In this section of the chapter, the Psalmist continues along the line established at the beginning of the psalm: the Malbim explains throughout the entire chapter that there are two distinct modes of providence through which the Holy One, blessed be He, directs His world. There is a wondrous, spiritual, miraculous providence, carried out through the angels and separate intellects; and there is a fixed physical providence - the laws of nature - operated through the hosts of heaven. In the verses before us, the Psalmist demonstrates that both modes of governance proceed equally from Hashem, and that nothing occurs without Him.
כִּי מִי בַשַּׁחַק יַעֲרֹךְ לַיהֹוָה יִדְמֶה לַיהֹוָה בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים׃ - For who in the skies can compare to Hashem? Who can be likened to Hashem among the sons of the mighty?
They - the heavens and their host - acknowledge and say to Hashem, blessed be He: Who in the skies can compare to Hashem? That is, who in the heights could possibly be compared or equated to the Holy One, blessed be He? As it is written, "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to Him?" Radak explains that they acknowledge that nothing among the heavenly hosts bears any comparison or resemblance to Hashem, blessed be He. "The sons of the mighty" (benei elim) refers to the heavenly hosts; the angels are called "elim" not in the idolatrous sense presumed by the nations, but in the sense of beings endowed with power. And if the angels are the "elim", then all the hosts of heaven are considered their "sons", whose motions, orbits, and paths follow their dictates, guided by the angels. If so, what could possibly be likened to Hashem, blessed be He?
The Malbim analyzes the two distinct expressions in the verse: "ya'arokh" (can compare or evaluate) and "yidmeh" (can be likened). Things resemble each other based on external circumstances and occurrences, whereas they are compared against one another based on their intrinsic worth and essence. "Erekh" (valuation) is a term denoting assessment, as in "the kohen shall evaluate it" - where one assesses a person's fixed worth to determine what must be given to the Sanctuary, which is the subject of Masechet Arachin, when someone pledges, "My valuation is upon me." "Dimyon" (resemblance), on the other hand, relates to incidental phenomena: what happens to one resembles what happens to the other.
The "shachak" (skies) denotes the realm of the angels and the separate intellects, a sphere higher than the physical heavens, and the source from which miracles emerge. The "shamayim" (heavens) are the source of nature - sun, moon, and stars - and the "benei elim" are the forces of nature, called "sons" because they are downstream recipients influenced by Hashem, blessed be He. In the realm of shachak, says the Malbim, there is a certain resemblance to Hashem - a resemblance in some actions, for the actions emerging from the upper heights are not bound by natural constraints; they are sublime, miraculous phenomena transcending time and space, and the angels are incorporeal, detached from the natural world. Even so, they possess no intrinsic parity with Him. One must never attempt to equate them: they are created beings with limited power, whereas the Holy One, blessed be He, is infinite.
Furthermore, the wonders performed by angels are impermanent, temporary, and dependent upon Hashem's will whether they will continue or cease. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, is boundless and without limit, and all His wonders are established in His singular will from the dawn of eternity. Therefore, one might find a certain resemblance - since He, blessed be He, is incorporeal and the angels too are free of physical bodies, and in their actions there is an apparent likeness - but in terms of intrinsic value and essence, there is no parity whatsoever.
However, when it comes to "who can be likened to Hashem among the sons of the mighty" - among the forces of nature - there is not even a resemblance. Nature is bound to coarse material existence, whereas spirituality is an immaterial, eternal reality. All earthly matters are tethered to physical forces that are finite, and therefore they do not bear even the slightest resemblance to Hashem, blessed be He, even in the manner of their operation.
אֵל נַעֲרָץ בְּסוֹד קְדֹשִׁים רַבָּה וְנוֹרָא עַל כׇּל סְבִיבָיו׃ - A God dreaded in the great council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who surround Him.
