In other words, they were not punished by dog and donkey bites, so there was no reason to explicitly mention their bites. It was merely a natural result of looking like animals as a result of not using reason.
When Bnei Yisrael were bitten by the dogs and donkeys, they understood the message and comprehended the severity of comparing a slave to his owner. As a result of this understanding, they regained their exalted status, and dogs and donkeys no longer bit them. All that remained for removal were the snakes, that were sent upon them as a punishment. Thus, Rashi writes that the snakes came upon them for bringing forth evil talk. Evil talk alone is insufficient for bringing upon them snakes (and dogs and donkeys). That required losing their power of reason to the point of equating a slave to his Owner. Accordingly, in all other places in which they sinned in this manner, but did not lose their power of reason, they were not punished by snakes – for no wild animal can dominate man unless the latter appears to him to be an animal, as above.
Rising From Animal to Man by Means of Praising Hashem
In practice, when a foolish spirit enters a person and he sins to the point of losing his power of reason, what should he do to rise up from his animal level to a human level?
We find a unique solution for one who lost his power of reason – and who hasn’t – in Sifsei Tzaddik, who cites the Rebbe R’ Binim’s explanation for the statement attributed to Tannaim that one who involves himself with Perek Shirah each day will merit the World to Come: The praise of the Jewish people is above any other praise. In this world it happens several times that a person descends from his level and becomes like an animal – or even to the level of an insect. At whatever level one is, he should toil and, before anything else, give praise to Hashem from that level. In this way, he can ascend from his darkness, etc.
Certainly, if one stumbles and seriously sins, he is in the category of “comparable to an animal.” I also heard [he continues] from my grandfather that when one successfully completes his mission, he sings. So when we learn the story of several species who performed the mission of Hashem in the houses of Egypt, they can be assumed to have sung a great song, for meriting to serve Hashem. Through this, even a person currently on the level of an animal can be inspired to sing and thereby rectify his present status. In this manner, he can keep ascending higher and higher.
In our own way, we can understand that the way to ascend from being comparable to an animal is specifically through song and joy, and in this way we can all return again to the level of Adam – Adameh le’elyon, I will be like the Above. Amen, KY”R.
