ו י ע ש מֹשֶ ה נְח ש נְחֹשֶ ת ו יְשִ מֵ הּו ע ל ה נֵס (Numbers 21:9). Why did Moshe call the snake: “N'chash N’choshes” a copper snake? Just because “copper” and “snake” have a similar name? Why indeed are snakes and copper similar? Copper is a symbol of Chutzpa, as it says: ּומִצְּחֲָך נְּחּושָּה (Isaiah 48:4) your forehead is bronze [brazen]. Perhaps the Chutzpa of copper is that despite looking like precious gold, it is an insignificant cheap metal. When it imitates gold, it is “a lying Chutzpi'nyak”!
And the snake is a Chutzpadik creature from day one, when he got involved in “human-being” business. “Who are you, Mr. Nobody?” Adam and Chava are both Tzelem Elokim, and Mr. Snake is a mere Chaya undomesticated animal. Today, he is the lowliest creature who lives on the filthy earth, yet he bites a big horse and overthrows him. So indeed, copper and snakes do have something in common.
The biggest Chutzpa in the world was when the complainers called the beautiful delicious Mon: לֶחֶם הַקְֹּלקֵל cursed bread. Hashem gives you such an unusual Chesed and yet you complain? So their punishment mirrors their crime, and they are bitten by Chutzpadik snakes! Gazing at the “copper” snake was their Tikkun, to bring awareness of the evil of the snake and its Chutzpa, so they can be careful from then on.
Looking at N’chash HaN’choshes means giving yourself a Mussar Shmuess; to see what you look like when you complain. Keep focusing on the ugliness of your sin and it will help you conquer your Yetzer Hara in the future. The N’chash HaN’choshes was raised up on a banner [Ness]. This inspires a person; when he realizes that overcoming your weakness makes you high and great. The word: ןֹיוָּסִנ Nisayon comes from the word: נֵס לְּהִתְּנוֹסֵס (Psalms 60:6) uplifted and great like a banner.
When discussing the many difficulties in his life, R' Chaim Mordechai Wainkrantz Zatzal would say: “It’s a Nisayon”. When you define your difficulties as a Nisayon, they become much easier to deal with. According to Chazal, looking up at the N’chash HaN’choshes was an act of Bitachon. It seems that there is a time to apply Bitachon and not Tefila [or to combine Bitachon together with Tefila, but not Tefila alone].