And his reaction to Moses and Aaron's miracles in Egypt, as described in Shemot Rabbah, is a masterclass in insecure overcompensation.

We all know the story: Moses and Aaron come before Pharaoh, armed with God's message to let the Israelites go. Aaron throws down his staff, and it transforms into a serpent. Impressive, right? You’d think Pharaoh would be at least a little concerned. But no. Instead, as Shemot Rabbah tells us, "Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers." (Exodus 7:11)

But it's what happens next that's truly revealing. According to the Midrash, at that moment, Pharaoh starts laughing. Not just a chuckle, but a full-blown mockery. He clucks at his wise men like a hen! Can you imagine? He basically says, "Are these the signs of your God? Please! Bringing these miracles here is like bringing fish brine to Spain or fish to Akko!" Implying, of course, that Egypt is already overflowing with magic. He's basically saying, "I am magic! I own magic! Your measly miracles are nothing!"

The nerve, right?

He then proceeds to pull out all the stops to prove his point. He summons children from schools, and they replicate the miracle! Shemot Rabbah emphasizes this by highlighting the word gam (גם), meaning "also." "Pharaoh also called..." The Midrash interprets this to mean he even called his wife, and she performed the same trick! Then, "They too [gam], the magicians of Egypt, did so." Again, the word gam signifies something more: that he even summoned four- and five-year-old children, and they duplicated the feat.

Four and five year olds! Can you imagine the scene?

Pharaoh is pulling out all the stops to discredit Moses and Aaron. It’s almost comical, his desperation to maintain his power and prestige. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? If he was so confident in his own power, why the need for such an elaborate show? Why the need to bring in children to prove his point?

Perhaps, deep down, Pharaoh knew that the magic of Egypt was no match for the power of the one true God. Perhaps his laughter was just a mask, hiding a growing fear that the world he knew was about to be turned upside down. And as we know, that fear was incredibly well-founded. Because the showdown had only just begun.