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Ramban on Exodus 15:11/רמב"ן על שמות ט״ו:י״א

אמִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִים ה' בַּחֲזָקִים, כְּמוֹ "וְאֶת אֵילֵי הָאָרֶץ לָקָח" (יחזקאל יז יג), "אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה" (תהלים כב כ). לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות ט"ו:י"א). וּבֶאֱמֶת שֶׁהַלָּשׁוֹן לְשׁוֹן תֹּקֶף וְחֹזֶק, אֲבָל מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי מַעְלָה שֶׁהֵם נִקְרָאִים אֵלִים, מִלְּשׁוֹן "זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ" (שמות ט"ו:ב'), וְהקב"ה נִקְרָא אֵל עֶלְיוֹן עַל כֻּלָּם, וְכֵן "וְעַל אֵל אֵלִים יְדַבֵּר נִפְלָאוֹת" (דניאל יא לו), כְּמוֹ "הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" (דברים י יז), וְכֵן "הָבוּ לַה' בְּנֵי אֵלִים" (תהלים כט א), כְּמוֹ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, כִּי יִקָּרְאוּ אֵלִים וּבְנֵי אֵלִים, וְכֵן יִקָּרְאוּ הָאֱלֹהִים וּבְנֵי אֱלֹהִים, "כִּי גָדוֹל ה' מִכָּל הָאֱלֹהִים" (שמות י"ח:י"א), "וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל ה'", (איוב א ו). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים (הרד"ק בספר המכלול י ב) כִּי "בְּנֵי" אֵינֶנּוּ סְמִיכוּת, וְכֵן "בְּנֵי שִׁלֵּשִׁים" (בראשית נ כג), "אַנְשֵׁי מְחֻקֶּה עַל הַקִּיר" (יחזקאל כג יד). וְזֶה טַעַם מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁאֵין כָּמֹהוּ אַדִּיר בִּמְעוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ בַּשָּׁמַיִם. וּבַמְּכִילְתָּא (כאן), מִי כָמֹכָה בְּאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם מְשַׁמְּשִׁים לְפָנֶיךָ בַּמָּרוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פט ז ח) "כִּי מִי בַשַּׁחַק יַעֲרֹךְ לַה', יִדְמֶה לַה' בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים, אֵל נַעֲרָץ בְּסוֹד קְדֹשִׁים רַבָּה":

1WHO 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;¹⁷⁸ ‘eyaluthi’ (O Thou my strength), hasten to help me.”¹⁷⁹ 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,¹⁸⁰ and the Holy One, blessed be He, is called E-il Elyon (G-d the Most High)¹⁸¹ above all powers. Similarly, And he shall speak strange things against the G-d of ‘eilim’¹⁸² is like the expression, He is G-d of gods.¹⁸³ Also, Ascribe unto the Eternal, O ye ‘b’nei eilim’ (sons of might)¹⁸⁴ is like the expression b’nei ha’elohim,¹⁸⁵ 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;’¹⁸⁶ And the ‘b’nei ha’elohim’ came to present themselves before the Eternal.¹⁸⁷ Some scholars¹⁸⁸ 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,¹⁸⁹ ‘anshei’ (men) portrayed upon the wall.¹⁹⁰ (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:¹⁹¹ “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?”¹⁹²

בנוֹרָא תְהִלּוֹת יָרוּא מִלְּהַגִּיד תְּהִלּוֹתָיו פֶּן יִמְעֲטוּ, כְּמוֹ "לְךָ דוּמִיָּה תְהִלָּה" (תהלים סה ב). לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות ט"ו:י"א). וְגַם ר"א פֵּרֵשׁ כִּי כָּל הַמְּהַלְּלִים יְרֵאִים לְהַלֵּל שְׁמוֹ, כִּי מִי יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ, וְהֵם חַיָּבִים לְהַלֵּל שְׁמוֹ כִּי הוּא לְבַדּוֹ עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי כִּי טַעַם נוֹרָא תְהִלּוֹת שֶׁהוּא נוֹרָא בִּתְהִלּוֹת, כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה דְּבָרִים נוֹרָאִים וּמִתְהַלֵּל בָּהֶם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נְקָמוֹת בְּעוֹבְרֵי רְצוֹנוֹ וְהוֹשִׁיעַ בָּהֶם אֶת עֲבָדָיו, וְהִנֵּה הוּא בָּזֶה נוֹרָא וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד. וּבַעֲבוּר כִּי מַלְכֵי אֶרֶץ נוֹרָאִים בְּעֹשֶׁק וְנָלוֹז, אָמַר כִּי ה' הוּא נוֹרָא בַּדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הוּא מְהֻלָּל בָּהֶם. וְכֵן "לְךָ דוּמִיָּה תְהִלָּה" עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, הַתּוֹחֶלֶת לְךָ תְּהִלָּה, כִּי כָל הַמְּיַחֲלִים לְךָ יָפִיקוּ רְצוֹנָם וִיהַלְלוּ שִׁמְךָ בְּצִיּוֹן וִישַׁלְּמוּ שָׁם אֶת נִדְרָם אֲשֶׁר נָדְרוּ בְּעֵת צָרָתָם, מִלְּשׁוֹן "אַךְ לֵאלֹהִים דּוֹמִּי נַפְשִׁי כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תִּקְוָתִי" (תהלים סב ו), "וַיִּדֹּם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עָמָד" (יהושע יג י). וְכֵן "אַךְ אֶל אֱלֹהִים דּוּמִיָּה נַפְשִׁי", מְיַחֶלֶת. כָּךְ נִרְאֶה לִי. וַאֲחֵרִים שָׁמַעְתִּי אוֹמְרִים, לְךָ מִשְׁתַּתֶּקֶת הַתְּהִלָּה, כִּי לֹא תַּשִּׂיג תְּהִלָּה לִפְעָלֶיךָ הַגְּדוֹלִים וְהַנּוֹרָאִים, מִלְּשׁוֹן "וְלַיְלָה וְלֹא דוּמִיָּה לִי" (תהלים כב ג), וְיִהְיֶה טַעַם "אֱלֹהִים בְּצִיּוֹן" (שם סה ב), הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר בְּצִיּוֹן, כְּלוֹמַר הַשּׁוֹכֵן שָׁם. וְהַנָּכוֹן מַה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ:

2NORA 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.”¹⁹³, 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?¹⁹⁴, 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,¹⁹⁵ Moses said that G-d is feared through the very things for which He is praised. Similarly, To Thee ‘dumiyah’ is praise¹⁹³, 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 vows¹⁹⁶ 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;¹⁹⁷, 62:6. One who hopes waits in expectation of something to happen. ‘vayidom hashemesh’ and the moon stayed.¹⁹⁸. 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 soul¹⁹⁹ means: “only to G-d doth my soul hope.” Thus it appears to me.In the name of other scholars,²⁰⁰, 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.²⁰¹ Accordingly, the meaning of the expression, O G-d, in Zion²⁰², 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”].