Daily Tanach – Yechezkel Chapter 41 – The Inner Temple and Its Chambers
- Measurements of the Heichal (Sanctuary) – Verses 1–4
Yechezkel is brought into the Temple proper (the Heichal). The entrance pillars each measure six cubits, and the doorway is ten cubits wide with five‑cubit sideposts on each side.
Inside, the Heichal is forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.
Going inward into the Holy of Holies, the entrance is measured again, and the innermost room is twenty cubits by twenty cubits.
The man guiding Yechezkel declares: “This is the Holy of Holies.”
- The Side Chambers Around the Temple – Verses 5–11
The wall of the Temple is six cubits thick. Built around it are side cells, each four cubits wide, arranged in three stories of thirty‑three rooms.
These rooms do not rest on the Temple wall itself, but on ledges built around it, expanding outward as they ascend—so the upper stories are wider than the lower stories. This creates a spiraling ascent from the bottom rooms up through the middle to the top.
A surrounding space (“clear area”) of twenty cubits encircles the Temple, with entrances to these side chambers facing north and south.
- The Rear Structure (Western Building) – Verses 12–14
Behind the Temple is a large building measuring:
- 70 cubits wide,
- with walls 5 cubits thick,
- and total length 90 cubits.
The combined measurement of the Temple, rear building, and intervening walls equals 100 cubits east‑to‑west.
Likewise, the width of the Temple frontage and rear building totals 100 cubits north‑to‑south.
- Interior Decoration and Paneling – Verses 15–21
The walls, doorways, and chambers are lined with wooden paneling from floor to window height.
All surfaces are decorated with cherubim and palm trees, each cherub flanked by palm trees.
Every cherub has two faces:
- the face of a man,
- and the face of a young lion,
facing toward the palms.
These carvings cover the walls of the Temple from floor to ceiling.
The entrance to the Inner House and the doorway of the Holy are square in shape.
- The Wooden Altar/Table – Verse 22
Yechezkel sees a wooden altar‑table:
- three cubits high,
- two cubits long,
with wooden corners and sides.
The man tells him: “This is the table that is before the Lord.”
- Doors and Doorways of the Heichal – Verses 23–26
Both the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies have double doors—each door consisting of two folding panels (two panels per door).
These doors are also carved with cherubim and palm trees, matching the walls.
A wooden beam spans the front of the Hall (Ulam).
Narrow windows and palm decorations appear throughout the Hall’s side walls, supports, and beams.
Key Themes of Yechezkel Chapter 41
- Holiness Expressed Through Precision
Every measurement, doorway, panel, chamber, and engraving reflects the sanctity and divine order of the future Third Temple.
- Symbolic Imagery: Cherubim and Palms
The cherubim and palmtrees symbolize innocence, divine protection, and flourishing spiritual life.
- Unity of Structure
The symmetry and repeated measurements emphasize the harmony and spiritual completeness of the Temple complex.
