출애굽기 15:11의 주석

באלם means AMONGST THE MIGHTY, just as (Ezekiel 17:13) “and the mighty of (אילי) the land he took away”; (Psalms 22:20) “O, thou my strength (אילותי) hasten to my help”.

WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE, O ETERNAL, ‘BA’EILIM’. “I.e., among the mighty ones, just as in the verses: And ‘eilei’ (the mighty) of the land he took away;¹⁷⁸Ezekiel 17:13. ‘eyaluthi’ (O Thou my strength), hasten to help me.”¹⁷⁹Psalms 22:20. Thus the language of Rashi.
Now it is true that the word eilim is an expression of power and strength, but Who is like unto Thee ‘ba’eilim’ is a reference to the angels who are called eilim, the usage of the word being similar to that in the verse, This is ‘E-ili’ (my G-d), and I will glorify Him,¹⁸⁰Verse 2. and the Holy One, blessed be He, is called E-il Elyon (G-d the Most High)¹⁸¹Genesis 14:18. above all powers. Similarly, And he shall speak strange things against the G-d of ‘eilim’¹⁸²Daniel 11:36. is like the expression, He is G-d of gods.¹⁸³Deuteronomy 10:17. Also, Ascribe unto the Eternal, O ye ‘b’nei eilim’ (sons of might)¹⁸⁴Psalms 29:1. is like the expression b’nei ha’elohim,¹⁸⁵Genesis 6:2. since they are at times called eilim or b’nei eilim, and sometimes also ha’elohim or b’nei elohim. Thus: For the Eternal is greater than all ‘ha’elohim;’¹⁸⁶Further, 18:11. And the ‘b’nei ha’elohim’ came to present themselves before the Eternal.¹⁸⁷Job 1:6. Some scholars¹⁸⁸Reference is to R’dak, who mentions this point clearly in his Sefer Hamichlal, and quotes the verses mentioned here. If b’nei is not in the construct state, b’nei eilim will not mean “sons of the mighty ones,” as it would if the word b’nei were in the construct state. Instaed, it means “the sons who are the mighty ones.” say that the word b’nei is not in the construct state, nor are these expressions: b’nei shileishim,¹⁸⁹Genesis 50:23. In the construct state, it would mean “children of the third generation,” i.e., the fourth generation. In the non-construct state, it would mean “children who were the third generation.” ‘anshei’ (men) portrayed upon the wall.¹⁹⁰Ezekiel 23:14. The point here is that the word anshei (men) is vocalized with a tzeirei, as is the rule in the construct state. See Vol. I, p. 503. Yet it is not in the construct state. So also the word b’nei, although vocalized with a tzeirei, is not in the construct state. And this is the meaning of Who is like Thee, ‘ne’edar’ (majestic) in holiness? since there is no adir (lofty one) like Him in the celestial holy abode. And so we find in the Mechilta:¹⁹¹Mechilta on the verse here. “Who is like unto Thee among those who serve before Thee in heaven, as it is said, For who in the skies can be compared unto the Eternal, who among the sons of might can be likened unto the Eternal, a G-d to be feared in the great council of the holy ones?”¹⁹²Psalms 80:7-8.

מי כמוכה בא-לים; Moses praised the Lord for His third war, the one against the Egyptian cavalry of the second quality. G’d’s incomparable stature consists in His ability to change the nature of phenomena in the universe which had previously been considered as indestructible, inviolate, impervious to any attempt by man to influence their nature in any way.

מי כמוך באלים השם, "Who is comparable to You amongst the deities O Lord?" Israel describes that they had seen the guardian angel of Egypt die; hence they could say that absolutely no celestial force compares to the Lord our G'd.

מי כמוך בא-לים ה' מי כמוך נאדר בקודש!; this is another example of the poetic repetitions we have been remarking on previously in connection with the line ימינך ה' וגו. The meaning of the verse therefore is: “who among the divine powers which are exalted can compare to You in this respect?”

מי כמוך באלים, “who is comparable to You among the celestial powers?” Rashi simply explains the word אלים as חזקים, powerful terrestrial forces. Nachmanides writes that while it is true that this is generally the meaning of the word חזקים, in this verse, seeing that the comparison has been made to the Lord, there would be no point if the Torah would only describe the Lord as mightier than terrestrial forces; ordinary celestial forces are known as אלים as opposed to the Lord Who is described as אל עליון, the supreme celestial force. Rather, Moses compares G’d as superior to the mightiest angels.

