"Neither is there a rock like our Elohim"

Synopsis

We learn from Rabbi Shimon that there are holy beings other than Elohim - angels, and the holy children of Yisrael, and yet they depend for their holiness on Elohim; He does not depend on theirs. We hear two explanations for the title verse, one of which compares the rock to the fetus God formed into which He blew the spirit of life. The other explanation says that the verse merely means that Elohim has power and dominion over everything.

Children Rock Samuel Women

37. "If a woman has conceived seed, and gave birth to a male child" (Vayikra 12:2). Rabbi Yehuda opened with, "There is none holy as Hashem. For there is none beside You. Neither is there a rock like our Elohim" (I Shmuel 2:2). This is a difficult verse. IF IT IS WRITTEN, "There is none holy as Hashem" it would mean there is something else holy NEVERTHELESS, SOMEWHAT LESSER THAN HASHEM, as it says, "as Hashem." ALSO, "Neither is there a rock like our Elohim" means there is another rock SOMEWHAT LESSER THAN HASHEM.

37. אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְגוֹ.' ר' יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ' כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ,' מַשְׁמַע דְּאִיכָּא קָדוֹשׁ אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב כַּיְיָ,' וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ, מַשְׁמַע דְּאִיכָּא צוּר אָחֳרָא.

Angels Daniel Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness)

38. HE ANSWERS, Surely, "There is none holy as Hashem," since there are many holy beings. There are holy beings above, NAMELY ANGELS, as it is written, "and the sentence by the word of the holy ones" (Daniel 4:14). Yisrael ALSO are holy, as it is written, "You shall be holy" (Vayikra 19:2). They are all holy, yet not as holy as Hashem. The reason is that it is written, "For there is none beside (or: 'without') You." It means that the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be he, exists without their holiness OF THE ANGELS AND OF YISRAEL, since He is not in need of their holiness. But they are not holy without You, since without You they have no holiness.

38. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי, אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ,' דְּכַמָּה קַדִּישִׁין נִינְהוּ, קַדִישִׁין לְעֵילָּא, דִּכְתִיב, וּמֵאמַר קַדִישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָּא. יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין נִינְהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ קַדִּישִׁין, וְלָאו קַדִּישִׁין כַּיְיָ.' ומ"ט. בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ. מַאי, כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ, אֶלָּא קְדוּשָּׁה דְּקוּדְשָׁא ב"ה בִּלְתִּי קְדוּשָּׁא דִּלְהוֹן, דְּהוּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לִקְדוּשָּׁה דִּלְהוֹן. אֲבָל אִינּוּן, לָאו אִינּוּן קַדִּישִׁין בִּלְתֶּךָ, וְדָא הוּא, כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ, אֵין קְדוּשָּׁה דִּלְהוֹן, בִּלְתֶּךָ.

Form Rock

39. "Neither is there a rock (Heb. tzur) like our Elohim" MEANS as explained that the Holy One, blessed be he, shaped a form (Heb. tzurah) within a form, THAT IS, THE FORM OF THE FETUS IN THE FORM OF ITS MOTHER, improved it, blew into it the spirit of life and brought it out into the world. According to another explanation, "Neither is there a rock like our Elohim" means that there is a rock, which is called ONLY a rock, as it is written, "look to the rock from whence you are hewn" (Yeshayah 51:1), and, "and you shall smite the rock" (Shemot 17:6). They are all called 'rock' yet none is a rock like our Elohim, who has power and dominion over everything.

39. וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ. כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא צָר צוּרָה בְּגוֹ צוּרָה, וְתָקִין לֵיהּ, וְנָפַח רוּחָא דְּחַיֵּי, וְאַפִּיק לֵיהּ לַאֲוִירָא דְּעָלְמָא, ד"א, וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ. אִית צוּר, דְּאִקְרֵי צוּר, הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חוּצַּבְתֶּם. וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר. הִנְנִי עוֹמֵד לְפָנֶיךָ שָּׁם עַל הַצּוּר בְּחוֹרֵב. וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן צוּר, וְאֵין צוּר בְּכֻלְּהוּ כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ, דִּילֵיהּ שׁוּלְטָנוּ וּמַלְכוּתָא עַל כֺּלָּא.