We are accustomed to believing that nothing in this universe has any inherent power other than God. In this light, it is quite difficult to understand the narrative in this week’s parshah of the seemingly magical snake. When the Israelites complain to God about their lack of food and water, God punishes them by sending snakes to bite them. After the Israelites repent, God commands Moses to construct a brass snake. Those who are bitten and gaze at the snake are healed. On the surface, it appears as if the serpent possesses tremendous magical power.
However, according to the sages of the Mishnah, this simple reading is not correct. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 3:8) asks, does the snake really have the power to save or kill? Rather, when the Jewish people gazed at the snake, they gave their hearts to God, Who has the power to heal. Those who did not subject themselves to God died. The same Mishnah provides a similar understanding of Moses’ lifting up his hands during the Israelites’ battle against Amalek. It is not the power of Moses’ hands that saved the Jewish people, but rather the lifting of the hands caused them to turn their attentions to God. According to the Mishnah, these supposedly magical objects are not really magical, but are mere props that are intended to lead one to focus on God.
Over time, the Jewish people came to confuse the true meaning behind the brass snake. The snake is preserved to demonstrate God’s providence in the desert, but the Jewish people eventually attribute divine powers to it. To prevent further idolatry king Hezekiah destroys the serpent (II Kings 18:5), for which the sages praise him (Mishnah Pesachim 4:9). The snake does not possess any inherent powers or holiness, but is a means to assist the Jewish people focus on God. As soon as the worship of the snake defeats the intention behind its creation, Hezekiah smashes it. We thus learn from the sages that no being in the cosmos possesses true power, other than God.
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