Rabbi Yose represents the physical element that supports the element of intellect. . . . This matches Rabbi Yose's advice to be a 'good neighbor,' because a neighbor is a person whose residence is merely adjacent, as opposed to a 'friend' who joins with his companion. . . . As advice for personal development, Rabbi Yose says that one should be a 'good neighbor' to the intellect and reach out beyond one's grasp to pursue abstract conceptual insights. At the practical, social level, he advises one to be a good neighbor even with people who are not close friends. This advice exactly fits the intellect, which Rabbi Shimon personifies.
Intellect is like a lamp that illuminates the darkness.
A good heart. He exemplifies the heart, the root of one's physical and spiritual strengths. The heart is the seat of understanding and it is the source of life for all the limbs. Therefore he says that a good-hearted person is the way to pursue goodness, for both personal growth and within society. The exception is Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel.