There’s nothing in the universe like man. Man is not an animal – man is an angel. It’s a malach who is encased in batei chomer, an angel that dwells in the clay habitation of a body. Man is not a body. He is much greater than a body; the truth is he is greater even than the malachim.
And so, it was enough indignity that he was sentenced to live in a human body, in a house of clay, but to be reduced to the status of the beasts of the field?! That would be to him the greatest heartache.
Now this doesn’t mean if Adam would eat grass that he has therefore surrendered his distinction. He’s still Adam even if he’s eating grass alongside his donkey; his neshama is still a neshama and he is still unequaled in the universe. But there’s a principle here and that principle is not only to be unique in the universe, not only to be distinguished, but always to remember that you are unique, never to forget that you are distinguished. That’s what’s most important!
And so, Adam’s dignity was to him paramount. And he therefore wept bitterly that this decree should be rescinded, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu should withdraw this proposition that he should have to live off of grass.
