משנה: מוֹצָאֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חַג הָיוּ יוֹרְדִין לְעֶזְרַת הַנָּשִׁים וּמְתַקְּנִין שָָׁם תִּקּוּן גָּדוֹל וּמְנוֹרוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ שָׁם וּסְפָלִים שֶׁל זָהָב בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶן. וְאַרְבָּעָה סוּלָּמוֹת עַל כָּל־מְנוֹרָה וּמְנוֹרָה וְאַרְבָּעָה יְלָדִים מִפִּרְחֵי כְהוּנָּה וּבִידֵיהֶן כַּדֵּי שֶׁמֶן שֶׁל מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים לוֹג וְהֵן מַטִּילִין עַל כָּל־סֵפֶל וָסֵפֶל: MISHNAH: After the end of the first day of Tabernacles they descended to the women’s courtyard39The one nearest to the entrance to the Temple compound and the largest one. and instituted there a great alteration40The alteration, as described in the Halakhah, was that the courtyard was reserved for men but the women were relegated to a balcony erected for the occasion.. Golden candelabra were there with golden bowls on top41In the Babli version, each candelabrum carried four separate bowls which therefore required four separate ladders to be filled. and four ladders for each candelabrum. Four children42These cannot have been minors but must have been older teenagers since the weight of the oil, not counting the vessels, either was about 12 kg or 48 kg per person. of the young Cohanim, in their hands oil carafes of 120 log, filled each bowl.
הלכה: אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּשֻׁע בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה. כָּל־יָמִים שֶׁלְשִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה לֹא הָיוּ טוֹעֲמִין טַעַם שֵׁינָה כָּל־עִיקָּר. כַּתְּחִילָּה הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לְהַקְרִיב תָּמִיד שֶׁלְשַׁחַר. מִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לְהַקְרִיב אֶת הַמּוּסָפִין. וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין [לְהַקְרִיב נְדָרִים וּנְדָבוֹת. וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין] לוֹכַל וְלִשְׁתוֹת. וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לְהַקְרִיב תָּמִיד שֶׁלְבֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם. וּמִשָּׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לְשִׂמְחַת בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה. וְהָא תַנֵּי. שְׁבוּעָה שֶׁלֹּא אִישָׁן שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ וְיָשֵׁן מִיַּד. מִתְנַמְנְמִין הָיוּ. HALAKHAH: 43Babli 53a, Tosephta 4:5. In Babli and Tosephta the statement is formulated in the first person, “we did not taste.” This is appropriate since he was a Levite involved in the Temple service.“Rebbi Joshua ben Ḥanania said, all during the water-drawing festivity they did not at all taste the taste of sleep. At the start they went to sacrifice the daily morning sacrifice; from there they went to sacrifice the musaf sacrifices; from there they went [to sacrifice vows and voluntary offerings44A vow expresses an obligation to bring a certain kind of sacrifice, whereas a voluntary offering is a dedication of a certain animal as sacrifice. If the animal becomes disqualified after dedication, in the case of a vow the owner has to procure a replacement, but not in the case of the voluntary offering.; from there they went]45Corrector’s addition; unknown source. to eat and drink. From there they went to study Torah; and from there they went to sacrifice the daily evening sacrifice; and from there they went to the water-drawing festivity.” But was it not stated46Babli 53a; Nedarim 2:1 Note 20 (Babli Nedarim 15a). Both Babli sources are Amoraic in the name of R. Joḥanan., “an oath that I shall not sleep for three days,” one whips him47For a vain oath since nobody can go without sleep for three days. and he sleeps immediately? They were dozing48As the Babli explains, R. Joshua did not say that they did not sleep but that they did not taste the taste of sleep..
