R. Simeon began his discourse with the verse: Thussaith the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that looketh towards the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened (Ezek. 46, 1). He said: ‘If this verse is attentively considered, it is found to contain an allusion with which we are familiar. The reason why the gate is to be shut on the six working days is in order that the profane should not make use of the sacred;
“but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened”, since in this case the sacred makes use of the sacred, and so the moon comes then to form a junction with the sun.
The reason why that gate is not to be opened on the six working days is because from them this lower world draws sustenance, and they have control of the whole world with the exception of the Land of Israel:
that land cannot be touched by them because the gate is shut. But on the Sabbath day and on the day of the new moon they are removed from control because the gate is open, and the world is in festivity and derives its sustenance from there, and is not under any other power.
But think not that the six days have the sole dominion, even when they are in control, for we are told that that gate “looketh towards the east”, i.e. the Eternal; for the Eternal, even before they assumed control, had the world under His observation, only the gate is not to be opened, so that the world should not receive sustenance from the sacred source save on Sabbath and new moons. Indeed, all the days are attached to the Sabbath day, from which they draw their sustenance, and on which all the gates are opened, and rest is vouchsafed to all on high and below. Similarly here, THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE, i.e. He descended from the sacred to the profane, in order to survey what they had built and what steps they had taken to establish an idolatrous worship.’
R. Isaac was once studying with R. Simeon and put to him the question: ‘How could these people have been so foolish as to raise a rebellion against the Holy One, blessed be He, and what is more, with such unanimity?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘That has already been explained, and the answer is indicated in the words, “And it came to pass when they journeyed miqedem” (from the Eternal), which means that they proceeded downwards, from above to below, from the Land of Israel to Babel. They said that that was just the right place to which to attach themselves.’
There, too, the whole world could obtain nourishment in abundance, for from the higher realm sustenance could only be procured with difficulty. And furthermore, they said, we will ascend into heaven and make war against it so as to prevent it bringing a flood on the world as before.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח (ואמר) (יחזקאל מ״ו:א׳) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ אֱלֹהִים שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית הַפּוֹנֶה קָדִים יִהְיֶה סָגוּר שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וּבְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת יִפָּתֵחַ וּבְיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ יִפָּתֵחַ. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ. וְאִיהוּ רָזָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. יִהְיֶה סָגוּר שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. אַמַּאי (וביום השבת יפתח וביום החדש יפתח וגו'. אמאי יהיה סגור כל אנון יומין דששת ימי המעשה).
R. Simeon began his discourse with the verse: Thus saith the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that looketh towards the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened (Ezek. 46, 1). He said: ‘If this verse is attentively considered, it is found to contain an allusion with which we are familiar. The reason why the gate is to be shut on the six working days is in order that the profane should not make use of the sacred;
אֶלָּא אִלֵין יְמֵי חוֹל. דְּתַרְעָא דָא יִהְיֶה סָגוּר דְּלָא לְאִשְׁתַּמָּשָׁא חוֹל בְּקוּדְשָׁא. וּבְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת יִפָּתֵחַ וּבְיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ יִפָּתֵחַ. דְּהָא כְּדֵין שִׁמּוּשָׁא (דקודשא בריך הוא) דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּקוּדְשָׁא. וּכְדֵין אִתְנְהִיר סִיהֲרָא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּשִׁמְשָׁא.
“but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened”, since in this case the sacred makes use of the sacred, and so the moon comes then to form a junction with the sun.
תָּא חֲזֵי, תַּרְעָא דָא לָא אִתְפַּתַּח בְּאִנּוּן שִׁתָּא יוֹמֵי דְּחוֹל. בְּגִין דְּהָא בְּאִנּוּן יוֹמֵי דְּחוֹל עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה אִתְּזָן וְשָׁלְטִין כָּל אִנּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין דְּחוֹל עַל עָלְמָא בַּר בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
The reason why that gate is not to be opened on the six working days is because from them this lower world draws sustenance, and they have control of the whole world with the exception of the Land of Israel:
וְאִנּוּן דְּשָׁלְטֵי לָא שָׁלְטֵי בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּגִין דְּהַשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה אִיהוּ סָגוּר. אֲבָל בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וּבְיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ כֻּלְהוּ מִתְעַבְּרָן וְלָא שָׁלְטִין בְּגִין דְּהַשַּׁעַר הַזֶּה אִיהוּ פָּתוּחַ וְעָלְמָא אִיהוּ בְּחֶדְוָה וְאִתְּזָן מִתַּמָּן וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב עָלְמָא לִרְשׁוּ אָחֳרָא.
that land cannot be touched by them because the gate is shut. But on the Sabbath day and on the day of the new moon they are removed from control because the gate is open, and the world is in festivity and derives its sustenance from there, and is not under any other power.
