When Inanimate Objects Have Feelings

In rabbinic literature, inanimate objects are sometimes deemed to have "feelings" so we might learn lessons from their "behavior."

According to the Bible, both the sun and moon were created the same size. However, the moon "wished" to dominate the heavens and suggested to God that He designate the moon as the primary authority of the heavens. God punished the moon for its haughtiness, diminishing its size and rendering it capable of only reflecting the light of the sun.

Mt. Sinai, a small mountain, did not see itself as particularly special. The Almighty rewarded Sinai for its humility, designating it as the location where Moses received the Torah and the location where the special relationship of God and the Jewish people was established.

Moses was not permitted to strike the Nile to initiate the plagues of Blood and Frogs because the waters of the Nile protected him as a baby when he was in a basket in its waters. Lesson: Gratitude.

See also: Covering the Hallah