Shekalim Chapter 6, Mishnah 4: The Thirteen Tables in the Beis Hamikdash

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Before us is Mishnah 4 of chapter 6. The first Mishnah of this chapter mentioned that there were thirteen tables in the Mikdash, and our Mishnah comes to describe them one by one: what material each table was made of, where it stood, and what its function was.

"Shelosha asar shulchanos hayu ba'Mikdash":

"Shemonah shel shayish b'veis hamitbechayim" - eight tables made of marble, which stood in the area where the animals were slaughtered. "She'aleihen medichin es hakeravayim" - this was their function: rinsing the innards of the animals.
"U'shnayim b'ma'arav hakevesh" - two additional tables, which stood on the western side of the ramp of the Mizbe'ach: "echad shel shayish v'echad shel kesef".
- "Al shel shayish hayu nosnim es ha'evarim" - on the marble table they placed the limbs of the offering before bringing them up onto the Mizbe'ach.
- "Al shel kesef - klei shareis" - on the silver table they placed the service vessels, the vessels designated for use in the avodah.

Worth noting: the Mishnah in Avos counts among the miracles of the Beis Hamikdash that the flesh of the offerings never became putrid, and nevertheless they specifically used a marble table, whose purpose is to keep the limbs cool and prevent them from spoiling - for "one does not rely on a miracle."

The two tables in the Ulam:

"U'shnayim ba'ulam mibifnim, al pesach habayis" - two tables that stood in the Ulam, which serves as a kind of porch before the Heichal, right in front of the entrance to the Bayis - meaning the entrance to the Heichal itself - "echad shel shayish v'echad shel zahav".

"Al shel shayish nosnim lechem hapanim bichnisaso" - on the marble table they placed the lechem hapanim on its way in, a temporary placement before it was brought into the Heichal, and the marble table was chosen in order to keep it cool.
"V'al shel zahav biytziaso" - the gold table was used on its way out, when the lechem hapanim was removed on the following Shabbos, so that the kohanim could divide it among themselves and eat it.

And why, on its way out, was it placed on a table of gold and not on a table of marble? The Mishnah explains: "She'ma'alin ba'kodesh" - the lechem hapanim rested all week on the gold table in the Heichal, and in matters of holiness we elevate and do not lower. Once it stood on gold, it may not be lowered and placed on a table of mere marble.

And the thirteenth and final table is the gold table inside the Heichal, upon which the lechem hapanim rested permanently.

In summary: our Mishnah listed the thirteen tables in the Mikdash: eight of marble in the slaughtering area for rinsing the innards; two on the west of the ramp - one of marble for the limbs and one of silver for the service vessels; two in the Ulam at the entrance to the Bayis - one of marble for the lechem hapanim on its way in and one of gold on its way out, because in matters of holiness we elevate and do not lower; and the thirteenth table - the gold table in the Heichal, upon which the lechem hapanim always rested.

Original maamar

אות שקלים ו:ד

שְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר שֻׁלְחָנוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, שְׁמוֹנֶה שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ בְּבֵית הַמִּטְבְּחַיִם, שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶן מְדִיחִין אֶת הַקְּרָבַיִם. וּשְׁנַיִם בְּמַעֲרַב הַכֶּבֶשׁ, אֶחָד שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ וְאֶחָד שֶׁל כֶּסֶף עַל שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים אֶת הָאֵבָרִים, עַל שֶׁל כֶּסֶף כְּלֵי שָׁרֵת. וּשְׁנַיִם בָּאוּלָם מִבִּפְנִים עַל פֶּתַח הַבַּיִת, אֶחָד שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ וְאֶחָד שֶׁל זָהָב, עַל שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ נוֹתְנִין לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ, וְעַל שֶׁל זָהָב בִּיצִיאָתוֹ, שֶׁמַּעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין. וְאֶחָד שֶׁל זָהָב מִבִּפְנִים, שֶׁעָלָיו לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים תָּמִיד: This mishna details the exact location and purpose of the thirteen tables in the Temple. There were thirteen tables in the Temple. Eight of them were made of marble and were located in the slaughtering area, north of the altar, where the priests would slaughter the offerings of the most sacred order. Upon these tables they would wash the innards of the offerings, as the marble was cool and preserved the freshness of the meat. And there were two more tables on the western side of the ramp, south of the altar, one of marble and one of silver.On the table of marble they would place the limbs before they were sacrificed, and from there the priests would bring them up to the altar. On the table made of silver they would place the ninety-three sacred vessels brought out from the Chamber of Vessels each morning for the services of that day. And there were two tables in the Entrance Hall to the Sanctuary, on the inside of the Entrance Hall, near the opening to the Temple, one of marble and one of gold. On the table of marble they would put the shewbread before its entrance to the Sanctuary after it was baked on the eve of Shabbat. And they would place the old shewbread on the table of gold upon its exit from the Sanctuary, to be divided among the priests. The reason the shewbread was placed on a marble table before being brought into the Sanctuary and on a golden one upon when removed from there is that one elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade. Since it had been placed on the golden Shewbread table all week inside the Sanctuary, upon its removal it could not be derogated to a marble table and so was placed on a different golden table in the Entrance Hall. Finally, there was one table of gold inside the Sanctuary, i.e. the Shewbread table, upon which the shewbread was placed always.