Reb Shimon said that he can free הדין מן כולו העולם כל, "The entire world, entirely, from judgment." It seems redundant, כולו ...כל, as both mean entire. The same question can also be asked on the tefillah of Rosh Hashanah, כולו העולם כל על מלוך, "Be king over the entire world, entirely." Indeed, the Levush (582:8) changes the nusach to בכבודך כולו העולם על מלוך and removes the word כל.
However, the Taz (528:8) answers that there is a concept of ככולו רובו, that the majority is considered like the entirety. So we clarify that when we request that Hashem be king over the world, our intention isn't רובו ככולו, that the majority of the world should accept Hashem as king. We want Hashem’s kingdom to be recognized over כולו העולם כל, the entire world. Every person, without exceptions, should know Hashem and accept Him as King.
Similarly, we can explain that Reb Shimon says that he can save הדין מן כולו העולם כל, that every single person will be saved. No issue or problem will remain unresolved.
In parashas Korach (16:3), we find once again the double expression of "everyone" when it states כולם העדה כל קדושים, "For the entire congregation is all holy." The Siforno says that this means they are holy ראש עד רגל מכף, from toe to head. Their entire body and essence are holy. We can, therefore add that when Reb Shimon said, הדין מן כולו העולם כל לפטור אני יכל, that he can save the entire world from the judgment, this means that from head to toe of each person, there will be health and salvations, and nothing will be lacking.
How do they redeem us from judgment and punishment?
Reb Akiva Eiger (Gilyon HaShas on Succah 45:) indicates that it is because Reb Shimon explains to Hashem the big yetzer hara and challenges that the Jewish people have, and therefore, they aren't entirely responsible for their shortcomings in avodas Hashem.
Often, in a few words, Reb Akiva Eiger teaches us major lessons. On the margin of the Gemara (Succah 45:), where Reb Shimon said that he could redeem all people from punishment, Reb Akiva Eiger zt'l writes that we should refer to Avos d'Reb Noson (ch.16). It states there that Reb Shimon bar Yochai said, "The Jewish nation doesn't go to Gehinom" because they aren't guilty of their aveiros. It is the yetzer hara who causes them to sin.
Reb Shimon elaborates with a mashal: A king owned an unfertile field that never grew crops. A group of people requested to lease a portion of the land from the king, and in exchange, they would pay the king ten kur of wheat each year. The king agreed to the deal. But after a year of hard work, the field only produced one kur of wheat. The king rebuked them. "You told me you would pay me ten kur!" They replied, "Our master, our king: You know that this field is infertile. All those years you owned it, it produced nothing. For a year’s time, we plowed, sowed, fertilized, pruned, and irrigated the field. We tried our best, and still, it only produced one kur of wheat. Please don’t hold it against us. We tried our best."
Reb Shimon bar Yochai concludes, "This is the defense the Jewish nation will say to Hakadosh Baruch Hu on the day of judgment. They will say, 'Master of the world, You know the yetzer hara entices us to sin. As it states (Tehillim 103:14), יצרנו ידע הוא כי, 'For He knew our nature.' So, please don’t hold us responsible for our poor performance. We tried our best." Reb Akiva Eiger tells us that it is with this claim that Reb Shimon bar Yochai will free all people from judgment.