מי כמכה באלים ה' מי כמכה נאדר בקדש, “Who is like You amongst the heavenly powers, who is like You majestic in holiness!” The additional letter ה both times at the end of the word כמך is an allusion to the attribute of Justice; the first one refers to the “weaker” attribute of Justice, this is why the letter כ at the beginning is weak,” i.e. without dagesh. This attribute is merely a conduit having received its input from the “strong” attribute of Justice. This is why the second word כמכה is spelled with the dagesh in the first letter as it describes the original attribute of Justice, not its delegate. It originates in the region Moses described as קדש.

As is written: “For You, silence is praise.” Therefore, when a person prays, [as in the first blessing of the Amidah,] he should conclude [his praises of Hashem] with the word הנורא . For it is written (Devarim 10:17): “God of all gods, Master of all masters, Hashem, the Great, the Mighty, the Awesome ( הנורא ).” And so with all [other praises of Hashem. One should not add more than was fixed by Scripture and Chazal.]

V.11. Wie ימינך וגו׳ V. 6 u. 7 das Resultat des erlebten Gottessieges über soziale Gewalten zusammenfasst, so מי כמכה וגו׳ das Resultat der erschauten frei schaltenden Gottesherrschaft über Naturgewalten. Wohl gibt es אֵלים, bewegende, wirkende Naturmächte, allein, obgleich man sie vergöttert, sind sie gebunden durch die Ordnung, die du gesetzt und die sie allgewaltig fesselt. Du allein bist frei, bist nicht durch die Naturordnung, nicht durch dein eigen Werk gebunden, schaltest frei über dein Werk und über die von dir geschaffenen Kräfte und Mächte, die die Menschen vergöttern. —

מי כמכה, “who is comparable to You?” The reason this question has been repeated is that it refers to two different verses. The first one is verse 8, where the wind, ברוח אפיך, the wind issuing forth from G–d’s nostrils, is described as making the waves assume an upright posture; the second wind in verse 10 describes a natural wind at work but blowing constantly in the same direction. Wind emanating from the nose is basically hot, as opposed to wind emanating from arctic regions. Here the phenomena were reversed, the wind emanating from G–d’s nostrils resulting in the waters congealing, as a result of which the waters piled up upon layer after layer; the wind emanating from natural causes covered the Egyptian soldiers and their chariots so that they drowned. In accurate versions of the Torah scrolls the word באלם, is spelled without the letter י, so that it does not refer to deities, but refers to אלמים, the dumb, describing how very often G–d, even though He had good reason to raise His voice in protest, remained silent. (Talmud tractate Gittin, folio 56)

מי כמוכה באלם, “Who is like you among deities?” the letter י is missing in the word אלים. It is a hint of the inability of any socalled deities to even use the power of speech that ordinary human beings possess. They are totally dumb. Moses uses it here slightly differently by hinting that only our G-d can remain absolutely silent even when provoked. This degree of selfcontrol is found nowhere else.

נורא תהלות means Thou art an object of dread so that people do not recount thy praises fearing lest these may be enumerated less then they really are, just as it is written (Psalms 65:2) “To Thee, silence is praise”.

