Turns out, Moses did. And, according to the Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, it didn't go unnoticed.

The story begins, as we know, with God commanding Moses to go to the Israelites in Egypt. But Moses, ever the reluctant leader, replies, "But they will not believe me, nor heed my voice; for they will say: The Lord did not appear to you" (Exodus 4:1). A little sass, right? Shemot Rabbah sees this as more than just reluctance; it's a full-blown, foot-in-mouth moment. God had already assured Moses, "They will heed your voice" (Exodus 3:18). So, what gives?

The text interprets God's response as a direct consequence of Moses' doubt. "From that [mizeh] which you have done, you must be punished," God essentially says, "as you have slandered My children; they are believers, the children of believers."

Strong words! But, where does this idea of the Israelites being believers come from? Well, it's right there in the text. "The people believed" (Exodus 4:31) after witnessing the signs Moses performed. And, of course, their lineage goes back to Abraham, who "believed in the Lord" (Genesis 15:6). So, according to this reading, Moses wasn't just doubting himself; he was doubting the faith of his people.

Then comes the famous staff-to-snake transformation. God commands Moses to throw his staff to the ground, and it becomes a serpent. Moses, understandably, flees. The Shemot Rabbah sees a deeper meaning here, connecting Moses' actions to the original serpent in the Garden of Eden. Moses, in his doubt, is seen as mirroring the serpent's slander of God, as it is stated: “For God knows [that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will open, and you shall be as God, knowers of good and evil]” (Genesis 3:5). Just as the serpent was punished, so too, Moses, in a way, will face the consequences of his words.

It's a pretty harsh assessment, right? But the story doesn’t stop there. There's this fascinating little anecdote involving a Roman gentlewoman and Rabbi Yosei. She basically taunts Rabbi Yosei, saying her god (the serpent) is greater because Moses fled from it, while he hid his face from the Israelite God.

Rabbi Yosei, clearly not one to back down from a theological debate, retorted that Moses fled from the serpent precisely because one could flee from it. God, on the other hand, fills the heavens and the earth – where could Moses possibly run? As it says in Jeremiah 23:24, “Don’t I fill the heavens and the earth – the utterance of the Lord?”

Another interpretation offered is that Moses fled because of his sin – his lack of faith. The text reminds us that "it is not the serpent that kills, but rather the sin that kills," referencing a story about Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa (Berakhot 33a).

Finally, God instructs Moses to grab the serpent by its tail, and it reverts back into a staff. What's the significance of this act for the Israelites? According to Rabbi Eliezer, the serpent represents Pharaoh, who is also referred to as a serpent in Ezekiel 29:3 and Isaiah 27:1. Pharaoh, in this view, was a "bar-serpent" who would bite Israel. God is showing Moses that he will strike Pharaoh with the staff, and eventually, Pharaoh will become harmless, like wood.

So, in the end, the staff-to-snake transformation isn't just a cool magic trick. It's a symbol of overcoming doubt, confronting evil, and ultimately, believing in the power of God. It's a message that resonates even today. Do we trust the path laid out for us, even when we have doubts? Do we believe in the potential for transformation, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles? The story of Moses and the serpent challenges us to do just that.