As between the tabernacle and the altar there were ten cubits, so from the hangings to the entrance of the court there were ten cubits. But you could not know how high was the entrance of the court, till he said, “And for the gate of the court shall be a hanging of twenty cubits,” in length and height. In breadth it was five cubits. “There was no meaning in saying five cubits, and what is the meaning of saying five cubits?” “To instruct thee that its length was ten cubits, and its breadth five cubits.” As was the entrance of the tent, so was the entrance of the court. As was the entrance of the court, so was the entrance of the sanctuary. As was the height of the entrance of the sanctuary, so was the breadth of the entrance of the porch. “The length of the court shall be 100 cubits, and the breadth of it fifty everywhere.”(632) The oral law says, “Take fifty and surround them with fifty.”(633) Hence said Rabbi José, the son of Rabbi Judah,(634) “an enclosed space which can contain two seahs (of sown grain) as the court of the tabernacle, is lawful for carrying burdens on the Sabbath day.” Chapter VI The ark which Moses made in the desert was in length two cubits and a half, and in breadth one cubit and a half, and in height one cubit and a half, as is said, “And they shall make an ark of shittim-wood, two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.”(635) R. Meier said, “with a cubit containing six hand-breadths—thus they make fifteen hand-breadths. Take from them twelve hand-breadths for the breadth of the tables, and two hand-breadths for the place where the roll of the Law lay, and half a hand-breadth from either side for the thickness of the ark. And the breadth of the ark was nine hand-breadths. Take from them six hand-breadths for the length of the tables, and for the place where the roll of the Law lay, two hand-breadths, that it should not be pressed going in and out, and half a hand-breadth on either side for the thickness of the ark.” R. Judah said, “with a cubit containing five hand-breadths, thus there were twelve hand-breadths and a half, and four tables lay in it—two perfect, and two broken. And the length of each table was six hand-breadths, and their breadth six, and their thickness three. Take from them twelve hand-breadths for the breadth of the tables, and a finger-breadth on either side for the thickness of the ark.” And the breadth of the ark was seven hand-breadths and a half. Take from them six hand-breadths for the length of the tables, and one hand-breadth for the place where the handles (pillars) lay; and on it the explanation of the prophets is, “King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver.”(636) And (there was) a finger-breadth on either side for the thickness of the ark, but the roll of the Law was put on the side, as is said, “And put it in the side of the