The ancient Rabbis certainly thought about that feeling, and they found it in a surprising place: the showdown between Moses and Pharaoh's magicians.

The verse in Exodus 7:12 tells us, "Each man cast his staff, and they became serpents, and Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs." But Shemot Rabbah, a classical collection of Midrashic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, dives deeper, asking, what was really going on here?

According to Shemot Rabbah, the Egyptian sorcerers, Yoḥani and Mamre, scoffed at Moses. They said, "Are you taking straw to Ofriyim?" It's like saying, "Are you bringing coals to Newcastle?" – a completely pointless endeavor. Moses retorted, "To a city of vegetables, take vegetables!" (Shemot Rabbah 9). It's because people go there to purchase vegetables.

But the real story, according to the Rabbis, isn't just about a battle of magical abilities. It's about wisdom versus foolishness. The Midrash connects this scene to Proverbs 29:11: "A fool expends all his spirit, but a wise man stills it within him."

Think about it. A fool blurts out everything they're thinking, especially when arguing. But a wise person? They hold back, strategically undermining their opponent. The Midrash sees Pharaoh as the fool, prematurely revealing his entire arsenal of tricks, while God, the ultimate wise one, "stills it within him," subverting Pharaoh's plans.

The story of Ahasuerus, from the Book of Esther, comes into play here as well. Ahasuerus, in his arrogance, flaunted his wealth for 180 days! Our Rabbis said he showed them six hidden treasures each day, based on the Hebrew expressions in Esther 1:4 – osher (wealth), kevod (glory), malkhuto (kingdom), yekar (honor), tiferet (splendor), and gedulato (majesty). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba suggests he showed off his expenditures. Rabbi Levi even says he displayed the priestly vestments, linking the "splendor" mentioned in Esther to the "glory and splendor" of the High Priest's garments in Exodus 28:2. But ultimately, God overturned his counsel and Vashti was killed.

So, back to Pharaoh. He thought Moses's and Aaron's feats were mere sorcery. He called on his own magicians to replicate the miracles, expending all his energy in a futile attempt to match God's power.

But here's where it gets really interesting. The Midrash asks: If Aaron's staff simply swallowing the others' staffs was just a matter of one serpent eating another, what's so miraculous about that? "If the serpent will swallow the serpents of the Egyptians, it is the way of the world, a serpent swallowing a serpent," it says (Shemot Rabbah 9). That's not a miracle!

Rabbi Elazar offers a mind-blowing interpretation: it was a miracle within a miracle! The staff returned to its original form as a staff and then swallowed the serpents. It was a transformation AND an act of consumption. According to Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina, this was such a great miracle because even though the staff swallowed a volume of serpents that could fill ten omer (an ancient measurement), it didn't thicken at all! It remained recognizably Aaron's staff.

Pharaoh, witnessing this, was terrified. What if Moses commanded the staff to swallow him and his throne?!

The Rabbis saw Aaron's staff as more than just a magical tool. From that moment on, it became a "positive sign" – a symbol of divine power and a source of miracles for generations to come.

So, what can we take away from this story? Perhaps it's a reminder that true strength lies not in flashy displays of power, but in wisdom, restraint, and the ability to recognize the divine hand at work, even in the face of seemingly impossible odds. And maybe, just maybe, to think twice before bringing straw to Ofriyim.