint for you to see what is built this way and what measures that length; rather, I want you to delve inward to understand their deeper mystery.
וְהִנֵּה חוֹמָה מִחוּץ לַבַּיִת סָבִיב סָבִיב וּבְיַד הָאִישׁ קְנֵה הַמִּדָּה שֵׁשׁ־אַמּוֹת בָּאַמָּה וָטֹפַח וַיָּמָד אֶת־רֹחַב הַבִּנְיָן קָנֶה אֶחָד וְקוֹמָה קָנֶה אֶחָד׃ - And behold, there was a wall outside the House all around, and in the man's hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each cubit being a standard cubit plus a handbreadth; and he measured the thickness of the structure as one rod, and the height as one rod.
The wall mentioned here, the Malbim explains, is the wall of the Temple Mount - the very wall that remains today known as the Kotel, which is the exterior wall of the Temple Mount. This wall measured five hundred reeds on each side, as we will see at the end of chapter 42, and it is described as being "outside the House," since the Beit HaMikdash itself stands inside the Temple Mount wall.
The measuring rod in the man's hand was a staff of a specific length used for measuring, and its length was six amot (cubits), each amah being five tefachim (handbreadths) plus an additional tefach. Chazal explain that the amah used for construction differs from an ordinary amah: an ordinary amah measures from the elbow to the tip of the fingers of an average person, and an unqualified reference to an amah indicates an amah of five tefachim. However, when speaking of the Beit HaMikdash, we speak of an amah of six tefachim, as Chazal distinguish between the amah used for the sacred vessels and the amah used for construction. This is why the verse states, "six cubits by the cubit and a handbreadth" - six cubits of six handbreadths each, rather than the standard cubit of five handbreadths.
If we calculate according to the measurements of Rav Chaim Naeh, where a tefach is approximately eight centimeters, an amah of six tefachim comes to about forty-eight centimeters, roughly half a meter. And if the rod consists of six such amot, it emerges that the length of the rod was approximately three meters.
"And he measured the width of the building, one rod, and the height, one rod" - he measured all the way around. From this, the Malbim explains, it emerges that the wall was low on all sides. Some commentators, such as Rashi and the Radak, suggested that the wall was low only on the eastern side, since he came from the east, and because during the preparation of the ashes of the Parah Adumah on Har HaZeitim, the Kohen needed to see straight through into the Kodesh HaKodashim, which required that the wall there be lower, whereas the rest of the walls of Har HaBayit all around were high. The Malbim, however, disagrees: the phrasing is precise - "all around," meaning that the entire wall of Har HaBayit in its entirety was this height.
And what was the measurement? "The width of the building" refers to the thickness of the wall, six amot, roughly three meters; and likewise "the height, one rod" - the height of the wall was approximately three meters, all around on all sides. Note that one cannot deduce the dimensions of the First or Second Temple from this, for their measurements were different, as Chazal have already noted the differences between the Temples. Here, the text is describing the Third Temple, which is built according to different dimensions, as the angel demonstrates to Yechezkel.
וַיָּבוֹא אֶל־שַׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִימָה וַיַּעַל בְּמַעֲלוֹתָו וַיָּמָד אֶת־סַף הַשַּׁעַר קָנֶה אֶחָד רֹחַב וְאֵת סַף אֶחָד קָנֶה אֶחָד רֹחַב׃ - And he came to the gate that faced toward the east, and he climbed its steps, and he measured the threshold of the gate, one rod wide, and the other threshold, one rod wide.
From there, he comes to another gate, which is the gate of Ezrat Nashim (the Women's Courtyard) situated before Ezrat Yisrael. This area is called "the outer courtyard" - Ezrat Nashim, in contrast to Ezrat Yisrael, which is further inward and termed "the inner courtyard." This wall encompasses all four directions, and "which faces toward the east" refers to the one approaching from the east (kedem, kedmah).
"And he climbed its steps" - people would ascend steps to reach the Beit HaMikdash. The mountain is sloped, and since one needed to ascend, steps were hewn near the gate upon which they went up. How many steps were there? The Malbim notes that this is not mentioned here. One cannot deduce it from the structure of the Second Temple, since it differs from that of the Third Temple, and one sees differences in the steps of Ezrat Yisrael as well. Rather, of necessity, since Scripture later explicitly specifies that on the north and south sides there were seven steps, it relied upon that, and here too there were seven steps.
"And he measured the threshold of the gate" - the thickness of this wall was thirteen amot, and it contained two thresholds (sipim, from the word saf): one on the outer side and one on the inner side. Since the wall itself was thick, entering from one side was like entering a room with its own threshold, and approaching from the other side of the wall was likewise like entering a room with another threshold. In our buildings, the door is thin and the wall is narrow, so there is only one threshold; but there, where the wall was so thick, there was a threshold on each side from which one entered.
Each threshold spanned six amot, and there was one amah in the middle between the thresholds. Six plus six is twelve, and together with the amah in the middle, this totals thirteen amot, matching the thickness of the wall. This is why he measures one threshold, the outer one, as one rod wide, and then the inner threshold as another rod wide, both being equal on both sides.
And what was this middle amah? The Malbim explains: the middle threshold was the space designated to hold the door, and it is called the mezuzah (doorpost). The mezuzot are the sides of the entranceway that support the doors, and here the mezuzah was in the middle, measuring one amah in width. Thus we have: one threshold of six amot on this side, one threshold of six amot for someone coming from the other side - all of this beneath the wall - with the door in the middle of the wall, one amah wide. Furthermore, we will see that there was an ayil, which is the rounded archway above the entranceway, the eil hapetach, as we will see further on.
