168. Rabbi Yehuda quoted: "For David, a psalm. The earth is Hashem's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell in it" (Tehilim 24:1). We have learned that wherever it is written: "For David, a psalm," it means that he chanted a song and afterward the Holy Spirit rested upon him. But where it is written, "A psalm of David," it means that the Holy Spirit rested upon him and then he chanted the song.
169. "The earth is Hashem's, and the fullness thereof." This verse refers to the land of Yisrael, which is the Holy Land, while "the fullness thereof" refers to the Shechinah. As it is written: "For the glory of Hashem had filled (lit. 'is full') house of Elohim" (II Divrei Hayamim 5:14) and, also, "and the glory of Hashem filled the Tabernacle" (Shemot 40:35). SO THE WORDS "FILLED" AND "THE FULLNESS THEREOF" REFER TO THE SHECHINAH. But, why IS IT WRITTEN "full" and not "filled?" Because, assuredly, She is full of everything; meaning that She is filled by the sun. The moon, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, is filled and completed BY THE RIGHTEOUS; She is filled with all the goodness from above, like a treasure box filled with the riches of the world. That is to what the verse, "The earth is Hashem's and the fullness thereof," refers. But the words, "the world, and they that dwell in it" were said in reference to countries OTHER THAN THE LAND OF YISRAEL.
170. Another explanation of the verse, "The earth is Hashem's and the fullness thereof" is that these words refer to the upper Holy Land, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires. And the term 'fullness' refers to the souls of the righteous, which fill THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE with the power of pillar THAT IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, upon which the whole world stands. IN OTHER WORDS, ALL THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, IS RECEIVED FROM YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. AND THIS IS WHY THE WORLD IS CONSIDERED TO STAND UPON IT.
171. If you wonder, does THE WORLD stand upon one PILLAR? Come and behold: In the verse, "For He has founded it upon the seas" (Tehilim 24:2), the words "For He" refer to the Holy One, blessed be He. The meaning of this is similar to that of the words,: "It is He who made us" (Tehilim 100:3) and that of, "For He looks to the ends of the earth" (Iyov 28:24).
172. The words, "For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods" refer to the seven pillars upon which THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE is founded and by which she is filled. THESE ARE THE SEVEN SFIROT: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN. SO RABBI YEHUDA ASKS: How is she filled by them? AND HE ANSWERS: When the righteous multiply in the world, the land, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, produces fruit and is filled with everything.
173. But the verse says that when the wicked multiply in the world, "the waters fail from the sea, and the river is parched, and dries up" (Iyov 14:11). The place where "The waters fail from the sea" is the Holy Land, as previously mentioned. AND THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE is watered by the supernal stream. "THE WATERS FAIL," while "the river is parched, and dries up" refers to the pillar upon which she is founded, NAMELY YESOD, WHICH IS NOW ARID - PARCHED AND DRY. "The river is parched, and dries up" IS THE EQUIVALENT OF "The righteous perishes" (Yeshayah 57:1), THE RIGHTEOUS BEING YESOD, WHICH IS CALLED 'RIGHTEOUS.'