R. 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.
“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.
According 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.
What 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.
But 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.’
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (תהילים כ״ד:א׳) לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר לַיְיָ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ. הָא תָּנִינָן לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר דְּאָמַר שִׁירָתָא וּלְבָתַר שָׁארַת עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ קַדִּשָׁא, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד דְּשָׁארַת עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ קַדִּישָׁא וּלְבָתַר אָמַר (לה) שִׁירָתָא.
R. 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.
לַיְיָ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ, הַאי קְרָא עַל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמָר דְּאִיהִי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּמְלוֹאָהּ דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברי הימים ב ה׳:י״ד) כִּי מָלֵא כְבוֹד יְיָ אֶת בֵּית יְיָ. וּכְתִיב, (שמות מ׳:ל״ד) וּכְבוֹד יְיָ מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. מַאי מָלֵא וְלָא מִילָא. אֶלָּא מָלֵא וַדַּאי דְּאִתְמַלְיָיא מִכֹּלָּא. דְּאִתְמַלְיָיא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא. סִיהֲרָא שְׁלִים בְּכָל סִטְרִין. מָלֵא מִכָּל טוּבָא דִלְעֵילָא. כְּאִסְקוֹפָא דָא דְּאִתְמַלְיָיא מִכָּל טוּבָא דְּעָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב לַיְיָ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ. תֵּבֵל וְיוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ דָּא שְׁאָר אַרְעָאן.
“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.
דָּבָר אַחֵר לַיְיָ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ דָּא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בָהּ. וּמְלוֹאָהּ אִלֵּין נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא (ד"א ל"ג דכלהון מליין לה) אִתְמַלְיָיא (ד"א דאתמלייא) מִנַּיְיהוּ מֵחֵילָא דְּעַמּוּדָא חַד דְּעָלְמָא קָיְימָא עֲלֵיהּ.
According 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.
וְאִי תֵימָא עַל חָד קָיְימָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, (תהילים כ״ד:ב׳) כִּי הוּא עַל יַמִּים יְסָדָהּ. כִּי הוּא. מַאן הוּא. דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר הוּא עָשָׂנוּ. וּכְתִיב, (איוב כ״ח:כ״ד) כִּי הוּא לִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ יַבִּיט.
עַל יַמִּים יְסָדָהּ וְעַל נְהָרוֹת יְכוֹנְנֶהָ אִלֵּין שִׁבְעָה עַמּוּדִים דְּקָיְימָא (ארעא) עֲלַיְיהוּ וּמַלְיָין לָהּ. הִיא אִתְמַלְיָיא מִנַּיְיהוּ, הֵיךְ אִתְמַלְיָיא מִנַּיְיהוּ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ זַכָּאִין בְּעָלְמָא כְּדֵין אַרְעָא דָּא עַבְדַּת פֵּירִין וְאִתְמַלְיָיא מִכֹּלָּא.
What 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.
וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבִין בְּעָלְמָא כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, (איוב י״ד:י״א) אָזְלוּ מַיִם מִנִּי יָם וְנָהָר יֶחרָב וְיָבֵשׁ. אָזְלוּ מַיִם מִנִּי יָם, דָּא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאֲמָרָן דְּאִשְׁתַּקְיָא מִשַּׁקְיוּ עִלָּאָה. וְנָהָר יֶחֱרָב וְיָבֵשׁ, הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא חַד דְּקָאִים עֲלָהּ לְאִתְנָהֲרָא מִנֵּיהּ. וְנָהָר יֶחֱרָב וְיָבֵשׁ כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו נ״ז:א׳) הַצַּדִּיק אָבַד.
But 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.’