Moshe and Aharon confront the Egyptian magicians in the challenge of turning a staff into a serpent. What is the meaning of this test? What is its purpose?
What was the purpose of the signs that Moshe was commanded to perform before Bnei Yisrael in Parshat Shemot?
Even if we posit that the signs were meant to provide an initial reinforcement of faith amongst the nation, we still need to clarify their purpose for Pharaoh and his magicians. Was the purpose the same for them? Did the signs lead to faith in God, or in Moshe as a prophet, in the eyes of Pharaoh and his magicians?
Through a close comparison between the narrative of Pharaoh’s dreams and the signs, we learn that perhaps the signs were not meant to establish faith. They came, just like the dreams had come previously, to convey a message, to present a vision.The signs would teach the Egyptians the meaning of the struggle against Am Yisrael.
