יחזקאל, פרק מ״א, פסוק כ״ג

The architecture of the Temple featured an intricate system of gates designed to separate its various sacred spaces. The entrances leading into the main Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies, also known as the Devir, were built with a particularly complex design. The mention of doors in these entryways does not merely state the obvious fact that a gate has a door, but rather emphasizes the presence of a specialized double system of doors [רד״ק].

There are different ways to understand how this double system was arranged. One perspective suggests that each entrance contained two doors closing toward the middle, with one attached to the northern doorpost and the other to the southern doorpost [רש״י]. Another approach focuses on the sheer depth of the entranceway, explaining that two separate sets of doors were installed within the thick walls of the opening itself: one set facing the interior of the room, and the other facing the outside [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. These ideas ultimately merge to describe a structure where each entrance actually contained two pairs of doors, making a total of four doors per gate.

Detailing exactly how these four doors functioned, [אברבנאל] records an ancient discussion regarding their movement. One view argues that the outer doors opened into the deep doorway to cover the thickness of the wall, while the inner doors opened directly into the room. The inner doors specifically opened inward to cover the wall behind them, as the entire interior of the room was plated with gold except for the blank spaces hidden behind these open doors. Alternatively, the doors operated using a sophisticated folding mechanism. In this setup, both the inner and outer sets of doors stood entirely within the depth of the entranceway. Built with hinges, they folded back onto themselves. When fully opened and folded together, their exact dimensions allowed them to seamlessly cover the bare walls within the thickness of the entryway.