יחזקאל, פרק מ׳, פסוק מ״ז

The blueprint of the future Temple introduces a sacred space with entirely new proportions, shifting the focus to the very heart of the holy grounds. At the center of this design is the inner courtyard, known as the Court of the Israelites, which stands directly before the entrance to the Temple [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The main Sanctuary itself, or the hall just before it, was built as a fully roofed structure, contrasting sharply with the open-air courtyards that sat under the open sky [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. The inner courtyard leading up to the Sanctuary is designed as a perfect square, measuring exactly one hundred cubits in both length and width [מצודת ציון]. This marks a dramatic departure from the architecture of the Second Temple, where the Court of the Israelites was a narrow rectangle measuring one hundred and thirty-five cubits long but only eleven cubits wide. In contrast, the future square design creates a vast, open, and far more spacious gathering area for those visiting the Temple [רד״ק, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].

Within this expansive courtyard stands the Altar, positioned directly in front of the Sanctuary walls, right before the entrance [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. It occupies the exact center of the courtyard, sitting precisely midway along both the east-west and north-south axes [מלבי״ם]. While the surrounding spaces are carefully measured, there are different perspectives on whether the Altar itself was part of this measuring process. One approach suggests that the Altar was indeed measured along with the courtyard, though its specific dimensions were simply left unrecorded [רד״ק]. However, another viewpoint firmly rejects this, arguing that the Altar is not mentioned in the context of measurement at all. Instead, it is noted solely to establish its physical location within the courtyard, standing prominently before the entrance to the Sanctuary [אברבנאל].