Our ancestors in the wilderness did the same thing, and, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, it didn't go so well.

The story goes that the Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, started grumbling. They said, "We were dwelling in the land of Egypt in ease and contentment, but the Holy One, blessed be He, and Moses have brought us forth from Egypt to die in the wilderness!" Sound familiar? We find this complaint recorded in Numbers 21:5: "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?"

So, what did God do? He sent… fiery serpents. Ouch. As it says in Numbers 21:6, "And the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died." Pretty harsh. Moses, seeing the disaster unfolding, does what he always does: he prays. He intercedes on behalf of the people. And God, in turn, gives him a rather unusual instruction.

God tells Moses to make a serpent of copper – nechoshet in Hebrew – and place it on a high pole. But not just any serpent. The text specifically links it to "that serpent which spoke slander betwixt Adam and his helpmate." This is a direct reference to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the one who tempted Eve!

God then instructs that anyone who has been bitten should direct their heart to their Father in Heaven, look at the copper serpent, and they will be healed.

So, Moses makes this serpent of copper and sets it up. And, just as God promised, anyone who looked at the serpent and turned their heart to God was healed. The verse in Numbers 21:9 confirms it: "And it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of copper, he lived."

But wait, there’s more. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer adds a quote from Ecclesiastes 10:11: "If the serpent bite without enchantment, then is there no advantage in the master of the tongue." What's that about? It's a bit cryptic, but it suggests that words alone – even the most skillful or enchanting – are useless against the serpent's bite. There’s something more needed here.

What is that "something more?" Why a serpent to heal from serpents? It's a fascinating question, isn't it? Perhaps it was a way for the Israelites to confront the source of their troubles, to acknowledge their own "serpent-like" behavior of complaining and slandering, and to turn their hearts back to God in repentance. The very image of the thing that caused their suffering became the vehicle for their healing. By looking at the copper serpent and directing their hearts to God, they were acknowledging their misdeeds and seeking forgiveness.

And maybe, just maybe, there's a lesson in there for us too. When we’re stuck in our own "wilderness," facing our own "fiery serpents," perhaps the answer isn't just to complain, but to look inward, acknowledge our own shortcomings, and turn our hearts towards something greater.