(Besides driving us crazy, of course!) Well, Jewish tradition has a fascinating answer, one that goes all the way back to the plagues in Egypt.
The Book of Exodus recounts God's command to Moses: "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague your whole country with frogs.'" (Exodus 7:26-27). Pretty straightforward. But the Rabbis, in their infinite wisdom, saw something deeper.
The Midrash Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, picks up on this verse and connects it to a seemingly unrelated verse from Ecclesiastes: "But the advantage of a land is in every way" (Ecclesiastes 5:8). Wait, what do frogs and the advantages of a land have to do with each other?
Well, the Midrash, referencing similar discussions in Vayikra Rabbah and Bemidbar Rabbah, suggests that EVERYTHING has a purpose. Even things we consider "extraneous," useless, or even harmful.
Our Rabbis say: “'But the advantage of a land is in every way' – even items that you view as extraneous in the world, like flies, fleas, and mosquitos, they were included in the creation of the world, regarding which it is stated: 'God saw everything that He had made [and behold, it was very good]'” (Genesis 1:31).
Rabbi Aḥa son of Rabbi Ḥanina takes it even further: "Even items that you view as extraneous in the world, like snakes and scorpions, they were included in the creation of the world." for a second. Snakes and scorpions? Really?
The key idea here is that God can use anything, even the things we despise, to accomplish His will. The Midrash continues, "The Holy One blessed be He said to the prophets: ‘What do you think, that if you do not go on My mission I will have no emissary? “But the advantage of a land is in every way” – I will accomplish My mission even by means of a snake, or even by means of a scorpion, or even by means of a frog.’"
It’s a powerful statement about God's sovereignty and the interconnectedness of creation. God doesn't need us, specifically. He can use anything.
"Know that it is so," the Midrash emphasizes, "as were it not for the hornet, how would the Holy One blessed be He exact retribution against the Emorites, and were it not for the frogs, how would He exact retribution from the Egyptians?" (See Sota 36a). The frogs, seemingly insignificant creatures, became instruments of divine justice. The hornet, too, played its part.
So, the next time you swat a mosquito or recoil from a spider, remember this teaching. Everything, even the smallest and seemingly most unpleasant things, has a role to play in the grand scheme of creation. It's a humbling and awe-inspiring thought, isn't it? It challenges us to look beyond our immediate discomfort and consider the hidden purposes woven into the fabric of the world. Maybe, just maybe, there's a reason for everything after all.