361. Rabbi Shimon started by quoting: "Thus says the Hashem Elohim. The gate of the inner courtyard that faces the east shall be shut the six days of work; but on the Shabbat day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened" (Yechezkel 46:1). He said that we should closely examine this verse, because there is a secret here. It says, "shall be shut the six days of work;" but why SHOULD IT BE SHUT?

362. Because the six days are the ordinary (non holy) days, and the gate should be shut so that the ordinary does not make use of the sacred. "But on the Shabbat day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened," because at those times, the sacred makes use of the sacred, and the moon, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, shines in order to unite with the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN.

363. Come and behold: This gate is not opened during the six ordinary days because during these days, the lower world, WHERE THE KLIPOT AND THE EXTERNAL FORCES RESIDE, is nourished. These common days, WHICH ARE THE OTHER SIDE, rule over all the world except the land of Yisrael.

364. And these COMMON DAYS that rule OUTSIDE THE LAND OF YISRAEL have no rule over the Holy Land, because of the closed gate. But on Shabbat and the new moon, THE KLIPOT are all removed FROM THIS WORLD and do not rule it. When the gate is opened, the world is happy and receives nourishment from it, and the world is not under the influence of the another power.

365. If you claim that these six days can rule alone, come and behold: the words, "that which faces the east (lit. 'before')" REFER TO THE GATE THAT FACES the time BEFORE when THE KLIPOT took over. It used to perpetually look at the world, EVEN DURING THE SIX DAYS OF THE WEEK. But now THE GATE is only open to allow for the world's nourishment from Holiness on Shabbat and the new moon. THEREFORE, all the days, NAMELY ALL THE SIX DAYS OF WORK, cling onto the day of Shabbat and are replenished by it. On that day, all the gates are opened and all, the upper and the lower beings, are pleased. THE SIX DAYS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHINE IF THEY WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THE DAY OF SHABBAT, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE MALNOURISHED. Come and behold: "And Hashem came down to see." He came down from the holy to the ordinary to see what they had built, TO SEE THE CITY AND THE TOWER, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH OF THE KLIPAH, THAT THEY HAD ERECTED for the world to worship.

366. Rabbi Yitzchak was sitting in front of Rabbi Shimon, and asked him: What did these people see that caused them to do such a foolish thing as to unite to rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He? Rabbi Shimon answered that we have already learned from the words, "and it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east," that they traveled from above downward, from the land of Yisrael, and went down into Babylon. There they said, 'This is the place in which to settle.'

367. "And let us make us a name..." And the help from below shall be connected to this place, OUTSIDE OF THE LAND OF YISRAEL. For when Judgment comes to abide in the world, this place will be in opposition to it. From this place, the world will gain its sustenance and joy, because from above, FROM THE LIGHTS THAT ARE DRAWN FROM BELOW UPWARD, the world has scarce nourishment. And not only that, but we shall ascend and rise up to the heavens and declare war on Him, so that He shall not bring a Great Flood on earth as He did before.