“Each man cast his staff, and they became serpents, and Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs” (Exodus 7:12). “Each man cast his staff” – Yoḥani and Mamre6These were two of the head sorcerers. said to Moses: ‘Are you taking straw to Ofriyim?’7This is the agricultural equivalent of taking coals to Newcastle. He said to them: ‘To a city of vegetables take vegetables.’8It is because people go there to purchase vegetables.
“Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs” – that is what is written: “A fool expends all his spirit; but a wise man stills it within him” (Proverbs 29:11). The fool expresses his claims all at once when he comes to quarrel with another, while the wise man ultimately marginalizes him. Alternatively: “A fool expends all his spirit” – this wicked one, after he finishes expressing his entire counsel, the Wise One of the world “stills it within him.”
As you find with Aḥashverosh, who stood and abrogated work on the Temple; that is why he ruled over only half the world. What is written in his regard? “With his display of the wealth of his glorious kingdom [and the honor of his splendid majesty, for many days; one hundred and eighty days]” (Esther 1:4). Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: He would show them six hidden treasures9This is based on six Hebrew expressions in the verse: The wealth [osher] of his glorious [kevod] kingdom [malkhuto] and the honor [yekar] of his splendid [tiferet] majesty [gedulato]. on each and every day, one unlike the other, and then he would send them to all the prominent members of the kingdom.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says: He showed the various expenditures. Rabbi Levi says: He showed then the priestly vestments; here it is stated: “His splendid majesty” (Esther 1:4), and there it is stated: “You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother [for glory and for splendor]” (Exodus 28:2). Just as splendor stated there refers to the vestments of the High Priest, so too, splendor stated here refers to the vestments of the High Priest.
“But a wise man stills it within him” – the Holy One blessed be He subverted his counsel, and he killed Vashti. Another interpretation: “A fool expends all his spirit” – this is Pharaoh, who was mocking the Holy One blessed be He, as he believed that what Moses and Aaron had done was [achieved by] sorcery, and he called all the members of his household to do what they had done. That is “A fool expends all his spirit” – this is Pharaoh.
“But a wise man stills it within him” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Wise of heart and mighty in strength” (Job 9:4). At that moment the Holy One blessed be He said: If the serpent will swallow the serpents of the Egyptians, it is the way of the world, a serpent swallowing a serpent. Rather, let it return to its original state and swallow the serpents. What is “And Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs”?
Rabbi Elazar said: It was a miracle within a miracle; it teaches that the staff returned to its original form of a staff and swallowed them. When Pharaoh saw this, he was astonished and said: What if he were to say to the staff: Swallow Pharaoh and his throne; would it then swallow him? Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: A great miracle was performed to the staff, as even though it swallowed all the staffs that they had cast, which were numerous enough to fill ten omer, it did not thicken.
Anyone who saw it would say: This is Aaron’s staff.10This is derived from the language of the verse: “And Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.” From here on, Aaron’s staff was a positive sign with which to perform miracles and wonders throughout the generations.