We will begin to shed some light on the subject by introducing an intriguing insight in the teachings of the Chasam Sofer, zy”a, in Toras Moshe (Shemini). To truly comprehend his sacred comments, we will refer to the curse HKB”H imposed on the “nachash hakadmoni”—the primeval serpent—after it enticed Adam and Chava to partake of the Eitz HaDa’as (Bereishis 3, 14): "ויאמר ה' אלקים אל הנחש כי עשית זאת ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה על גחונך תלך ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך". Hashem G-d said to the nachash, “Because you have done this, accursed are you beyond all the cattle and beyond all beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life.
With regards to the words “upon your belly shall you go,” Rashi comments: "רגלים היו לו ונקצצו"—it (the serpent) once had legs, which were later cut off. Practically speaking, its legs were no longer necessary to facilitate the service and assistance of mankind. On the contrary, it was preferable that it not have legs that could enable it to run to perpetrate evil. After all, it had acted as man’s deterrent and adversary rather than as his assistant. The source for Rashi’s comment is the Gemara (Sotah 9b): "וכן מצינו בנחש הקדמוני שנתן עיניו במה שאינו ראוי לו, מה שביקש לא נתנו לו ומה שבידו נטלוהו ממנו, אמר הקב"ה אני אמרתי יהא מלך על כל בהמה וחיה, ועכשיו ארור הוא מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה, אני אמרתי יהלך בקומה זקופה, עכשיו על גחונו ילך". And so we find concerning the “nachash hakadmoni” that set its eyes on something not fit for it. What it sought, they did not give it, and what was in its hand, they took from it. HKB”H said: I had said that it should be king over every animal and beast, but now, it is more cursed than all the animals and beasts of the field. I had said that it would walk upright, but now, on its belly, it will go.
Furthermore, according to the Midrash, prior to the cheit, the nachash was as tall and strong as a camel (B.R. 19, 1): Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: He was like a camel. As a result of the curse, the world was deprived of much good; for if not for this, a person would send merchandise with it, and it would travel (to the desired destination) and return. Similarly, the Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (Chapter 13) teaches that prior to the cheit, the nachash was as tall as a camel, and the “samech-mem”—the embodiment of the yetzer hara—rode on it to help it trap Adam and Chava and cause their downfall. Samael took its entourage with it down (from the heavens) to earth to examine the creatures HKB”H had created in His world. It did not find any creature wiser with regards to doing evil than the nachash . . . It resembled a sort of camel; he (Samael) climbed up and rode on it.
To explain why HKB”H chose to punish the nachash specifically by cutting off its legs, the Chasam Sofer refers to what we are taught in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 59b):
"תניא רבי שמעון בן מנסיא אומר, חבל על שמש גדול שאבד מן העולם, שאילמלא נתקלל נחש, כל אחד ואחד מישראל היו מזדמנין לו שני נחשים טובים, אחד משגרו לצפון ואחד משגרו לדרום, להביא לו סנדלבונים טובים ואבנים טובות ומרגליות, ולא עוד אלא שמפשילין רצועה תחת זנבו ומוציא בה עפר לגנתו ולחורבתו".
It was taught in a Baraisa: Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya says: It is unfortunate that a great servant was lost from the world. For, had the serpent not been cursed, each and every one of Yisrael would have had two good serpents as servants; one he would send to the north and one he would send to the south to bring him gems, precious stones, and pearls. Furthermore, it would have been possible to attach a strap beneath its tail and have it take out soil to his garden and to his ruin.
This explains why the nachash was originally created with legs. The original heavenly-ordained plan was for it to serve a holy purpose—to use its legs to scurry in every which direction to perform man’s worldly services and needs. Thus, man would be unencumbered and free to study Torah and dedicate himself to the service of Hashem. Thus, the nachash would have been a partner in man’s Torah- study like Shimon the brother of Azaryah, as described in the Midrash brought down by Rashi (Zevachim 2a): He was referred to by this moniker, because his brother Azaryah engaged in commerce to provide for Shimon, so that he could devote himself exclusively to the study of Torah. In return, it was agreed that Shimon would share with Azaryah his reward for that study. Therefore, he was called by this moniker indicating that he (Shimon) was able to learn on account of him (Azaryah).
This implies that the nachash and the “samech-mem” were supposed to be man’s partners like the paradigm of Yissachar and Zevulun. Every Jew would occupy himself with the study of Torah like Yissachar—the pillar of Torah— and the nachash and “samech-mem” were supposed to supply all of their mundane needs—like Zevulun, who provided for Yissachar, so that he could study Torah without distractions.
As we know, the “samech-mem” and the nachash did not abide by this arrangement; instead, they rebelled against Hashem. Not only did they not help man serve Hashem, but they even caused him to sin. Therefore, HKB”H decreed that the legs of the nachash be cut off, since they were of no further service to mankind. In fact, the opposite was true; they would likely be used to combat man and hinder him from studying Torah. This prompted Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya to lament, “It is unfortunate that a great servant was lost from the world.”