A grammatical note: although there is a kamatz beneath the letter resh, grammarians have already established that this kamatz is a kamatz katan; hence it is read not as "na'arotz" but as "na'aratz". "Na'aratz" denotes being dreaded or held in awe - they tremble before Him and revere Hashem, blessed be He. And where? "In the council of the holy ones" (be-sod kedoshim) - in the assembly of the angels, as in the phrase "in the council of the upright and the congregation," where "sod" means a fellowship or gathering. And to what degree? "Rabbah" - with great veneration, in immense awe of Him. "And awesome above all who surround Him" - the angels who surround Him and serve Him revere Him. According to Radak, the verse reiterates the same theme in different words for emphasis.
The Malbim here explains his central theme: corresponding to the two modes of divine providence he mentioned - the miraculous providence carried out through the holy ones, who are the angels, and the natural providence carried out through the heavenly hosts - Scripture comes to teach us that all of them emanate from Hashem, and nothing occurs without Him. Regarding the miraculous providence, it says, "God is venerated in the great council of the holy ones": in the great assembly of the holy ones and the angels, where counsel is shared and the plans through which miraculous providence is enacted are formed, Hashem is revered among them, and they do nothing without His direction. And since the ultimate purpose of all wonders and miracles is that people revere Hashem, Blessed is He, Scripture adds, "and feared above all who surround Him" - they are close to Him, and He is awesome over them. Miraculous providence leads to awe.
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת מִי כָמוֹךָ חֲסִין יָהּ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ׃ - Hashem, God of Hosts, who is like You, mighty Yah, with Your faithfulness surrounding You?
"God of Hosts" refers to the God of the heavenly hosts, over whom Hashem rules. "Chasin" denotes strength, as in "and he was strong (v'chason) as the oaks." Here, Scripture transitions to discussing natural providence, whereas the previous verse dealt with spiritual, miraculous providence. Natural providence, carried out through the heavenly systems, is also from Hashem; therefore He is called the God of Hosts. It is on account of this enduring providence that He is called "chasin" - an expression of strength and permanence. Something permanent is always termed strong, whereas something temporary is not termed strong. And "God of Hosts" means the God Who reigns over all the hosts of nature and the entire cosmos.
"With Your faithfulness surrounding You" - You dwell among these hosts as well. Faithfulness (emunah) represents the aspect of enduring truth and fixed order, the rule of nature: sun, moon, and stars, day and night shall not cease. This order, too, surrounds You; You dwell in their midst and act through them. Let no one think that natural order operates on its own; rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, is the One Who continually activates and directs it.
אַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל בְּגֵאוּת הַיָּם בְּשׂוֹא גַלָּיו אַתָּה תְשַׁבְּחֵם׃ - You rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves surge, You calm them.
The Holy One, Blessed is He, rules the sea when its waters surge and rise above the land, whether in ordinary high tides or in a tsunami. He set a boundary for the sea so that it would not flood the world - as it is written that the ocean sought to overwhelm the world, but Hashem set a boundary for it so that it could not rise. "When its waves surge" - when the waves rise up, "You calm them" (teshabchem), meaning You quiet them, as in "Who stills (mashbi'ach) the roaring of the seas." When the waters appear poised to surge and flood the earth, Hashem places sand and boundaries for the sea to prevent it from sweeping over the dry land. Radak explains that this may very well refer to the Splitting of the Red Sea, or it may apply at all times: "He calms the storm to a whisper, and its waves are stilled" - what was once a tempest, the Holy One, Blessed is He, hushed, and the waves were silenced.
The Malbim explains that here the psalmist returns to elaborate on how the two modes of providence - miraculous and natural - are expressed in our world as chesed and emunah. Corresponding to the wondrous providence enacted in the council of the holy ones, it is said: "You rule the swelling of the sea" - at the Splitting of the Red Sea, when the sea swelled to transgress its boundary, and Hashem drove it back with a strong east wind all night. When the sea churns, it seeks to burst its bounds and flood the world, yet You ruled over it as its waves surged - "and with the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up" - the waves rose at Hashem's command and stood as a wall, two ramparts, for the Jewish people to pass between them. And through this very act, "You calm them" - You quiet and subdue them: the sea sought to breach its bounds, but You restrained it, standing it like a heap on both sides, "the deeps congealed," and turning the sea into dry land.
