267. Rabbi Elazar then quoted the verse, "Haleluyah. I will praise Hashem with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation" (Tehilim 111:1). This verse has already been explained, yet come and behold, King David worshiped the Holy One, blessed be He, all his life. He would rise at midnight to praise and offer thanks in songs and hymns to establish his place in the kingdom above.
268. He knew that when the northern wind stirred at midnight, the Holy One, blessed be He, rose in the Garden of Eden to delight Himself with the Righteous. David therefore rose at that time and strengthened himself with songs and praises until morning.
269. This is because the Holy One, blessed be He, is then in the Garden of Eden. We have explained that He and all the Righteous in the Garden would listen to his voice, as it is written, "the companions hearken for your voice, cause me to hear it" (Shir Hashirim 8:13). A thread of grace would also be drawn upon him by day, as we learned from the verse, "in the daytime Hashem will command his steadfast love, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Tehilim 42:9). Moreover, the words of Torah he uttered DURING THE NIGHT would rise and be adorned before the Holy One, blessed be He. King David, therefore, would devote the whole night to the worship of his Master.
270. Come and behold, "Haleluyah." From all the songs and hymns David had sung, the greatest was Haleluyah, as has been explained. What is the reason for this? It contains both a name and praise. HE ASKS, What are they? The name is Yah, but what of the praise? The praise is the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS THE NUKVA CALLED HALEL, BECAUSE it perpetually offers praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, and is never silent, as it is written, "Do not keep silence, Elohim: do not hold Your peace, and be still, El" (Tehilim 83:2), because it offers continuous praise before Him. This is why a name and praise together ARE HINTED AT IN THE WORD HALELUYAH (LIT. 'PRAISE YAH').
271. "I will praise Hashem with my whole heart." It has already been explained THAT WITH THE WHOLE HEART MEANS with the Good Inclination and the Evil, which are constant companions to man, as was explained in reference to "with all your heart" (Devarim 6:5). THIS MEANS THAT THE GOOD INCLINATION DWELLS IN THE RIGHT PART OF THE HEART, AND THE EVIL INCLINATION IN THE LEFT PART. IT IS TRUE IN THIS CASE AS WELL.
272. " ...In the assembly of the upright ..." refers to Yisrael, WHO ARE CALLED 'UPRIGHT,' BECAUSE all the grades are adorned through them, the priests and Levites, the Righteous and the pious, who are upright. " ...In the congregation," has the same meaning as "stands in the congregation of El" (Tehilim 82:1). They are the mystery with which the Holy One, blessed be He, adorns Himself.
273. It therefore behooves a man to constantly praise the Holy One, blessed be He, because He desires songs and hymns. Whoever knows how to properly praise the Holy One, blessed be He, will find that He accepts his prayer and delivers him. This is the meaning of the verse, "I will set him on high, because he has known My name ...with long life will I satisfy him" (Tehilim 91:14-16).