NORA TH’HILOTH’ (FEARFUL IN PRAISES). “He is feared by those who recount His praises lest they enumerate fewer than there really are, [and thus fail to praise Him adequately], just as it is written, To thee silence is praise.”¹⁹³Ibid., 65:2. Thus Rashi’s language. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra also explained “that all who praise Him are fearful when praising His Name, for Who can make all His praise to be heard?¹⁹⁴Ibid., 106:2. And they are duty-bound to praise His Name, for He alone does wonders.”
In my opinion, nora th’hiloth means: “fearful with praises, for He does fearful things and He is praised for them, as when He wreaks vengeance on those who transgress His will and thereby helps those who serve Him. Thus He is [both] feared and highly praised.” And because earthly kings are feared because of their oppression and perverseness,¹⁹⁵Isaiah 30:12. Moses said that G-d is feared through the very things for which He is praised. Similarly, To Thee ‘dumiyah’ is praise¹⁹³Ibid., 65:2. means, by way of the plain meaning of Scripture, “that hoping to Thee is praise, for all who hope to Thee obtain their wish, and they praise Thy Name in Zion and there they perform their vows¹⁹⁶See Psalms 65:2. which they have vowed in the time of their trouble.” The usage [of the word dumiyah as “hope”] is similar to that found in these verses: Only to G-d ‘dumi’ (wait) thou, my soul, for from Him cometh my hope;¹⁹⁷Ibid., 62:6. One who hopes waits in expectation of something to happen. ‘vayidom hashemesh’ and the moon stayed.¹⁹⁸Joshua 10:13. It is generally translated: And the sun stood still. Ramban obviously takes it to mean: “and the sun ‘waited,’” a term akin to hoping, for he who hopes waits. Similarly, Only to G-d ‘dumiyah’ my soul¹⁹⁹Psalms 62:2. means: “only to G-d doth my soul hope.” Thus it appears to me.
In the name of other scholars,²⁰⁰Mentioned by R’dak in his Sefer Hashorashim, under the root of damah, in the name of “some commentators.” I have heard that it means: “to Thee, praise becomes silent, for no amount of praise can fathom Thy great and fearful deeds.” The usage is similar to the verse: And at night there is no ‘dumiyah’ (respite) for me.²⁰¹Psalms 22:3. Accordingly, the meaning of the expression, O G-d, in Zion²⁰²Ibid., 65:2. The verse reads: To Thee ‘dumiyah’ praise, O G-d in Zion, and unto Thee the vow is performed. Now Ramban had first presented his own interpretation that the word dumiyah means hope, and the purport of the verse is that hoping to G-d is praise, for all who hope to G-d obtain their favor from Him and then they praise His name in Zion where they come to perform their vows. But according to the explanation of the other scholars, i.e., that dumiyah expresses a sense of silence, the verse means: “praise unto Thee becomes silent, O G-d Who dwells in Zion, for no amount of praise can fathom Thy deeds, and unto Thee the vow is performed.” is “the G-d Who is in Zion.” That is to say, the One Who dwells there. The correct interpretation is as we have said, [i.e., that dumiyah signifies “hope”].

נאדר בקודש, that which is קודש, holy, is by definition something indestructible. This is what our sages meant (Sanhedrin 92) when they stated that the righteous people who will be resurrected in the future will never again return to their dust. They based this on Isaiah 4,3 הנשאר בציון והנותר בירושלים........ קרוש יאמר להם, “and those who remain in Zion and are left in Jerusalem, all who are inscribed for life in Jerusalem, shall be called holy.” The Talmud concludes: “what is the meaning of the word נאדר used here by Moses? There is none such as the Lord Who is known to be eternal, King over even all other holy beings, the ones that are also of an enduring nature, not mortal or subject to decay. This is the reason why there is no one else who is entitled to be worshipped, exalted, obeyed, etc. Anything that is infinite had its origin in the Lord, Who is not only infinite but also eternal.

נורא תהלות, the praises that have been heaped upon You by them are based on the reverence and awe of the people extending them. (compare 14,31 וייראו העם את ה', “the people were in awe and reverence of the Lord”).

מי כמוך נאדר בקודש, “who is comparable to You, mighty in holiness.” In the domain of holiness there is no one who can compare to You.

Another dimension of this verse is based on an observation in Chagigah 16 where our sages draw a comparison between G'd and terrestrial kings. The latter is unrecognisable when he chooses to hide amongst his people (soldiers). G'd is never unrecognisable when He is surrounded by His armies. The word באלים means that even when G'd is amongst celestial forces, He is immediately recognised as such.

