Commentaire de citation sur L’Exode 7:12

However, according to those who say that “tanin” means a fish, we can say that in front of the Israelites, the staff turned into a snake to indicate that initially the Israelites stood upright like a straight rod, but afterward their full stature was lowered to the ground, becoming like creatures that crawl in the dust. And when they would grasp its tail — when they would reach the depths of degradation — they would return to their former state, becoming like this staff. And so it was that Pharaoh increased their servitude at the end, and he attacked them from behind to make them like the tails of smoking firebrands, from which they rose to their elevated status.
This would not have been appropriate to do before Pharaoh; therefore, in his presence, the staff turned into a tanin, meaning a fish, to indicate that just as God foiled his plan initially — for Pharaoh wanted to make them like this dry staff that does not reproduce, and thus he said, Lest they multiply — the opposite happened: the dry staff became a fish, as it is written And they shall multiply abundantly in the midst of the earth (Genesis 49:16). So too now, God would foil his plan. Therefore, the tanin did not return to being a staff, hinting that the Israelites would remain in their multiplied state forever.
And when it says, Aaron’s staff swallowed, it refers to the tanin that was initially a staff. The Nile, which contains fish, was struck specifically by Moses’ staff, which was initially a snake. But Aaron’s staff, which was initially a fish and now became a staff [not in Pharaoh’s presence], would not be appropriate to kill their fish, since it had been a fish itself.
Afterward, He commanded them to take Aaron’s staff to strike all the rivers and lakes. Therefore, it says “the fish in the Nile died, but not those in the lakes and rivers that were struck by Aaron’s staff. He dealt more severely with the Nile because it was their god, so He executed judgments on their gods, showing them that it could not save the fish. But the lakes and rivers were not considered deities, so He did not kill their fish.

Bahya writes. The verse says, “they turned into serpents” [7:12]. That is to say, the magicians made as if they made snakes from the staffs. However, the truth is that they could not make snakes, but they made the people blind and they thought that they made snakes.¹²Bahya, Exodus, 7:12.

AND, BEHOLD, HITHERTO THOU HAST NOT HEARKENED. Because this was one of the [ten] plagues and henceforth He will begin to smite him, He therefore said to him that it was his wickedness which was responsible for the bringing of the punishment upon him since he hearkened not to the command of his Creator. Now at this time, [i.e., when the warning about the first plague was given to him], Pharaoh did not declare to Moses and Aaron that he will neither hearken to G-d’s words nor let the people go. It was only at the first time [when they came before him] that he said, I know not the Eternal, and moreover I will not let Israel go.¹²²Above, 5:2. At present, he did not rebuke them; he only heard their words and remained silent, for since they performed the wonder of the serpent before him and Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods,¹²³Verse 12. he was already afraid of the plagues, except that during the first plagues he attempted that the magicians do likewise, that is, by means of deeds of sorcery. Thus he was afraid, and yet he hardened his heart. This is the sense of the expression, And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.¹²⁴Further, Verse 22.