Faith
The Sun and the Moon According to the Torah
Question
It is brought in the Midrashim that at the creation of the world, the sun and the moon were the same size.
The moon argued that there was no need for two of the same thing, and as a punishment Hashem made it smaller, but gave it the stars as compensation.
The question is that this is really not understood, because there are many suns and almost every planet has many moons, and this seemingly contradicts the great significance surrounding the sun and the moon, which are connected to the Earth...
Because in truth, the sun and the moon are not the main thing.
They are only a very tiny part of the universe.
Answer
BS"D
Shalom u'vrachah,
The purpose of all creation centers on man, because he is the essence of creation. Therefore, the roles of the sun and the moon are more important than all the other stars, which do not serve us as they do.
See the verse: "And Hashem made the two great luminaries, the great luminary to rule the day, and the small luminary to rule the night, and the stars" (Genesis 1:16).
The word "rule"/"kingdom" means a role that Hashem gave the heavenly bodies for human beings.
The Malbim explains that there are distant stars whose rule, meaning their physical function in Hashem's hands, does not concern our world.
The moon's role in giving light is indeed less than that of the sun, because it only reflects light. The sun, by contrast, shines by its own power; it is larger, and its role is to serve during the day.
I would be happy to help with any question.
With blessings,
Daniel Bels
