Turns out, even the story of the Garden of Eden, that pivotal moment of eating the forbidden fruit, offers a lesson in precedence.
Rabbi Ḥiyya, a sage from long ago, taught a fascinating principle based on the verses in Bereshit, the Book of Genesis. He said: When it comes to bestowing honor, you start with the greatest. But when it comes to doling out disgrace, you begin with the least. It's a surprising twist, isn't it?
He illustrates this point beautifully. Think about it: When Moses had to give instructions about a sacred matter, as we read in Leviticus 10:6, he addressed Aaron, then Elazar, and finally Itamar. A clear hierarchy of respect.
But what about when things go south? Look at the curses after the incident with the Tree of Knowledge. As it says in Genesis chapter 3, first, "The Lord God said to the serpent…" Then, "to the woman He said: I will increase your suffering and your pregnancy…" And lastly, "to Adam, He said: Because you heeded your wife’s voice…"
The order matters. The serpent gets it first, then Eve, and finally, Adam. The one who instigated the trouble, the lowest in this divine drama, receives the initial blame. It seems almost counterintuitive, doesn’t it? You might expect God to start with Adam, the most responsible. But no, the story unfolds in this particular way.
And the Midrash, the ancient form of Biblical interpretation, doesn’t stop there. It delves into the intimate lives of creatures, explaining that almost all creatures cohabit front facing back... except for two who mate back to back: the camel and the dog. But it gets even more interesting. There are three who mate face to face, because the Divine Presence, the Shekhinah, spoke to them!
These are: man, the serpent, and the fish. Wait, what?!
Man, we've already established, because God spoke to Adam. The serpent, well, "The Lord God said to the serpent..." And the fish? Remember the story of Jonah? "The Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah…" (Jonah 2:11).
So, what are we to make of all this? It's more than just a quirky observation about animal behavior. It seems to be saying that even in the most basic acts of creation, communication with the Divine plays a role. The act of procreation, and even the act of punishment, are woven into the very fabric of existence.
The verses in Genesis teach us, and Bereshit Rabbah helps us to understand, that there’s an order to things, a reason behind the way the world works, even when it seems strange. And sometimes, the greatest lessons come from observing the smallest details.