כִּ֤י ׀ כָּל־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָעַמִּ֣ים אֱלִילִ֑ים וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם עָשָֽׂה׃
Ибо все боги народов ничто; Но Господь сотворил небеса.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אל תפנו אל האלילים “do not turn to the “non-deities.” The verse speaks about disembodied spirits beneath the (domain) of the ten emanations; the reason they are called אלילים is that they do possess certain god-like powers. The reason the word is repeated, i.e. אלילים instead of אלים, is to remind the reader that whatever power is displayed by these disembodied spirits is not an independent power but merely something accorded to them by the Creator. They derive their power from another source. This fact prompted the psalmist to say in Psalms 96,5 כי כל אלוהי העמים אלילים וה' שמים עשה, “all the gods of the peoples are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” The psalmist means that the supremacy of Hashem is clearly evident in that He created the Heaven (the entire universe) single-handedly.
ואלהי מסכה, “and molten images, etc.” this refers to images of stars, zodiac signs, etc., which are below the level of these disembodied spirits just mentioned. These molten images are perceived as receiving their power from these stars, etc. The name אלוהי מסכה is appropriate and comparable to what the prophet Isaiah 40,19 described as הפסל נסך חרש, “the molten image is poured by the artisan.”
אני ה' אלוקיכם, “I am the Lord your G’d.” “I exercise control over all levels of phenomena.” We have a similar thought expressed more unmistakably by Solomon in Kohelet 5,7 where he wrote: “for there is One higher than the high Who watches and there are high ones above them.”
The words אל תפנו also include a concept described by David as בידך עתותי, “in Your hand are my times.” (Psalms 31,16). We read in Exodus 3,15 that G’d told Moses concerning hidden meaning in His name, זה שמי לעלם, “normally translated as: ‘this is My name forever.” The fact is that the word forever, לעולם is spelled defective in that verse, the letter ו being missing. This means that G’d has kept something concealed, hidden. Briefly, G’d’s message was that although the believers in the stars and zodiac signs attribute significance to the timing of any action in order to ensure that they will be successful, i.e. under the influence of the horoscope, Jews do not. This is what David had in mind when he spoke about his “fate” being in G’d’s hands, calling his fate עתותי, “what is meant to happen to me at any predetermined point in time.” He expresses his absolute trust in leaving such matters to G’d, not to consulting horoscopes. When G’d concludes our verse by writing אני ה', this is a reminder to the Jewish people that their fate at least is not subject to אלילים, and it would be not only wrong but foolhardy of them to turn to cheap imitations of the real Power in this world.
ואלהי מסכה, “and molten images, etc.” this refers to images of stars, zodiac signs, etc., which are below the level of these disembodied spirits just mentioned. These molten images are perceived as receiving their power from these stars, etc. The name אלוהי מסכה is appropriate and comparable to what the prophet Isaiah 40,19 described as הפסל נסך חרש, “the molten image is poured by the artisan.”
אני ה' אלוקיכם, “I am the Lord your G’d.” “I exercise control over all levels of phenomena.” We have a similar thought expressed more unmistakably by Solomon in Kohelet 5,7 where he wrote: “for there is One higher than the high Who watches and there are high ones above them.”
The words אל תפנו also include a concept described by David as בידך עתותי, “in Your hand are my times.” (Psalms 31,16). We read in Exodus 3,15 that G’d told Moses concerning hidden meaning in His name, זה שמי לעלם, “normally translated as: ‘this is My name forever.” The fact is that the word forever, לעולם is spelled defective in that verse, the letter ו being missing. This means that G’d has kept something concealed, hidden. Briefly, G’d’s message was that although the believers in the stars and zodiac signs attribute significance to the timing of any action in order to ensure that they will be successful, i.e. under the influence of the horoscope, Jews do not. This is what David had in mind when he spoke about his “fate” being in G’d’s hands, calling his fate עתותי, “what is meant to happen to me at any predetermined point in time.” He expresses his absolute trust in leaving such matters to G’d, not to consulting horoscopes. When G’d concludes our verse by writing אני ה', this is a reminder to the Jewish people that their fate at least is not subject to אלילים, and it would be not only wrong but foolhardy of them to turn to cheap imitations of the real Power in this world.
Siftei Chakhamim
That none is comparable to Hashem, among all the Gentile deities and not like your Mighty Rock is their rock. Why does Rashi cite the words and not, etc. [seemingly] for no reason? One might say that he is answering the question: Why the verse does not say, אין כאלהי ישורון (there is none like the God of Yeshurun) as it says (Psalms 96:5), “כל אלהי העמים אלילים (for all the gods of the nations are things of nothingness).” Why does the verse say אין כאל? Regarding this he explains [that the verse means], For not like your [Mighty] Rock is their rock. And אל too is an expression of might as it says (Yechezkel 17:13), And he took away the mighty (אילי) of the land. Therefore it also says אין כאל, which is an expression of might.