[Avodah] length of the aron

[Zev Sero]

Eli Turkel wrote:
> I don't suppose we'll ever have the opportunity to carry out the
> experiment for real.>>
> 
> Why not?
> We start building the next bet hamikdash right after tisha ba-av.
> Accepting the view
> that it is built by man - some carpenter will have to do the measurements

1. The original aron is still wherever Yoshiahu Hamelech hid it.
2. Even if we have to build a new one, the carpenter will only measure
it, not the KhK where it is to be kept.  Meanwhile the person who builds
the KHK will measure that, but not the aron.  And the Kohen Gadol on YK
is unlikely to agree to do this experiment, and I'm not even sure he'd
be allowed to bring the ruler in - does "bezot yavo Aharon el hakodesh"
exclude anything else?  (The act of measuring on Yom Kippur wouldn't be
a problem, because ein shevut bamikdash.)

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas