<b>When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying (Exod. 7:9).</b> May it please our masters to teach us whether a man who is bitten by a serpent while standing in prayer may stop praying. Our masters teach us: A man standing in prayer may not respond to the greeting of a king, nor may he stop praying when a serpent encircles his heel. Once a wild ass attacked and bit R. Hanina the son of Dosa while he was standing in prayer and his disciples fled in fear. Upon their return a hour later, they found the ass lying dead near its den. They cried out: “Woe to the man whom a wild ass bites, but woe to the wild ass that attacks R. Hanina the son of Dosa.” Why did the sages compare a serpent that winds itself about the heel of a man with the kingdom of Egypt? R. Yosé the son of Pazzi said: Because it is written: <i>The sound thereof shall go like the serpent’s; for they march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood</i> (Jer. 46:22). Just as the serpent hisses and kills, so the kingdom of Egypt hisses and kills a man. He would imprison a man, accuse him in secret, and surreptitiously execute him.
Another comment on why they compared the kingdom of Egypt to a serpent. Just as the serpent winds its way about, so the government of Egypt follows devious paths. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Just as the serpent is cunning, so too is the wicked Pharaoh. When he is about to deal cunningly with you, say to Aaron, “Take your rod, and raise it toward him, as though warning him, You will be smitten with this.” <i>Declaring the end from the beginning</i> (Isa. 46:10). While Moses was still at the burning bush, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him that Pharaoh would act treacherously in the future. When he turned his staff into a serpent, it indicated that the wicked Pharaoh was like a treacherous serpent. Hence, <i>Pharaoh acted treacherously</i>.