佐哈尔·诺克 23

1R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Of David a psalm. The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof (Ps. 24, 1). He said: ‘We have been taught that the heading “Of David a psalm” in the Book of Psalms implies that David began to compose of himself and thereby induced the Holy Spirit to rest on him, whereas the heading “A psalm of David” implies the opposite, viz. that the Holy Spirit rested on him first, and under its inspiration he was moved to song.

2“The earth” here refers to the holy land of Israel, and by the words “and the fulness thereof” is meant the Shekinah, which is associated with fulness in the verses “for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (I Kings 8, 2), and again, “and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Ex. 40, 35). This last passage means literally “the glory of the Lord was full” (male), i.e. full to overflowing, full from all sides both from the sun and the moon like a storehouse filled with all kinds of good things. Similar is the sense of the words “and the fulness thereof here. The words “the world and they that dwell therein” refer to the rest of the world.

3According to another view, the words “the earth and the fulness thereof” refer to the supernal Holy Land in which is the delight of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the words “the fulness thereof” refer to the souls of the righteous who fill this earth.

4Come and behold: In the verse, "For He has founded it upon the seas" (Ps. 24:2). (Regarding) the words "For He". Who is He? He is the Holy One, blessed be He. The meaning of this is similar to that of the words,: "It is He who made us" (Ps. 100:3) and that of, "For He looks to the ends of the earth" (Job. 28:24).

5What is meant by “the righteous filling the earth” is this. When the righteous multiply in the world, then the earth is truly productive and filled with goodness.

6But when the wicked multiply in the world, then it may be said that “the waters cease from the sea, and the river is drained dry” (Job 14, 11), the “sea” being the Holy Land, which is watered by the supernal stream.’