בקדש. Die absolute, — durchaus unabhängige, durch nichts bedingte, von nichts abhängige und durch nichts gehinderte und zu hindernde — Freiheit des Seins, Wollens und Vermögens, ist der Begriff der קדושה, die in eigentlichem Sinne nur von Gott zu prädizieren ist. קדוש לד׳, relativ, ist das von allem andern losgesagte, absolut für Gott mit seinem Sein, Wollen und Vermögen Bereitstehende. קדושה des Menschen ist der höchste Grad der sittlichen Freiheit, in welcher das sittliche Wollen gar keinen Kampf mehr zu bestehen hat, sondern absolut für den Willen Gottes bereit ist. (Daher auch umgekehrt קָדֵש, der höchste Grad sittlicher Entartung, in welcher das Schlechte keinen Kampf mehr zu bestehen hat, das vollendete Bereitsein für das Schlechte. Es ist ein ähnlicher Gegensatz wie כבוד und כָבֵד, wo dieses denselben Begriff im Materiellen, den jenes im geistig sittlichen Gebiete bedeutet). Der Grundbegriff ist vollendetes Bereitsein, daher auch das lautverwandte גדיש: das völlig reife, für den Menschen in Haufen bereitstehende Getreide. Die Form קדושה kommt in תנ׳׳ך nicht vor. Dafür: קדֶש, das sowohl den abstrakten Begriff קדושה, als auch einen Gegenstand, Kreis, Raum bezeichnet, der den Charakter der קדושה trägt. Ps. 77, 14 wird ein Rückblick auf diese Gottestat am Meere mit den Worten eingeleitet: אלקים בקדש דרכך מי אל גדול כאלקים und ebenso Ps. 68. 25: ראו הליכותיך אלקי׳ הליכות אל מלכי בקדש. Das auf Gottes Wink vor dem unschuldig Verfolgten, Rettung gewährend, scheu zurücktretende, und ebenso auf Gottes Wink auf den schuldvollen Verfolger vernichtend niederstürzende Meer hatte für immer Gott in seinem absoluten, sittlich und mächtig freien Wollen und Walken gezeigt, hatte ihn נאדר בקדש machteinzig in der Heiligkeit des Seins, Wollens und Vermögens erkennen lassen. Dieses קדש, diese absolute Freiheit des Seins, Wollens und Könnens macht Ihn zu dem Einzigen und scheidet alle andern von Menschen vergötterten Gewalten und Mächte völlig von Ihm, dem Einzigen, macht die אלים eben zu .לא־ אל

נורא תהלות, “awesome in splendour.” It is the multiplicity of praises that make the Lord so awesome. We find the expression נורא applied to objects which possess more than the virtues or qualities required for them to live up to their reputations. For instance: המדבר הגדול והנורא הוא, “that great and awesome desert.” (Deuteronomy 1 19.) Or, Maleachi 3,23: לפני בא יום ה' הגדול והנורא, before the arrival of that great and awesome day.”: [The author quotes more examples. Ed.]

נורא תהלות, anyone aware of the marvelous attributes of His cannot fail but recite these praises in awe, not because he is afraid of being punished but because the very nature of G’d inspires awe and reverence.

נורא תהלות, “too awesome for praise.” Rashi explains that G’d is too awesome for us to begin praising him, lest we omit some praises and become guilty of belittling Him. Nachmanides explains that being awesome in praise means being praised for having performed awesome deeds. The reason why Moses chooses these comparisons is because this is the way Kings of flesh and blood are praised. We do not possess the yardsticks to praise G’d in terms of celestial norms, seeing we have no access to that region. What is described is that G’d is praised by people who observe how He pays back people who have oppressed others and treated them violently.

According to the Mechilta there is still another meaning to this comparison between G'd and other powers; whereas a king of flesh and blood inspires greater fear amongst his distant subjects than amongst those near at home, the reverse is true of G'd as we know from Leviticus 10,3: בקרובי אקדש. The composer of this song bemoans the fact that in the "distance," i.e. in the celestial regions, G'd is revered at all times, whereas here on earth He is revered only when He displays such miracles as the splitting of the sea, i.e. when He is נאדר בקדש.

