Deciphering the miracles

Moshe performed three miracles as signs to the Jews that he was Heaven-sent: 1) He threw his stick to the ground and it became a snake. Then he picked it up and it turned back into a stick. 2) He put his hand into his chest and it turned leprous. He did it again and it became healthy once more. 3) He poured the Nile water on the ground and it turned to blood. Rashi explains that the first half, the stick becoming a snake and the hand leprous, was the sign, and it hinted at the Lashon Hara that Moshe spoke of the Jews. The blood signified the downfall of the Egyptian god, the Nile. The Medrash however, explains that the main symbolism was in the second half. The turning of the snake back into a stick when Moshe touched it signified that the great snake, Paroh, will turn impotent as a stick when Moshe starts dealing with him. Moshe’s seemingly diseased hand suddenly turned healthy, so too the Jews, who seemed twisted and spiritually diseased will be quickly cured. And the third sign? We suggested that it signified that Egypt was now cursed. Water that touches it becomes ruined, blood. This symbolized that Egypt’s period of good times had come to an end. From now on it would be a ruined land. And indeed so it was!