Vayikra Rabbah 22, a fascinating collection of stories and teachings, explores just that. It suggests that everything – from frogs to plants to even inanimate objects – can be instruments of divine will.
One story tells of a man observing a frog ferrying a scorpion across a river. He marvels, thinking, "This one is prepared to perform its mission." And indeed, the scorpion stings someone, causing their death. The frog then carries the scorpion back. The sound of wailing fills the city. It's a stark reminder that even seemingly insignificant actions can have profound consequences.
Rabbi Pinḥas, citing Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzippori, shares a similar tale. A man in the Beit Shofarei Valley fashions a wreath from a shrub. When he kills a snake, a snake charmer examines the dead reptile and is curious who killed it. The man admits it was him. The snake charmer, realizing the shrub is protecting the man, asks him to remove it. The moment he does, the snake’s venom instantly kills him. The shrub, an ordinary plant, was fulfilling its protective mission until the very end.
These stories aren’t just strange anecdotes. They point to a deeper truth: that everything in creation has a purpose, a role to play in the grand scheme of things. Even seemingly harmful creatures, like scorpions and snakes, might be acting as agents of divine justice.
Rabbi Yanai, teaching at the city gate, witnesses a snake behaving erratically. He declares, "This one is prepared to perform its mission." Moments later, someone in the city is bitten and dies. Rabbi Elazar experiences a similar situation with a Roman who disrespects him. A snake appears and kills the Roman, prompting Rabbi Elazar to quote Isaiah 43:4: "I placed a person in your stead."
And it's not just living things. Rabbi Elazar also encounters a thighbone that refuses to stay buried. Eventually, it trips up a Roman courier carrying evil decrees against the Jews of Caesarea, leading to his death. The bone, seemingly inanimate, becomes an instrument of justice.
The text continues with more extraordinary tales. Rabbi Shimon observes a hoopoe, a non-kosher bird, building a nest. When Rabbi Shimon interferes, the hoopoe uses a magical herb to undo his actions. Rabbi Yannai's donkey eats a herb and becomes blind, then eats another and regains its sight. A man returning from Babylon witnesses birds using an herb to revive the dead and decides to use it to resurrect the dead of Israel, but when he tries it on a dead lion, the revived lion devours him! As the saying goes: If you have performed good for the wicked, you have performed evil. Do not perform good for the wicked, and evil will not befall you.
These stories, found within Vayikra Rabbah, may seem outlandish, but they offer a profound message about the interconnectedness of all things and the potential for even the smallest elements of creation to play a role in the divine plan.
Even water, Rabbi Tanhuma reminds us, can fulfill God's mission. He tells of a man afflicted with boils who is healed by immersing himself in the Spring of Miriam in Tiberias. This spring, a miraculous source of water that accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness, is said to be located in the Sea of Tiberias. According to Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, if you climb Mount Yeshimon, you might see a sieve-like item in the sea, and that is the spring of Miriam. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri adds that it's aligned opposite the middle gate of the ancient synagogue of Tiberias.
What are we to make of these stories? Are they literal accounts of miraculous events, or allegories meant to teach us a deeper truth? Perhaps it's both. They remind us to be mindful of our actions and to recognize the potential for the divine to manifest in the most unexpected ways. They challenge us to see the world not as a collection of random events, but as a tapestry woven with purpose and meaning, where every thread, no matter how small, plays a vital role. So, the next time you see a frog, a plant, or even a stray bone, remember Vayikra Rabbah 22, and wonder: what mission might this be prepared to perform?