אַתָּה דִכִּאתָ כֶחָלָל רָהַב בִּזְרוֹעַ עֻזְּךָ פִּזַּרְתָּ אוֹיְבֶיךָ׃ - You crushed Rahab like a corpse; with Your mighty arm You scattered Your enemies.
First, a grammatical note: in "bizroa uzz'cha," the placement of the cantillation mark determines whether the word is mil'el (accented on the penultimate syllable) or milra (accented on the ultimate syllable). Here, the revi'a is positioned above the chaf rather than above the zayin, so it is read milra, uzz'cha. Radak further notes regarding "dikeita" (crushed) that the letter alef in it is superfluous; according to strict grammar, it should have been written without an alef, as in "rafinu et Bavel" (we would have healed Babylon). In modern usage it has become standard to spell terms like dikaon (depression) and ripui (healing) with an alef, but strictly speaking, grammatically, they should be written without an alef.
Radak proves from this verse that this refers to the splitting of the Yam Suf, for "Rahav" is mentioned - these are the Egyptians, as in "she who cut down Rahav" and "I will mention Rahav and Bavel" which we saw in chapter 87. And why were they called Rahav? An expression of pride and arrogance. The Egyptians were very arrogant and constantly boastful, and therefore they are termed Rahav. You split the sea for the Jewish people, and afterwards You crushed the Egyptians within it - "You crushed Rahav like a corpse." And then, "with Your mighty arm You scattered Your enemies": after they drowned, the sea cast them out onto dry land, "and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore."
And why did they need to be cast out? It is written that each and every Jew would see that specific Egyptian who had enslaved him, place his foot upon him, and say to him: You were on top - look where you are now! This was actually part of the psychological healing of the Jewish people. There is a story of a psychologist who read this Midrash and returned to Torah observance, because it is known today in psychology that when a person has suffered abuse at the hands of someone, it is of great therapeutic value to see that abuser in his humiliation. When he sees how the tormentor received his blow, how he was punished and paid the price, this liberates the victim from the trauma and lingering symptoms of what he endured. That psychologist was amazed to see that each person identified the Egyptian who had abused him and placed his foot on him, as if to say: now you are down below and you are the humiliated one. And he said: see how the Holy One, blessed be He, not only took us out of Egypt with a physical redemption, but also freed us from the psychological scars that the Egyptians inflicted upon us, from the mental anguish and depression that had overwhelmed us there.
The Malbim explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, raised the walls of the sea - and this is "when its waves surge," for the waves rose up like two walls on both sides - and through this itself, "You crushed Rahav," who are the Egyptians. And the term "arm" indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, does everything by His own power. "The arm of Hashem" always means that Hashem acts by His power alone, so to speak without any aid or assistance, not through the power of the lower realms, not through the power of prayers, and not through any action performed here below; rather, everything is from Him, blessed be He.
לְךָ שָׁמַיִם אַף לְךָ אָרֶץ תֵּבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ אַתָּה יְסַדְתָּם׃ - Yours are the heavens, Yours also is the earth; the world and all it contains, You founded them.
Here the Psalmist mentions the upper and lower realms in a general sense. Radak explains: for they are Yours, the heavens and the earth, and Hashem created everything. And as it is written, "Or speak to the earth and it will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you... that the hand of Hashem has done this" - the heavens and the earth bear witness to the existence of Hashem. And although they lack intellect and one cannot converse with them, nor do they recount Hashem's deeds as a human speaks, nonetheless the wise recognize and understand Hashem's work through the earth and its creations, through the animals and the birds. From all of this it is evident that they have a Creator and Guide, and the Holy One, blessed be He, created and formed everything beautifully in its proper time.
