The Order of Creation

And God spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: When a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy...              Leviticus 12:1-2

In explaining the order of the subject matter of recent parashot, Rabbi Simla’i comments: just as man was created after the animals and the birds, so too his laws come after the animals and the birds. [vaYikra Rabba] The Midrash continues: if man merits, it is said to him “you have primacy over all creation;” if not, it is said to him “even the gnat was created before you.” (In the Hebrew, the same root word is used for “primacy” and “before you.”)

My father pointed out that the Midrash’s addition is intended to teach that Rabbi Simla’i’s comment is not merely technical, but rather conveys an important moral lesson. If man fulfills his duty of serving his Creator, he achieves primacy over the remainder of God’s creation. If man fails, he is to be reminded that the simplest creatures preceded him. Ultimately, man’s position in creation is more a matter of responsibility than of privilege. Man’s acceptance of his responsibility leads to his privilege.