Why is God Fond of Stars?

These are the names of Israel’s sons who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family…        Exodus 1:1

Though He enumerated them by their names in their lifetimes, He counted them again after their deaths, as an expression of how dear they are to Him, that they are compared to stars, which He brings out and brings in by number and name, as the verse states: “He that brings out their host by number, He calls them all by name.”                                                           Isaiah 40:26

                Rashi [based upon Midrash Shemot Rabba 1:3]

           

Two questions arise:

1] Why is God especially fond of stars?

2] What is the connection between stars and the People of Israel?

            In answering these questions, Rabbi Leib Bakst, Rosh Yeshiva in Detroit [and son-in-law of my saintly teacher, Rabbi Mordechai Rogov] quotes an additional comment of Rashi [Genesis 1:16, based upon the Babylonian Talmud Hullin 60b and Midrash Breishit Rabba 6:4]

God [thus] made the two large lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the smaller light to rule the night. [He also made] the stars.

“The large lights”: they were created of equal size, and the moon was diminished when it complained that it is not possible for two kings to wear a single crown.

“And the stars”: having diminished the moon, God increased its attendant hosts, the stars, to conciliate it.

            Based upon the understanding that stars were created to conciliate the moon, Rabbi Bakst explains that something which was created solely for the purpose of conciliation of others is indeed especially dear to God.

            Our Sages’ comment that God counts Israel as He counts the stars conveys the thought that Israel too was created for the purpose of helping each other and to share their fellow’s burden, and thus Israel is especially dear to God as are the stars.