Give, i.e., subtract, from those remaining three handbreadths a half-handbreadth for the width of each wall of the Ark. There remain two handbreadths in which to place the Torah scroll that Moses wrote (see Bava Batra 14a). The width of the Ark was nine handbreadths, as it is written: "And a cubit and a half the breadth thereof" (Exodus 25:10). A cubit is six handbreadths, and a half-cubit is three handbreadths. Therefore, the total width of the Ark is nine handbreadths. And four tablets were placed in the Ark, two tablets were whole and two tablets were broken. What is the source for the fact that the broken tablets were placed in the Ark? As it is written: "And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you did break, and you shall put them in the Ark" (Deuteronomy 10:2). The length of each one of the tablets was six handbreadths and their width was six handbreadths. If one lays the width of the tablets across the width of the Ark, three handbreadths remains there: A half-handbreadth from here, on one side, for the thickness of this wall, and a half-handbreadth from here, on the other side, for the thickness of that wall, and two handbreadths for handling [shilut] in the place where the Torah scroll was placed. It was necessary to leave this space around the Torah scroll in order to allow the insertion and removal of the Torah scroll with ease. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir that is adopted by Rabbi Yoḥanan.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish disagrees with Rabbi Yoḥanan's opinion. He said: The Ark was constructed using a cubit of five handbreadths. Who is the tanna that holds that the Ark was constructed using a cubit of five handbreadths? It is Rabbi Yehuda. As we learned in a mishna there (Kelim 17:10): Rabbi Yehuda says: The cubit used as the unit of measurement for the construction of the walls and the gates was of six handbreadths; the cubit for the vessels was of five handbreadths. And this Ark is a vessel. Therefore, it was constructed with a cubit of five handbreadths. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who said that unit of measurement for the Ark was a cubit of five handbreadths, it was constructed to a length of twelve and a half handbreadths, as it is written: "Two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof" (Exodus 25:10). A cubit is five handbreadths, and another cubit is five handbreadths, and a half-cubit is two and a half handbreadths, which totals twelve and a half handbreadths. And four tablets were placed in the Ark, two tablets were whole and two tablets were broken, as it is written: "And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which you did break, and you shall put them in the Ark" (Deuteronomy 10:2). Each one of the tablets' length was six handbreadths, and its width was six handbreadths. If one lays the length of the tablets across the length of the Ark, a half-handbreadth remains there. This leaves a fingerbreadth, equal to a quarter of a handbreadth, for the wall from here, on one side, and a fingerbreadth for the wall from there, on the other side. According to this opinion, the Torah scroll was not placed in the Ark. The width of the Ark was seven and a half handbreadths, as it is written: "And a cubit and a half the breadth thereof" (Exodus 25:10). A cubit is five handbreadths, and a half-cubit is two and a half handbreadths, which totals seven and a half handbreadths. And four tablets were placed in the Ark, two tablets were whole and two tablets were broken, as it is written: "And I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which you did break, and you shall put them in the Ark" (Deuteronomy 10:2). The length of each one of the tablets was six handbreadths, and their width was six handbreadths. If one lays the width of the tablets across the width of the Ark, one and a half handbreadths remains there: A fingerbreadth for the wall from here, on one side, and a fingerbreadth for the wall from there, on the other side, as well as a half-handbreadth from here, on one side, and a half-handbreadth from here, on the other side, for handling the tablets.

The Gemara continues its discussion of the Ark. How did Bezalel construct the Ark? Rabbi Ḥanina said: He constructed it of three boxes, each one larger than the previous one (see Yoma 72b). Two of them were made of gold and one was made of wood. He placed the smallest box, which was made of gold, in the box of wood, and he placed the box of wood in the box of gold, the largest box. And he then overlaid the lip of the box of wood with gold as well, as it is written: "And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it" (Exodus 25:11). The verse already stated: "You shall overlay it." What is the added meaning when the verse states: "Shall you overlay it?" The added words convey that the upper lip of the wooden box was also covered in gold. Alternatively, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: He constructed one box and overlaid it on all sides with gold, as it is written: "And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it" (Exodus 25:11). According to this explanation, what is the added meaning when the verse states: "Shall you overlay it"? Rabbi Pineḥas said: The added words convey that the area between each board needed to be covered in gold as well, to insure that no part of the Ark lacked a gold covering.

