~ How does Pharaoh react to the first encounter with Moshe and Aharon?
~ What type of snake are we talking about?
~ Why does the rod become a snake, and not something else?
~ What is the relationship between wisdom, leadership and listening?
The snake is the symbol of shrewdness / nakedness but not necessarily wisdom. That shrewdness has to adapt to its environment to become wisdom: so the staff is a desert serpent in the first act, and a water serpent in the second act (see HaKtav veHaKabalah). The idea of tanim, here translated as water snake, can also be seen as "monster" given that pythons can grow to enourmous sizes. The pitfall of the tanim is to believe that one is so big and powerful that one has done everything by one's own hand (see Ezekiel, the Israelites are repeatedly warned not to have this attitude in Deuteronomy; the puffing up of the self due to knowledge of one's religion according to Kook). Listening has a dimension of humility, and only the ones humble enough to actually listen can grow in wisdom (See Shlomo's story with the two prostitutes and the one kid, he listens to both and decides; his reign is one of stability precisely because of wisdom). Finally, it is talking to strangers that actually empowers people, and listening is what gives a good political leader his or hers following / voters.
(א) וַיַּ֤עַן מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר וְהֵן֙ לֹֽא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לִ֔י וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹלִ֑י כִּ֣י יֹֽאמְר֔וּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יךָ ה' (ב) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֵלָ֛יו ה' מזה [מַה־] [זֶּ֣ה] בְיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ אַ֖רְצָה וַיְהִ֣י לְנָחָ֑שׁ וַיָּ֥נָס מֹשֶׁ֖ה מִפָּנָֽיו׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה שְׁלַח֙ יָֽדְךָ֔ וֶאֱחֹ֖ז בִּזְנָב֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיַּ֣חֲזֶק בּ֔וֹ וַיְהִ֥י לְמַטֶּ֖ה בְּכַפּֽוֹ׃ (ה) לְמַ֣עַן יַאֲמִ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֛יךָ ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתָ֑ם אֱלֹקֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹקֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹקֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(1) And Moshe answered and said: ‘But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say: Ad-nai has not appeared to you.’ (2) And Ad-nai said to him: ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he said: ‘A staff.’ (3) And He said: ‘Cast it on the ground.’ And he cast it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moshe fled from before it. (4) And Ad-nai said to Moshe: ‘Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail—and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand— (5) that they may believe that Ad-nai, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.’
(י) וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ כֵ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה ה' וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הוּ לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹ֛ה וְלִפְנֵ֥י עֲבָדָ֖יו וַיְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃ (יא) וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃ (יב) וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מַטֵּ֔הוּ וַיִּהְי֖וּ לְתַנִּינִ֑ם וַיִּבְלַ֥ע מַטֵּֽה־אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶת־מַטֹּתָֽם׃ (יג) וַיֶּחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵקֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' (פ) (יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כָּבֵ֖ד לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה מֵאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלַּ֥ח הָעָֽם׃ (טו) לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֞ה בַּבֹּ֗קֶר הִנֵּה֙ יֹצֵ֣א הַמַּ֔יְמָה וְנִצַּבְתָּ֥ לִקְרָאת֖וֹ עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיְאֹ֑ר וְהַמַּטֶּ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְנָחָ֖שׁ תִּקַּ֥ח בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃ (טז) וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו ה' אֱלֹקֵ֤י הָעִבְרִים֙ שְׁלָחַ֤נִי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְיַֽעַבְדֻ֖נִי בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְהִנֵּ֥ה לֹא־שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ עַד־כֹּֽה׃ (יז) כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר ה' בְּזֹ֣את תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י ה' הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י מַכֶּ֣ה ׀ בַּמַּטֶּ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־בְּיָדִ֗י עַל־הַמַּ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּיְאֹ֖ר וְנֶהֶפְכ֥וּ לְדָֽם׃
(10) So Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and did just as Ad-nai had commanded: Aaron cast down his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his courtiers, and it turned into a tanim. (11) Then Pharaoh, for his part, summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and the Egyptian magicians, in turn, did the same with their spells; (12) each cast down his staff, and they turned into taninim. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their rods. (13) Yet Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. (14) And Ad-nai said to Moses, “Pharaoh is one of a heavy-heart; he refuses to let the people go. (15) Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is coming out to the water, and station yourself before him at the edge of the Nile, taking with you the staff that turned into a nachash. (16) And say to him, ‘Ad-nai, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, “Let My people go that they may worship Me in the wilderness.” But you have not listened until now. (17) Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am Ad-nai” See, I shall strike the water in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood;
(ב) בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שִׂ֣ים פָּנֶ֔יךָ עַל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִנָּבֵ֣א עָלָ֔יו וְעַל־מִצְרַ֖יִם כֻּלָּֽהּ׃ (ג) דַּבֵּ֨ר וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אדושם ה' הִנְנִ֤י עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם הַתַּנִּים֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל הָרֹבֵ֖ץ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְאֹרָ֑יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֛ר לִ֥י יְאֹרִ֖י וַאֲנִ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽנִי׃ (ד) וְנָתַתִּ֤י חחיים [חַחִים֙] בִּלְחָיֶ֔יךָ וְהִדְבַּקְתִּ֥י דְגַת־יְאֹרֶ֖יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֑יךָ וְהַעֲלִיתִ֙יךָ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־דְּגַ֣ת יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶ֖יךָ תִּדְבָּֽק׃
(2) O mortal, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. (3) Speak these words: Thus said the Lord GOD: I am going to deal with you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, Great Tanim, sprawling in your channels, Who said, My Nile is my own; I made it for myself. (4) I will put hooks in your jaws, And make the fish of your channels Cling to your scales; I will haul you up from your channels, With all the fish of your channels Clinging to your scales.