וְאִי תֵימָא דְּכָל אִנּוּן שִׁית יוֹמִין אִנּוּן שָׁלְטִין בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַפּוֹנֶה קָדִים. עַד לָא יְקוּמוּן לְשַׁלְטָאָה אִיהוּ אִסְתַּכַּל תָּדִיר בְּעָלְמָא. אֲבָל לָא אִתְפַּתַּח לְאִתְזְנָא עָלְמָא מִקּוּדְשָׁא בַּר בְּיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא וּבְיוֹמָא דְחָדְשָׁא. וְכֻלְהוּ יוֹמִין כֻּלְהוּ אִתְדַּבְּקָן בְּיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא וְאִתְזְנוּ מִתַּמָּן. דְּהָא (ד"א ל"ג כדין) בְּיוֹמָא דְּשַׁבַּתָּא כֻּלְהוּ תַּרְעִין פְּתִיחָן וְנַיְיחָא אִשְׁתְּכַח לְכֹלָּא לְעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיֵּרֶד יְיָ לִרְאוֹת. נָחַת מִקּוּדְשָׁא לְחוֹל (ורדיד פרישא) לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בַּמֶּה דְּבָּנוּ וְקָיְימוּ קִיּוּמָא לְאַתְעָרָא עַל עָלְמָא לְדָחֲלָא לוֹן.
But think not that the six days have the sole dominion, even when they are in control, for we are told that that gate “looketh towards the east”, i.e. the Eternal; for the Eternal, even before they assumed control, had the world under His observation, only the gate is not to be opened, so that the world should not receive sustenance from the sacred source save on Sabbath and new moons. Indeed, all the days are attached to the Sabbath day, from which they draw their sustenance, and on which all the gates are opened, and rest is vouchsafed to all on high and below. Similarly here, THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE, i.e. He descended from the sacred to the profane, in order to survey what they had built and what steps they had taken to establish an idolatrous worship.’
רַבִּי יִצְחָק הֲוָה יָתִיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לֵיהּ מָה חָמוּ אִלֵּין דְּעֲבָדוּ שְׁטוּתָא דָא לְמָרְדָא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכֻלְהוּ בְּעֵיטָא חָדָא אִתְקָיְימוּ בְּדָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָא אִתְּמָר דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם אִתְנְטִילוּ מֵעֵילָא לְתַתָּא. אִתְנְטִילוּ מֵאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְנָחֲתוּ לְבָבָל. אָמְרוּ הָא הָכָא אֲתַר לְמִדְבַּק.
R. Isaac was once studying with R. Simeon and put to him the question: ‘How could these people have been so foolish as to raise a rebellion against the Holy One, blessed be He, and what is more, with such unanimity?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘That has already been explained, and the answer is indicated in the words, “And it came to pass when they journeyed miqedem” (from the Eternal), which means that they proceeded downwards, from above to below, from the Land of Israel to Babel. They said that that was just the right place to which to attach themselves.’
וְנַעֲשֶׂה לָנוּ שֵׁם וְגו' וְיִתְדַּבַּק סִיּוּעָא דִלְתַתָּא בְּאֲתַר דָּא. בְּגִין דְּכַד דִּינָא אָתֵי לְאַשְׁרָאָה בְּעָלְמָא, הָא אֲתַר דָּא לְקֳבְלֵיהּ. וּמֵהָכָא אִתְהַנֵּי עָלְמָא וְיִתְּזָן. דְּהָא לְעֵילָא דְּחִיקוּ אִיהוּ לְאִתְזְנָא עָלְמָא מִנֵּיהּ. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא אֲנַן נִסַּק לִרְקִיעָא וְנַגַּח בֵּיהּ קְרָבָא דְּלָא יֵחוֹת (ביה) טוֹפָנָא בְּעָלְמָא כְּדִבְקַדְמִיתָא:
There, too, the whole world could obtain nourishment in abundance, for from the higher realm sustenance could only be procured with difficulty. And furthermore, they said, we will ascend into heaven and make war against it so as to prevent it bringing a flood on the world as before.’