Gates of Prayer

(1) At three periods of the year, the priests shall raise their hands [to bless the people], in each prayer, [and] four times [in one of them], in the morning, additional, afternoon, and closing [or concluding] prayers. [The three mentioned periods are] on the fast-days, on the fast of the standing men, and on the day of atonement.

MISHNA: At three times in the year priests raise their hands to recite the Priestly Benediction four times in a single day, in the morning prayer, in the additional prayer, in the afternoon prayer, and in the evening in the closing of the gates.. And these are the three times: During communal fasts held due to lack of rain, on which the closing prayer is recited; and during non-priestly watches [ma’amadot], when the Israelite members of the guard parallel to the priestly watch come and read the act of Creation from the Torah, as explained below; and on Yom Kippur.

When the gates close -- The Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Berachot, in the chapter [beginning with] "the morning prayer", defines when the "closing" occurs. One opinion is that it refers to the gates of the temple, and one opinion is that it refers to the gates of heaven, which are closed close to evening at the completion of prayers. And it was customary to add the Neilah prayer on all public fast days the same way we do on Yom Kippur.

that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed will possess the gate of his enemies;

(2) לכל באי שער עירו OF ALL THAT CAME IN AT THE GATE OF HIS CITY — for they all left their work and came to pay their last respect to Sarah (Genesis Rabbah 58:7).

(17) Shaken, he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.”

וזה שער השמים AND THIS IS THE GATE OF HEAVEN — a place of prayer where their prayers would ascend to heaven (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 35).

Genesis Rabbah 69:7 states that the Heavenly Temple is situated immediately opposite the Earthly Temple (so that the Temple at Jerusalem-Bethel may be styled “the gate” to the Heavenly Temple.

(19) Open the gates of victory for me that I may enter them and praise the LORD. (20) This is the gateway to the LORD— the victorious shall enter through it.

(1) WHEN YOUR RELATIVE BECOMES POOR AND SELLS SOME OF HIS PROPERTY [Lev. 25:25)

This text is related (to Prov. 22:22–23): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED…; FOR THE LORD SHALL PLEAD THEIR CAUSE….

The Holy One said to Israel: Do not rob the impoverished because he is impoverished, for I have made him impoverished, and whoever robs him or mocks at him reproaches his maker. (see Lev. 9:2)

It is so stated (in Prov. 17:5): ONE WHO MOCKS A POOR PERSON REPROACHES HIS MAKER.

What is the meaning of (Prov. 22:22): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED? Is there someone robbing the impoverished? Of what does he rob him, when he is impoverished? (Num Rabbah 5:2)

It is simply that, if you are accustomed to maintaining him, [Gk.: pronoein -to plan ahead”), [if] you have reconsidered and said:

How long do I supply him? and [if] you are holding back from giving to him; know that you are robbing him.

Ergo (in Prov. 22:22): DO NOT ROB THE IMPOVERISHED < BECAUSE HE IS IMPOVERISHED >; but maintain him, because there is no other place for him. (Ibid., cont.:) AND DO NOT OPPRESS THE POOR IN THE GATE, lest I stop up the heavens because of you; for they (i.e., the heavens) are also called a gate, where it is stated (in Gen. 28:17):

THIS IS NOTHING BUT THE ABODE OF GOD, AND THIS IS A GATE, THE HEAVENS.

Such is the interpretation of the midrash. Cf. the more traditional 1985 JPS translation: AND THAT (i.e., Jacob’s ladder) IS THE GATEWAY TO HEAVEN. (Prov. 22:23): FOR THE LORD SHALL PLEAD THEIR CAUSE. I am pleading < their cause > with you,¹⁶This expansion comes from the parallel in Tanh., Lev. 2. because I made him poor and you rich. I am inverting my charm¹⁷Gk.: magganon. and will make him rich and you poor. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 22:2): RICH AND POOR MEET; THE LORD MADE THEM ALL. Why? (Prov. 22:23:) FOR THE LORD SHALL PLEAD THEIR CAUSE. Why? Because you are reducing his livelihood (nefesh), if you do not maintain him. Therefore (ibid., cont.): AND HE WILL ROB THE ONES WHO ROB THEM OF LIFE (nefesh).

(1)You shall appoint judges and officers at all your gates [that Adonai your God is giving you for your tribes, so that they may judge people with righteous judgement.]
Deut. 16:18) [Commentary: In biblical times court was generally held at the town gate, perhaps in one of the rooms like those built into either side of Solomonic gates at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer}

This is related to Psalm 147:19: He declares his words to Jacob, his chukkim v'mishpatim to Israel. HIS WORDS = torah (Deut 5:1)HIS STATUTES = midrashim

AND HIS ORDINANCES = judgements The Holy One gave the Torah and the judgments to no one but TO ISRAEL alone. And where is it shown? You learn that when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a dispute with each other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile (goy): Go with me to your courts because he would be transgressing a prohibition, since it is stated (in Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION (goy); AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM.

But were not the peoples of the world commanded concerning litigations, since that is one of the seven commandments of the children of Noah?

AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM? These are the fine points of the law (din). So this is what we teach (in Sanh. 5:2): ONCE UPON A TIME BEN ZAKKAI CROSS-EXAMINED WITNESSES>ON FIG STEMS.

The gemara (Sanh. 41a) explains that a capital offense was involved.

Now the children of Noah are put to death on the evidence of a single witness, with a single judge, and without a warning.... something which does not exist in Israel, since there are three judges in property cases, and there are twenty-three judges in capital cases. (Sand 4:1)