Lishkat HaMelach

The chamber of the salt: this is where the salt used to salt the korbanot is taken from. The easternmost of the three chambers of the south wall.

Dimensions

• in the south, within the Azara, against the inner face of the wall
• the easternmost of the three, separated from the other two by Sha'ar HaBekhorot
• door to the east, the foot of the kevesh passing one ama from its north face

Sources

• Middot 5:3“לִשְׁכַּת הַמֶּלַח, שָׁם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים מֶלַח לַקָּרְבָּן”
• Rambam, Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 5:17“שְׁמוֹנֶה לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ בְּעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל. שָׁלֹשׁ בַּצָּפוֹן. וְשָׁלֹשׁ בַּדָּרוֹם”
• Tosafot Yom Tov Middot 5:3“שְׁמַעִינַן דְּהָכָא מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב קָא חָשֵׁיב דֶּרֶךְ כְּנִיסַת הָעֲזָרָה”

Project decisionAdopted: the distribution of Yoma 19a and the Rambam (Beit HaBechirah 5:17) — Melach, Parva and Medichin in the south, Etz, Gola and Gazit in the north. The standard text of Middot 5:3–4 reverses the two sides; Tosafot Yom Tov (Middot 5:3) notes the variant. The Rambam also places these chambers “in the Ezrat Israel”; the tour sets them against the wall of the Azara. Their east-west order follows Tosafot Yom Tov (Middot 5:3). Tour's choice: their position along the wall, the door on the east and the heaps of salt.