Seeing as Hashem instructed Moshe to make a Saraf, why did he make a Nachash?
Targum Yonasan: Refer to 21:8:0:1:3.
Ramban and Yerushalmi 3:9: Moshe called it a Nachash, seeing as, when all?s said and done, a Saraf is a (burning) Nachash, 2 and this enabled him to go one step further, and, based on a play of words, he made it out of copper.
Why did Moshe opt to make a copper snake?
Rashi (citing the Midrash Rabah), Ramban and Yerushalmi: Since the snake is called 'Nachash', 1 he made it out of Nechoshes, which has a similar sound
Seforno: It was in order to resemble a snake in appearance (color), in name and in shape. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: The only difference between a Nachash and a Saraf is in color, so Moshe made a Nachash out of copper, which resembles a Saraf.
See Torah Temimah, citing Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah, 3:9, which also learns from here to Darshen names. See Torah Temimah, note 11.
Seforno: To drive home the message that they had copied the sin of the snake with the breath of their mouths by speaking against Hashem, against His work and against His servant (to galvanize them into doing Teshuvah). See also Ramban, the latter part of the Dibur.
Why did the Torah write "ve'Ra'ah oso" in Pasuk 7 and "ve'Hibit el N?chash ha?Nechoshes" here?
Rashi: Because, whereas in Pasuk 7, the Pasuk is referring to those who were bitten by other animals, whose bites were less lethal and for which mere seeing sufficed to cure them, the current Pasuk is referring to those that were bitten by the snakes, whose bites were lethal and who therefore needed to look with intent 1 at the snake in order to be cured.
Malbim (Sh'mos 3:6): Re'iyah is physical; Habatah is contemplation.
What are the implications of the word 'Habatah'?
Moshav Zekenim: Here and in Sh'mos 3:6 ("Ki Yarei me'Habit el ha'Elokim" 1 ), it means looking up. Rashi (in Lech-L'cha Bereishis 15:5) says that there, Hashem lifted Avraham above the stars, and "Habet Na ha'Shamaimah" means looking down.
Because there, Hashem was speaking to Moshe from the lowly bush! (PF)