הלל ,תהלות, siehe Jeschurun (VIII S. 170). תהלה, ist das Wort, in welchem die Strahlen der Gottestaten wiederstrahlen, somit: das Gott in seinen Taten besingende Wort. נורא תהלות drückt nun wohl den Gedanken aus: indem wir hier im begeisterten Worte die Strahlen der erlebten Gottestaten wie in einen Fokus in uns sammeln, ist die erste Wirkung: יראה, daß wir ihn fürchten lernen, dass er uns in seiner mit Allmacht und Allgegenwart gepaarten Gerechtigkeit für immer gegenwärtig bleibt, und wir in seiner allmächtigen, allgerechten Allgegenwart nur ein Ihm wohlgefallendes treues und gehorsames Leben leben. Dieser gottesfürchtige Gehorsam ist die allererste, durch nichts zu ersetzende Frucht, die von der Gotteserkenntnis und deren preisendem Ausdruck erwartet wird. Sie ist es auch, die oben sofort als das Produkt des großen Erlebten verkündet ward: וייראו העם את ד׳! Blasphemien sind alle Lobgesänge Gottes, die nicht Gottesfurcht erzielen, oder die gar Gottesfurcht ersetzen sollen, und das Wort: נורא תהלות bleibt das ernste Kriterium aller seit diesem "Gesang am Meere" und sich ihm bewusst und unbewusst anschließend entstandenen "Gottesverehrungen" auf Erden. תהלות sind die objektiven Gottesanschauungen, יראה, die subjektive bleibende Wirkung derselben.

עושה פלא, “working wonders.!” It is well known that air exhaled through the nose is warm or even hot. It could even be hot enough to cause substances with a low melting point to melt. When G-d was described as exhaling hot air from angry nostrils, the result was that the waters of the sea piled up as blocks of ice instead. On the other hand, when G-d blew forth air from the mouth, these blocks of ice melted instead.

עושה פלא. He accomplishes marvelous, supernatural results, such as the type of pillar of cloud and pillar of fire which were tailored to fit the needs of the Jewish people at that time.

Still another meaning of the comparison drawn by the composer of this song is based on Daniel 7,10 where the waters of the mythical river Dinor are described as the product of the sweat of the Chayot [permanent kind of angels Ed.] which proclaim the holiness of G'd and to whom this is an awe-inspiring experience, i.e. נאדר בקודש (compare Chagigah 13).

פֶלֶא ist die absolute Tat, die rein aus dem freien allmächtigen Willen, unabhängig von der bestehenden Ordnung der Dinge, und größtenteils im Gegensatz zu ihnen geschieht. Wir nennen sie mit einem nicht sehr adäquaten Ausdruck: Wunder; denn Wunder bezeichnet ein Ereignis nur nach seinem Verhalten zu unserem subjektiven Erkenntnisvermögen; — wir staunen es an: und ist nicht, von dieser Seite betrachtet, eben das Gewöhnlichste, die in ihrem Bestande uns ewig dünkende Naturordnung selbst das am meisten zu bewundernde, somit das größte Wunder? פֶלֶא bezeichnet aber das Ereignis nach seinem objektiven Charakter, als das unabhängig von der Naturordnung und im Gegensatz zu ihr Geschehende, das somit eben den einen Einzigen offenbart, der, über der Ordnung der Natur, unabhängig von ihr, über sie gebietet und sich damit eben als freien Schöpfer der Naturordnung verkündet. Das erste uns bewußte פֶלֶא war die Schöpfung der Naturordnung, und jedes fernere Eingreifen Gottes in dieselbe ist ein פלא und bleibt ein פלא, auch wenn wir aufhören, uns darüber zu "wundern", weil wir uns dieser unmittelbaren Wirkungen und Leitungen Gottes täglich bewusst sind. Gleichwohl haben wir deutsch keinen andern Ausdruck als: Wunder. Dieser Bedeutung der Wurzel פלא gemäß heißt auch eine freie, vom sittlichen Gesetze unabhängige, von ihm nicht motivierte Willenstat des Menschen, das Gelübde: פלא und es ist ein scharf präzisierender Ausdruck: איש כי יפליא לנדור נדר. (Bamidbar 6, 2). Also: "Wer ist wie du unter den Göttern, Gott, wer überhaupt wie du, machteinzig in der Heiligkeit! Wir lernen dich fürchten in allen unsern Lobpreisungen als Wundervollbringer."

נורא תהלות עשה פלא, "fearful in praises doing wonders?" Everyone ought to be afraid to tell His praises seeing His deeds are so wonderful that no one is able to acknowledge them adequately. How dare one even express an appreciation of G'd's wonderful works knowing one's own inadequacy?