According to Rabbi Hoshaya, they almost made a pretty big faux pas!
The story goes like this. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam, the ministering angels were... well, a little confused. They were so awestruck by this new creation that they nearly proclaimed “Kadosh!” (holy) before him. Can you imagine? They almost gave Adam the divine treatment!
Rabbi Hoshaya uses a wonderful analogy to help us understand this. Picture a king and a governor riding together in a chariot. The people of the province, eager to honor the king, want to call out “Domine!” ("O Lord!"). But they don't know which one is actually the king. What does the king do? He nudges the governor out of the chariot. Suddenly, it becomes clear who holds the true power.
So, what did the Holy One do when the angels were about to mistakenly sanctify Adam? As Bereshit Rabbah 8 tells us, He cast a deep slumber upon him. Boom. Instant clarification. Angels, meet mortal. Sleep is such a fundamentally human experience. Angels don't need to recharge that way. By causing Adam to fall asleep, God made it undeniably clear that this magnificent being, while special, was not divine. He was (merely!) human.
This episode highlights a critical distinction, a delicate balance. As the prophet Isaiah (2:22) says, "Desist from man, who has breath in his nostrils, for in what way is he worthy?" It's a powerful verse, reminding us of human limitations. We are magnificent, yes, but also mortal. We breathe, we sleep, we are… human.
What does this story from Bereshit Rabbah teach us? Perhaps it's a lesson in humility. Even in our most impressive moments, we are still just human. And maybe, just maybe, that's perfectly okay.