(א) לתנין. תיב"ע לחיויא וכפירש"י נחש. ומ"מ יראה להבדיל בין תנין לנחש נחש שנהפך אלי' מטה משה (לעיל ד' ג') היא נחש הארצי המצוי ביערות ובמקומות שוממות, אמנם תנין הוא נחש המימי (וואססערשלאנגע), (כבישעיה כ"ז) לויתן נחש בריח לויתן נחש עקלתון, והרג את התנין אשר בים, ועל פרעה נאמר (יחזקאל כ"ט) התנים הגדול הרובץ בתוך יאוריו אשר אמר לי יאורי ואני עשיתני. ולפי שבטח פרעה על מי נילוס המשקה את ארצו, המשילו לתנים גדול הרובץ בו, והראה משה שמטהו יהי לתנין וימשול על פרעה ועל עמו, ומכוונת תוכחה זו על מכת הדם שנהפכו אליו מימי היאור ועל מכת הצפרדעים שנשרצו מן היאור. וכבר ספרו חכמי הטבע שמצאו נחש המימי (מעערשלאנגע), וקראוהו (הידרארכאָס), שהיה ארכו קי"ד רגל שהוא כחמשים ושבע אמות. וכ"א במכדרשב"י דל"ה, תקפי' דימא דא איהו תנינא וכו' כדין מה כתיב והרג את התנין אשר בים, דא איהו התנין הגדול, וע"ד כתיב הנני עליך (פרעה מלך מצרים התנים הגדול הרובץ בתוך יאוריו) ההוא נחש איהו ביבשתא, דא גדיל בעפרא ודא גדיל במיא וכו':
[Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg 18th c. Germany]
Into a tanim - Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel into a hiviah, and according to Rashi, nachash. And in any case it is necessary to make a distinction between a tanim and a nachash. The nachash that Moses' staff became above (4:3) is a snake of the ground, that is found in the forests and deserted places, and tanim is a water snake (vassershlange in Yiddish); as "[In that day the LORD with His sore and great and strong sword will punish] leviathan the slant nachash; leviathan the tortuous nachash; and He will slay the tanin that is in the sea." (Isaiah 27:1) And about Pharaoh it is said: "Great tanim, sprawling in your channels, Who said, My Nile is my own; I made it for myself." Since Pharaoh relied on the waters of the Nile that watered his land, he was compared to a great tanim/water snake that wanders on the Nile, and the proof is that Moses, whose staff became a tanim which can be compared to Pharaoh and his people; and the intention here is a rebuke regarding the plague of blood that changed the water of the river to blood, and the frogs that came from the river. And the wise men of nature [natural history scientists transl.] already said that there are the water snakes [sea snakes, Yiddish Meershlange] and called it [Hidrarkhos] which is 114 feet long, close to 57 amot, as we see in the Mechilta of Shimon Bar Yochai... "the nachash is in the dry land, and this one grows in the land and that one (tanim) grows in the water, etc."
Rav Kook
One must beware of "...the cancerous type of zealousness that is a result of a haughty presumptuousness that causes oneself to regard fragmentary intellectual spiritual expressions as though they stood at the heights of exalted comprehensiveness.” (Orot ha Kodesh III, pp p. 130; The Classics of Western Spirituality – Abraham Isaac Kook, Ben Zion Bokser, pp. 272-5)
(ח) וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (י) הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Danielle S. Allen, Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship since Brown v. Board of Education (University of Chicago Press, 2004), 161
‘Don’t talk to strangers!’ That is a lesson for four-year-olds. Eyes that drop to the ground when they bump up against a stranger’s gaze belong to those still in their political minority. If the experience of the most powerful citizen in the United States is any guide, talking to strangers is empowering; the president is among the few citizens for whom the polity holds no intimidating strangers. Presidents greet everyone and look all citizens in the eye. This is not merely because they are always campaigning, but because they have achieved the fullest possible political maturity. Their ease with strangers expresses a sense of freedom and empowerment. At one end of the spectrum of styles of democratic citizenship cowers the four-year-old in insecure isolation; at the other, stands the president, strong and self-confident. The more fearful we citizens are of speaking to strangers, the more we are docile children and not prospective presidents; the greater the distance between the president and us, the more we are subjects, not citizens. Talking to strangers is a way of claiming one’s political majority and, with it, a presidential ease and sense of freedom.