וְהַתָּא קָנֶה אֶחָד אֹרֶךְ וְקָנֶה אֶחָד רֹחַב וּבֵין הַתָּאִים חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת וְסַף הַשַּׁעַר מֵאֵצֶל אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבַּיִת קָנֶה אֶחָד׃ - And each chamber was one reed long and one reed wide, and between the chambers were five cubits, and the threshold of the gate beside the vestibule of the gate toward the house was one reed.
To fully understand the precise descriptions here, an illustration or diagram is necessary. We will endeavor to explain it verbally even without one, and in the future, we will provide the illustration and diagram on the website so that anyone following the lesson can track the details. It is important to know which illustration to choose: since there are several different commentaries on the prophecy of Yechezkel, and various books have been published on the subject, someone who takes an illustration that does not align with the Malbim's approach and tries to fit it to his words will find that it does not match, and will not understand why it fails to make sense. Therefore, one must use a diagram consistent with the Malbim's explanation, as only according to his view will we properly understand the verses as he explains them.
The Malbim explains: as he enters, he sees on both outer sides of the gate buildings that belong to the gate, and they are called chambers (ta'im). These buildings did not extend along the full height of the wall; a person entering through the gate would see three structures on the right side and three structures on the left side. From the outside they appeared as a single long building, while on the inside they were partitioned.
The interior layout: each chamber, on its interior, measured six cubits in length by six cubits in width - this is "one reed long and one reed wide." Separating one chamber from the next was a wall five cubits thick, and this is "and between the chambers were five cubits." Three chambers on the right, three on the left, with two dividing walls on each side, each five cubits thick - notice, almost as thick as the chamber itself.
As for the outer walls: one entering sees the outermost wall on the right, which was six cubits, as well as the inner wall adjacent to the gate, which was also six cubits. The same was true of the chambers on the left: three chambers, each measuring six cubits by six cubits on the inside, dividing walls of five cubits, six cubits for the wall adjacent to the gate, and another six cubits for the outer end wall facing outward. This was the layout both on the right and on the left, all extending from the wall outward; and we will see later that a similar structure existed on the inside as well.
"And the threshold of the gate beside the vestibule of the gate toward the house was one reed" - here it refers to the gateway itself, the threshold of the gate through which one enters, which measures six cubits; plus another six cubits on the other side and one cubit in the middle, totaling thirteen cubits. This is what it mentions now: when measured from within, beside the vestibule of the gate toward the house, it measures one reed.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבַּיִת קָנֶה אֶחָד׃ - And he measured the vestibule of the gate toward the house, one reed.
Now he takes a second measurement of the gate's vestibule, namely the length of the vestibule's wall from west to east. In the first measurement, we measured the threshold for one entering - six cubits; and in the second measurement, the threshold for one exiting, on the other side - once again six cubits. The gate roofed over both of these sections, and together they were twelve cubits, with the one cubit of the doorway in the middle.
וַיָּמָד אֶת־אֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר שְׁמֹנֶה אַמּוֹת וְאֵילָו שְׁתַּיִם אַמּוֹת וְאֻלָם הַשַּׁעַר מֵהַבָּיִת׃ - And he measured the vestibule of the gate, eight cubits, and its posts, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was inward.
This is the third measurement, but here he measures from north to south. Up until now we measured the length - from the point where a person enters and inward, six cubits. Now we measure the width, from right to left as one enters, meaning from north to south.
First, let us explain what the eilim (posts) are: when a person enters through a gateway, he sees an arch above and pillars extending downward, and these are called the eilim. The total width of the gateway was ten amos, but when one subtracts the pillars from this width - which were rounded and arched upward, one amah on the right and one amah on the left - the entrance narrows from ten amos to eight. This is what the verse means when it says, "He measured the vestibule of the gate, eight amos": the vestibule of the gate is the inner portion of the gateway, and its width is eight amos. "And its posts, two amos" - one post on the right side and one post on the left side, totaling two amos together. "And the vestibule of the gate was inward" - the open section of the gate faced inward, further into the courtyard.
Thus, the total width is ten amos, with the two-amah pillars on the right and left narrowing the entryway to eight amos. Let us note a further nuance: here we are not speaking of someone entering from east to west, but rather, as we saw, he approached from the west - that is, from the inside outward. From that vantage point, he saw these two pillars on the right and left, and thus the entrance narrowed from ten amos to eight. It turns out, therefore, that these pillars stood on the inner part of the wall rather than on its outer side.
Chapter 40 opens the prophecy of the Third Beis HaMikdash: in the Jubilee year, fourteen years after the destruction of the Temple, Yechezkel is brought in divine visions to a high mountain, where an angel holding a measuring line of flax and a measuring rod guides him and measures the dimensions of the Sanctuary before him. The prophecy was intended to strengthen weak hands in exile and to demonstrate that the Redemption will surely come; therefore, the prophet was commanded to "see," "hear," and "set your heart" - even to the inner meanings and esoteric secrets, for the earthly Sanctuary corresponds to the heavenly Sanctuary, and all was given by the hand of Hashem, making him wise. In these opening verses, we learned about the outer wall of the Temple Mount all around, measuring one rod in thickness and one rod in height; about the measuring rod of six amos, each amah consisting of six tefachim (handbreadths); about the gate of the outer courtyard on the east, with its two thresholds of six amos and a doorpost of one amah in between; about the three guard chambers on each side and their walls; and about the width of the vestibule with its posts (eilim) that narrow the entrance from ten amos to eight. And in the words of the Tosafos Yom Tov: whoever occupies himself with the design of the Third Temple will merit to witness its rebuilding.