167. "Now will I praise Hashem..." Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with the verse, "I will praise Hashem with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation" (Tehilim 111:1). HE ASKS, Why is it written, "with my whole heart (Heb. levav)," instead of THE MORE COMMON lev? HE ANSWERS, David, in the supernal secret of the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, wanted to praise the Holy One, blessed be He. "I will praise Hashem with my whole heart," MEANS with both the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination, THE TWO HEARTS, THAT IS, THE TWO INCLINATIONS THAT DWELL IN THE HEART, the two sides, right and left.
168. "...In the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation..." refers to the other aspects of this world, THE NUKVA, for the whole heart resembles south and north, CHESED AND GVURAH. "In the assembly of the upright," are the other sides, which are altogether six EXTREMITIES formed in the likeness of above, THAT IS, IN THE IMAGE OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. They abide "in the assembly of the upright," NAMELY, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, "and in the congregation (Heb. edah)," which refers to the place of Judah, NAMELY, MALCHUT. It is also written, "And my Testimony (Heb. edoti) that I shall teach them" (Tehilim 132:12), WHICH REFERS TO THE ORAL TORAH, MALCHUT.
169. It is written, "Judah still rules (Heb. rad) with El" (Hoshea 12:1). THIS MEANS THAT JUDAH - MALCHUT CONNECTED TO YUD HEI VAV HEI - WENT DOWN (HEB. YARAD) FROM THE SIX-SIDED NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI TO THE NAME El, A NAME OF MALCHUT, IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "AND AN El WHO HAS INDIGNATION EVERY DAY" (TEHILIM 7:12). It is also written, "I will praise You with my whole heart: before princes (lit. 'Elohim') I will sing praise to You" (Tehilim 138:1), TO THE NAME ELOHIM, AND NOT THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, because he praised this grade OF MALCHUT, CALLED 'ELOHIM,' in order to unite it with the right side OF CHASSADIM. THEREFORE, IT IS WRITTEN HERE, "I WILL PRAISE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART (HEB. LIBI)," AND NOT LEVAVI, BECAUSE HE PRAISED ONE PLACE ONLY, THAT IS, MALCHUT OF THE LEFT, WHICH DOES NOT CLEAVE TO THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI.
170. Come and behold, THE NAME Judah is attached to all sides. It is attached to the south and the east because JUDAH comes from the left side. It starts in the north and holds to the south. From there it goes to the right side, CHESED, and takes hold of the body, TIFERET. AND SO IT HOLDS ALL THE SIDES. Therefore, it is written, "Now will I praise Hashem," WHICH INDICATES THAT IT INCLUDES ALL THE SIDES. In the phrase, "and she left off (lit. 'stood from') bearing," 'stood' means that she stood firm, stood properly, FOR NOW THAT SHE HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO FOUR SONS, REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI, AND JUDAH - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT - the entire holy Chariot is fixed, WHICH IS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT.
171. Rabbi Shimon went to the country, where he chanced to meet Rabbi Aba, Rabbi Chiya, and Rabbi Yosi. When he saw them, he said, It behooves us to hear new expositions of the Torah. The three sat with him. When Rabbi Shimon turned to leave, each of them opened the discussion with a verse IN HONOR OF RABBI SHIMON.
172. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse, "And Hashem said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him: Lift up now your eyes, and look" (Beresheet 13:14). HE ASKS, Is Abraham to inherit land according to his range of vision? For how far can a man see - three, four, or five parasangs? And the scripture says, "for all the land which you see..." (Ibid. 15).
173. HE ANSWERS, Because he saw the four winds of the world, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "NORTHWARD, AND SOUTHWARD, AND EASTWARD, AND WESTWARD," he saw the whole land. For the four winds of the world comprise the whole world. Another explanation is that the Holy One, blessed be He, lifted him above the Land of Yisrael, THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, and showed him that it is connected to the winds of the world, THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE CHARIOT. Then he saw everything. Similarly, whoever sees Rabbi Shimon sees the whole world, BECAUSE HE, TOO, COMPRISES THE WHOLE WORLD. He is the joy of high and low.
174. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with the verse, "the land on which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed" (Beresheet 28:13). HE ASKS, Did the Holy One, blessed be He, promise him only this place, a mere four or five cubits, and no more? HE ANSWERS, At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, folded the whole land of Yisrael underneath him, so that this place included the whole land. If this place included the whole land, then Rabbi Shimon, the luminary of the whole land, is of equal value with the whole world.
175. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse, "Now will I praise Hashem." HE ASKS, Did it not behoove her to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, for each of the sons she bore and not only this son? HE ANSWERS, Judah is the fourth son of the throne, BEING MALCHUT, THE FOURTH LEG, and he completed the throne. Therefore, Judah alone perfects the throne; he is the pillar that supports all the other pillars, BECAUSE HE COMPLETES THE THRONE. How many lights shine because of Rabbi Shimon, who illuminates the world much more with the Torah, BEING THE PILLAR OF ALL PILLARS.