וּמְתַקְּנִין שָׁם תִּקּוּן גָּדוֹל. מַה תִיקּוּן הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין שָׁם. שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲמִידִין הָאֲנָשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן וְהַנָּשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן. כַּהִיא דְתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן. וַחֲלָקָה הָֽיְתָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְהִקִּיפוּהָ כְצוֹצְטְרָה שֶׁהַנָּשִׁים רוֹאוֹת מִלְמַעְלָן וְהָאֲנָשִׁים מִלְּמַטָּן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מְעוֹרָבִין. מִמִּי לָֽמְדוּ מִדְּבַר תּוֹרָה. וְסָֽפְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת לְבָ֑ד. תְּרֵין אֲמוֹרִין. חַד אָמַר. זֶה הֶסְפֵּידוֹ שֶׁלְמָשִׁיחַ. וְחוֹרָנָה אָמַר. זֶה הֶסָפֵּידוּ שֶׁלְיֵצֶר הָרַע. מָאן דְּאָמַר. זֶה הֶסְפֵּידוֹ שֶׁלְמָשִׁיחַ. מָה אִם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵן אֲבֵילִין אַתְּ אָמַר. הָאֲנָשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן וְהַנָּשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵן שְׂמֵחִים לֹא כָל־שֶׁכֵּן. מָאן דְּאָמַר. זֶה הֶסָפֵּידוּ שֶׁלְיֶצֶר הָרַע. מַה אִם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵין יֶצֶר הָרַע קַייָם אַתְּ אָמַר הָאֲנָשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן וְהַנָּשִׁים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֵּצֶר הָרַע קַייָם לֹא כָל־שֶׁכֵּן. 49Babli 51b/52a.“And instituted there a great alteration.” What alteration did they make there? They caused the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, following what we have stated there50Mishnah Middot 2:5.: “Originally it51The wall of the women’s courtyard. was smooth but they surrounded it with ledges standing out52Greek ʼεξωστήρ “what is standing out”, beams standing out from the wall which for the water-drawing festivities could be covered with planks to create a balcony for the women. This dates the (pharisaic) festivities clearly at a date later than the return from Babylon. that the women could see from above and the men below, so they should not be mixed. From where did they learn? From the words of the Torah: The Land will be lamenting, all families separately53Sach. 12:12(-14). The essence of the proof is from the part of the verses not quoted in the text, ending with v. 14: each family separately and their women separately.. Two Amoraim, one said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, but the other one said, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations54According to the Babli, the Messiah referred to here is the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph who will be killed in the war of Gog (Ez. 39). When evil inclinations will be abolished, it will appear to the just ones like a big mountain and they will cry because they could not believe they overcame such a big obstacle, but to the sinners it will appear as a small lump and they will cry for they could not overcome such a little obstacle.. He who said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, if at the moment they are mourning you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when they are merry not so much more? He who says, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations, if there are no evil inclinations you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when evil inclinations exist not so much more!
וּמְנוֹרוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב הָיוּ שָׁם. בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר. וְגוֹבְהָן מֵאָה אַמָּה. וְהָא תַנֵּי. כָּל־דִּתְלִי מֵאָה אַמִּין בָּעֵי בַסִיס תַּלְתִּין וּתְלַת. סוּלְמָא מִיּכָּא תַּלְתִּין וּתְלַת וְסוּלְמָא מִיּכָּא תַּלְתִּין וּתְלַת. וְהָתַנֵּי. כָּל־הָעֲזָרָה לֹא הָֽיְתָה אֶלָּא אוֹרֶךְ מֵאָה וֹשְׁמוֹנִים וָשֶׁבַע עַל רוֹחָב מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ. אַשְׁכַּח תַּנֵּי. מְקוֹמָן מַעֲשֵׂה נִיסִּים הָיוּ. “Golden candelabra were there.” Bar Qappara said, their height was 100 cubits55In the Babli 52b, “50 cubits”.. But did we not state, anything reaching 100 cubits needs a basis of 33? A ladder on one side and 33, and a ladder on the other side and 33; but was it not stated, the entire courtyard was only 187 long by 135 wide56Mishnah Middot 5:1. If good architectural practice requires that a brick wall 100 high not be steeper than about 72°, then two brick candelabra side by side will fill 132=4×33 cubits; with two ladders it more than fills the entire width of the courtyard, crowding out the people.? It was found stated: Their place was by a wonder57Or the candelabra were mounted on metal poles..