The Gemara continues with discussion of the two tablets. How were the tablets written? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel says: Five on this tablet and five on that tablet. This is as it is written: "And He wrote them upon two tablets of stone" (Deuteronomy 4:13), i.e., five of the Ten Commandments on this tablet and five on that tablet. But the Rabbis say: All of the Ten Commandments were written on this tablet and the same ten were written on that tablet. This is as it is written: "And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even the ten words" (Deuteronomy 4:13). This teaches that there were ten on this tablet and ten on that tablet. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet, as it is written: "And He wrote them upon two tablets of stone" (Deuteronomy 4:13). This teaches that there were twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet. Rabbi Simai said: Forty on this tablet and forty on that tablet, as it is written: "On the one side and on the other were they written" (Exodus 32:15), as a cube [tatroga]. Ḥananya, nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, says: Between each and every statement that was written on the tablets, its precise details and the explanation of its letters were written as well, as it is written: "Filled with beryl [tarshish]" (Song of Songs 5:14). Tarshish is the name of a sea, or more likely, an area of the Mediterranean. The verse is indicating that the Torah is filled with all of these details, like the great sea is filled with waves. When Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish would reach this verse, "Filled with beryl," he would say: The parable that Ḥananya, nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, taught me is appropriate. Just as between one large wave and another large wave there are smaller waves in this sea, so too, the precise details and the explanations of the letters of the Torah were written between each and every commandment.

Due to the differing opinions with regard to the length of the cubit, there are differing opinions with regard to the size of the Ark. It follows that, according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, the Torah scroll was placed in the Ark, while according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, it was not placed there. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: I raised the following difficulty in the presence of Rabbi Pineḥas. The next verse conforms to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda and does not conform to the opinion of Rabbi Meir. What is the source for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda? As it is written: "Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 31:26). This verse indicates that the Torah scroll was placed next to the Ark and not inside it. This is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who said: Where was the Torah scroll placed? A box-like container [gluskiyya] was made for it on the outside, and the Torah scroll was placed inside it. What is the source for the opinion of Rabbi Meir that the Torah scroll was placed inside the Ark? It is as it is written, "And you shall put the Ark cover upon the Ark from above; and in the Ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you" (Exodus 25:21). This verse indicates that first the Ark cover was placed on the Ark, and only subsequently was the testimony, i.e., the tablets, placed inside. Since a previous verse (Exodus 25:16) already commands to put the tablets in the Ark, this second instruction to place the testimony must be referring to the Torah scroll rather than the tablets. This reading is supported by the fact that the instruction to place the testimony follows the instruction to place the Ark cover. The Ark cover must have been put in place first, as the complete Torah scroll did not exist until the end of the fortieth year in the desert, long after the assembly of the Tabernacle and the Ark. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who stated that there is no absolute chronological order in the Torah, the verse can be understand that testimony always refers to the tablets. Therefore, the verse may be understood that first it states: "And in the Ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you," and only afterward it states: "And you shall put the Ark cover upon the Ark from above." Apropos the discussion of the tablets and the Torah, the Gemara cites a further statement on the subject. Rabbi Pineḥas said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: The Torah that the Holy One, Blessed be He, gave to Moses on Mount Sinai was given to him as white fire engraved with black fire. It, the Torah itself, is fire mixed with fire, carved from beneath the throne of glory, which is fire, and given from the One who is fire, as it is written: "At His right hand was a fiery law unto them" (Deuteronomy 33:2).

Halakha 2 · MISHNA The previous mishna mentioned that there were thirteen prostrations in the Temple. Where were these prostrations? There were four in the north of the courtyard, four in the south, three in the east and two in the west, as the thirteen prostrations were facing the thirteen gates of the Temple courtyard. The thirteen gates were as follows: The southern ones, listed in order, beginning with the one adjacent to the western side, were the Upper Gate, and the topography of the courtyard was such that there was an incline on the east-west plane, therefore the gate farthest to the west was higher than the other gates; the Gate of Kindling, through which the priests would bring the wood for the arrangement of fire on top of the altar; the Gate of the Firstborn, through which priests would bring the ritually pure firstborn animals to be sacrificed, as it is permitted to slaughter firstborn animals on the southern side of the courtyard; and the Gate of Water. The mishna elaborates: And why was it named the Gate of Water? Since through it they would bring in the vial