Why Did God Create Other Planets, Galaxies and Stars?

Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz

Why did God create such a vast universe with numerous galaxies, planets, and stars? Isn’t Earth enough? 

---

Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:

The Purpose of Celestial Bodies – A Profound Topic

The purpose of the numerous planets and other celestial bodies is a profound and difficult topic, and it is discussed extensively in Kabbalistic sources as well as the Rambam, but we will try to explain it on a simple level.

Intermediaries Between the Holy and the Mundane

Hashem (God) is completely holy and abstract, transcending physical existence, while we are physical and mundane. Since the physical cannot connect directly to the spiritual, Hashem gave us His mitzvot, which when we perform them make us spiritual, enabling us to come close to Hashem and connect to Him.

However, because of this disconnect, Hashem does not bestow His great blessings on us directly; rather, He does so through intermediaries, in a process called “hishtalshalut.” This is like a chain reaction, in which there is a gradual progression and transformation from the purely spiritual form of the brachah (blessing) to the physical and mundane, until it reaches our world in a form that we are capable of receiving. 

Other Planets and Celestial Bodies – Links in God’s Chain

This blessing emanates from God and is passed down by angels through the “links” in this chain, which are composed of different spiritual realms or “worlds” that we cannot see. Eventually, it reaches our physical world, which the galaxies and celestial bodies are a part of, and serve as the next links in this chain, until it extends to Earth. This is one of the purposes of the galaxies, planets, and stars.

God is the Source of all Blessings and Power

However, it is essential to emphasize that all blessings and power originate solely from Hashem, and none of these entities possess any form of inherent power. This is similar to a person shaking a chain: while the chain itself moves, all the energy is derived from the person shaking it. Similarly, these spiritual realms and celestial beings function merely as conduits for transmitting Hashem’s blessings to us, while the ultimate Source of all blessing is Hashem alone. 

Avodah Zarah – Worshiping the Messenger

Indeed, the Rambam explains that this very mistake was one of the original sources of avodah zarah (idol worship). People observed the power invested in entities such as the sun and the stars and began to honor them as a means of showing honor to Hashem their Creator. Eventually, they began to attribute that power to them directly, and started worshiping them in order to obtain Hashem’s blessing through them. In the end, they forgot about Hashem altogether and began to worship these celestial bodies alone.

This is a partial but significant reason why God created the galaxies and planets.

In short: One reason Hashem created the planets, galaxies, and stars is to serve as intermediaries in the divine process of transforming Hashem’s blessings from its spiritual state until it reaches our physical world. Although they are essential intermediaries, all blessings and power originate from Hashem alone.

Have another question to ask a rabbi? You can ask Rabbi Mintz your own question at asktherabbi@oorah.org, or head to oorah.org/asktherabbi/ to watch the latest Q&As or join Ask the Rabbi Live, Tuesdays at 9PM ET.