Why a Snake?

 Parshat Shemot

by Rabbi Avi Billet

During the sequence of events at the Burning Bush, Moshe has many reservations about the task before him, which lead to him telling God, “The people will not believe me, they will not listen to me saying ‘God did not appear to you.’” 

God then asks him what he is holding in his hands. “A staff (מטה)!” “Throw it to the ground,” which Moshe does, and it turns into a snake (נחש). The word the Torah uses here to describe what happens to the staff is different than the word used for what happens before Pharaoh in chapter 7:9-10, when Aharon’s staff is turned into a Tannin (תנין). [That distinction is the subject of a different discussion and see also here] 

Why a snake? 

There are essentially three approaches to answering this question: 1. A response/punishment to Moshe, 2. A symbolic message for Moshe, 3. A symbolic message for Pharaoh. Some of the commentaries presented below crossover into two or even all three of these approaches. 

 

Punishment 

Rashi tells us Moshe had spoken Lashon Hara about Israel in denying they’d believe him, and since slander is the field of the snake (think the original serpent) he was given a reminder through this symbolic switch. 

Like Rashi, Ramban notes the connection to the original serpent, and that the second sign was therefore a punishment to Moshe for his having spoken Lashon Hara. But he goes further. 

 Symbolic Message for Moshe 

Ramban writes “I do not understand why G-d performed the signs before Moses. Moses believed that it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who speaks with him, and it would have been fitting for Him to say, “The staff that is in your hand you shall cast on the ground before them, and it shall become a serpent,” and the same also with respect to the second sign, [i.e., his hand becoming leprous], just as He said at the third sign [and thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land]” 

 “Moshe ran from the serpent because He feared lest he would be punished and the serpent would bite him, since every person naturally avoids danger, even though Moses knew that if it was indeed G-d’s desire [to punish him], there was no one that could deliver him out of His hand.” [Netziv also describes Moshe’s running from the snake as a simple, natural reaction that did not involve much of a thought process.] 

Ramban’s concluding message is that God “wished to show him that with this Name signs and wonders would be done, changing the natural order of things, so that the matter would be firmly established in Moses’ heart and that he should in truth know that with the Great Name he will perform new things in the world. The first two signs were sufficient for Moshe, and therefore the third miracle of the water [turning into blood] was not done here. Instead, G-d commanded him to do the third sign in the sight of the people.” 

The Pesikta, as well as other Midrashim, suggest the snake was to show Moshe something about Pharaoh. The Midrash writes, “just as a snake can put its tail next to its ears to block out the voices of those who whisper, Pharaoh will block out the noise of your telling him to let the people go – so My wonders may be publicized more.” 

 R Chaim Paltiel focuses on the impurity of both the snake and the tzara’as noting that the lesson was for Moshe to see that God could control things which are impure (טמא) and that He could surely take Israel out of the midst of the Egyptians who were טמאים. Just as God made the snake (טמא) into a staff (טהור) and something with tzara’as into something pure again (Moshe’s hand), He can take Israel out of their state of impurity living among the Egyptian nation, which is טמא. 

 Rabbenu Bachaye looks at the deeper symbolism, combining the first two approaches: 

 The first two signs were showing Moshe that God has the power to bring death and to resurrect. But the practice run (Moshe doing this in the wilderness at the Burning Bush, without an audience) needed to happen in the wilderness where Moshe was as a sign to him alone, as a punishment for his speaking about the Israelites. What took place in Egypt was a sign for the Israelites to believe he had been sent by God. 

 Symbolism Regarding Pharaoh

Da’at Zekenim also look at this as symbolism regarding the specific situation: A snake bites and kills. Pharaoh and his servants would bite and kill Israelites (so to speak). That the snake turned into a staff demonstrated that the Egyptians were to be proven to be as dry (lifeless) as wood.

 After regurgitating some of the thoughts that have been presented above Alshikh presents three obstacles to the Israelites believing Moshe had been sent by God. 

 1. Could it be that someone who had to run away from Pharaoh so many years ago has the strength to stand up to Pharaoh? And how could he return to Egypt if, by law, there is still a price on his head (even if all those who wanted him dead are no longer alive!)? 

2. Moshe knew the Israelites were idolators and presumably unworthy of redemption 

3. When Moshe said you’ll be redeemed soon, by all accounts there were another 190 years left in Egypt? 

To the first query, Alshikh notes that Pharaoh is compared to a snake, or to a mighty Tannin. When Moshe is in Pharaoh’s presence, Pharaoh is like a staff in Moshe’s hand. There is nothing for Moshe to worry about as he controls Pharaoh. Alshikh even takes this comparison back to Moshe’s childhood, that when little Moshe took the crown off Pharaoh’s head he was as if a מטה, harmless. When Pharaoh wanted to kill Moshe for having killed the Egyptian, Pharaoh was like a snake who is intent on killing his prey. On his return to Egypt, with confidence, where Pharaoh will not be able to tell him what to, Pharaoh is once again a staff in Moshe’s hand. 

 Every encounter, every life experience, every time we merit to feel God’s presence, we have the opportunity to look deeper at what is going on and ask ourselves, “What is God telling me?” Sometimes we have life-changing epiphanies, sometimes we think we get the message, and sometimes we just miss it. 

 How does it impact our path going forward? Someone just sent me a video of an interview with Shannon Nuszen (look her up) who relatively recently has gone public about her anti-missionary work in Israel, which is highly informed by the fact that she was once a missionary before she converted to Judaism. Her journey is one informed by challenges to faith, challenges to a life lived, challenges to a belief system, and a discovery, through certain life events and prescient moments, through which she gleaned the messages she needed that brought her to the life she’s in now – inspiring others and standing for the truth she has discovered on her journey. 

Are we paying careful attention? Do we see when God is communicating with us? Do we heed the call, understand the message, and grow from every opportunity? 

 Moshe’s encounter with the snake demonstrated to him the need for him to become the greatest advocate for the people of Israel. It also may have given him a certain confidence boost he needed as time marched on and the people were stuck in the middle ground between slavery, plagues, and not-yet-emancipated. 

Between it all he knew God was on his side, that he could communicate with God, and that eventually everything would work out. All on account of the symbol of a snake.