נִתַּן הַסֶּכֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִים רַבִּים, אֵלּוּ הַכַּשְׂדִים, דִּכְתִיב (ירמיה לט, ג): וַיָּבֹאוּ כֹּל שָׂרֵי מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּשַׁעַר הַתָּוֶךְ. מַהוּ בְּשַׁעַר הַתָּוֶךְ, מָקוֹם שֶׁמְחַתְּכִין בּוֹ אֶת הַהֲלָכוֹת. וַעֲשִׁירִים בַּשֵּׁפֶל יֵשֵׁבוּ, זֶה סַנְהֶדְרִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה ב, י): יֵשְׁבוּ לָאָרֶץ יִדְּמוּ,
“Folly is set on great heights, and the wealthy sit in lowliness” (Ecclesiastes 10:6). “Folly is set on great heights” – these are the Chaldeans, as it is written: “All the princes of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate” (Jeremiah 39:3). What is the Middle Gate [shaar hatavekh]? It is the place where they determine [meḥatkhin] the halakhot. “And the wealthy sit in lowliness” – this is the Sanhedrin, as it is stated: “They will sit on the ground and be silent [the elders of the daughter of Zion]” (Lamentations 2:10).