And this is what we say: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day to day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, and there are no words; their voice is not heard." Do not expect to hear the heavens audibly recounting God's glory; rather, gaze at the heavens and see what a wondrous creation it is, gaze at the earth and see what a marvelous creation the Holy One, blessed be He, formed, and through this you will arrive at the conclusion that Hashem created and fashioned His world. This is also the concept of Perek Shirah: it does not mean that the animals literally sing. Some say their heavenly ministering angel sings, but the plain understanding is that when we look at the animals, we see how much design and how much thought went into them, and how much of Hashem's hand is visible in them - one contemplates and sees Divinity. And this is not only true of animals: upon contemplating any flower, any aspect of creation, one sees Divinity. Anyone who observes the heavens, the earth, and all the animals sees how everything comes from the hand of Hashem and how everything is planned down to the last detail - "You founded them."
The Malbim explains: the natural order, which we have seen operates through the hosts of heaven, is not "nature" in the sense that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a spin to the wheel thousands of years ago and it has continued rotating ever since by sheer inertia. Rather, "Yours are the heavens" - You, Hashem, in every single moment, everything in the heavens is attributed to You; "Yours also is the earth" - the earth as well, which is the terminus of the natural order, is under Your providence. For one might have thought: perhaps in directing the celestial bodies, the stars in their courses, the sun and the moon, the Holy One, blessed be He, intervenes, but as for what happens to me right at this moment - perhaps Hashem does not intervene or care about that? Therefore the verse states: "Yours are the heavens, Yours also is the earth" - the entire running of nature here on earth is under Your Divine providence.
And the proof is: "the world and all it contains, You founded them." According to the natural state, the earth was covered with water, but the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked the sea and gathered it into the place where the sea is today, and through this, "the dry land appeared," creating a place where one can walk. The difference between eretz (earth) and tevel (world): eretz refers to the earth in general, while tevel is the inhabited world, the place where human beings dwell - and this is also Radak's explanation. The Malbim says: it would have been impossible for tevel, the inhabited part, to exist had You, Master of the Universe, not founded the dry land. And what is "and all it contains"? Just as in "To Hashem belongs the earth and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it" - all the animals, all the trees, and everything present in the place where we live and exist, all of it was created because the Holy One, blessed be He, cleared the waters of the sea and established the habitable world here, a settlement for human beings where life can be sustained. From this you learn that the entire order of nature is also from Hashem, and at every given moment the Holy One, blessed be He, directs nature, and everything is from Him.
צָפוֹן וְיָמִין אַתָּה בְרָאתָם תָּבוֹר וְחֶרְמוֹן בְּשִׁמְךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ׃ - North and right You created them; Tavor and Chermon sing out in Your name.
Radak cites an explanation in the name of Ibn Ezra that the verse here characterizes the world from all its six directions: "Heavens and earth" in the previous verse are the two directions of above and below; "north and right" - "right" means south, and north faces it; Tavor, which is on the western side, corresponds to the rear (west); and Chermon in the east corresponds to the front (east). Thus you have the six directions, and this is what is written in Sefer Yetzirah, "sealed with six rings." Indeed, everything in the physical realm is divided into six: the four cardinal directions, above, and below. And seven is always the inner dimension, the spiritual dimension, the aspect of ultimate purpose. That is to say, when there are six, the matter is not yet complete; completion comes with seven, which represents the purpose - and purpose is an internal reality, not merely an external classification of directions, above, and below. And eight is beyond that, an aspect of shoman (richness and abundance), representing the spirituality that transcends nature.
