יחזקאל, פרק מ״ב, פסוק ב׳

The architecture of the future Temple courtyard follows a precise and deliberate order, where every chamber and open space is carefully aligned with the rest of the complex. As the prophet is guided to the northern chambers within the outer courtyard, the careful measurements reveal a profound sense of proportion and design.

The chambers extend for one hundred cubits from east to west. This specific length is not arbitrary; it perfectly matches the hundred-cubit measurement established earlier for the separated area and the walls of the main building [רד"ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The starting point for this measurement begins in the east, as biblical directions traditionally orient themselves eastward, making it the natural origin for calculating the structure's length [מלבי"ם].

The main doorway of these chambers faces north, opening directly toward the outer courtyard. The primary approach among commentators is that this entrance provides immediate access to the open space. However, another perspective suggests a more intricate path through the building. In this view, a person would first enter through a smaller southern door, walk across the interior of the chamber, and then step out through the main northern doorway onto the pavement of the outer courtyard [מלבי"ם].

The width of the structure, running from north to south, measures exactly fifty cubits. Just like the length, this dimension is carefully coordinated, corresponding directly to the proportions of the Temple's inner gates [רד"ק]. These specific measurements create a distinct spatial arrangement. Since the outer courtyard has a total width of one hundred cubits, constructing the chambers to be only fifty cubits wide leaves a large, unobstructed area in front of them. The result is a vast open plaza, one hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide, which serves as a spacious separation between the chamber entrances and the northern wall of the outer courtyard [רש"י, מצודת דוד].