In any case, the number six always represents nature, for in everything in the physical realm you find six directions - even in a spherical object: up, down, and the four cardinal directions. This is also the concept behind the Magen David: even though it is drawn flat, if you view it in three dimensions, it points to the four directions of the compass, plus above and below, which are the upper and lower points. This is the idea of being "sealed with six rings," corresponding to what is discussed in Kabbalah as the VAK - the six extremities (vav ketzavot): Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The aspect of the six extremities always represents the more physical, material dimension of reality.
The Malbim explains that the verse now clarifies how Hashem established the inhabited world. The earth at its northern and southern ends - namely the North Pole and the South Pole, around the earth's axis, as the earth rotates on its axis - is uninhabitable. Due to the extreme cold, there is virtually no human settlement there, and even less so in the South than in the North. Therefore, regarding them it is said merely, "You created them."
What is the emphasis in "You created them" (beratam), and how does creation (beriah) differ from formation (yetzirah) and completion (asiyah)? Beriah is creation ex nihilo, something from nothing - "In the beginning, God created" - and that initial creation was ex nihilo, while the earth was still unformed and void (tohu vavohu). Afterwards, Hashem formed the earth and made it, where "making" (asiyah) something refers to preparing and perfecting it, as in "and she shall pare [ve'astah] her nails" - she shall tend to her nails, and "and he had not trimmed [lo asah] his mustache" - he had not tended to his mustache. That is, first came creation and then formation: the Holy One, blessed be He, created the raw matter, and from that matter He subsequently formed His world.
As explained several times, all matter was created on the first day; the Holy One, blessed be He, brought everything into existence on the first day, and throughout the remaining days everything was in the category of asiyah, forming something from preexisting substance. The Midrash compares this to a person who wants to build a house: first, he brings all the building materials - a truckload of sand, a truckload of cement, a truckload of cinder blocks - and only then does he begin to build. In the words of the Ramban, on the first day the primary, formless matter (chomer hayuli) was created; or in modern terms, on the first day the atom was created, and everything that exists in the world is formed of atoms, while all subsequent development is the fashioning of an already created reality.
Thus, Hashem's initial creation of His world ex nihilo, when everything was still formless and void without formation or completion, was the beriah of the first day. Afterwards, He formed the earth and made it - meaning He fashioned it so that it would be suitable for habitation: He separated the upper waters from the lower waters, gathered the waters so the dry land would appear, and then brought forth trees, living creatures, and the like. All of this was the refinement and preparation of creation so that it would be fit for human habitation, and this is what is termed yetzirah and asiyah. As the verse states, "So says Hashem, the Maker of the earth and its Former, Who established it; He did not create it a waste" - He did not create it to remain a void, but rather for formation, completion, and purposeful habitation.
However, "north and south," which represent the poles, were not fashioned or adapted by Hashem for habitation. They remained, as it were, in a state of tohu vavohu - there is no asiyah or refinement there, but rather a desolate, barren, frozen expanse where human life cannot subsist. By contrast, Tavor and Chermon represent the center of civilization, the inhabited lands that Hashem fashioned properly, which were formed, completed, and perfected for human settlement. Therefore, "in Your Name they rejoice."
And what does "in Your Name they rejoice" mean? The Malbim explains: the land sings and rejoices - "it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing." There is blessing there, there is abundance, there are trees, there are living creatures, there is life, and this is the song and joy of the land. In contrast, the polar regions are desolate and depressing. Winter itself has a way of dampening the spirit: people living in cold, wintry countries suffer from depression far more than those living where it is summer most of the year. This is well known, and some people even suffer from "winter depression" (seasonal affective disorder) - when winter arrives, they sink into depression. The cold freezes and brings on gloom, whereas a place of sun and light expresses joy, and therefore such places are filled with rejoicing and song.
As an aside, to experience depression one also needs a degree of awareness - "he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." People who are intellectually impaired hardly suffer from psychological distress: such a person walks about, is cheerful, takes an afternoon nap, and everything is fine and wonderful. No intellect - no worries; the worries belong to the rest of us.