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Share(א) ואני אקשה. מֵאַחַר שֶׁהִרְשִׁיעַ וְהִתְרִיס כְּנֶגְדִּי, וְגָלוּי לְפָנַי שֶׁאֵין נַחַת רוּחַ בָּאֻמּוֹת לָתֵת לֵב שָׁלֵם לָשׁוּב, טוֹב שֶׁיִּתְקַשֶּׁה לִבּוֹ, לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת בּוֹ אוֹתוֹתַי, וְתַכִּירוּ אַתֶּם אֶת גְּבוּרָתִי. וְכֵן מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה, מֵבִיא פֻּרְעָנוּת עַל הָאֻמּוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִירְאוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱ' "הִכְרַתִּי גוֹיִם נָשַׁמּוּ פִּנּוֹתָם … אָמַרְתִּי אַךְ תִּירְאִי אוֹתִי תִּקְחִי מוּסָר" (צפניה ג'); וְאַעַפִּ"כֵ בְּחָמֵשׁ מַכּוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת לֹא נֶאֱמַר וַיְחַזֵּק ה' אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה, אֶלָּא וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב פַּרְעֹה (תנחומא):
(1) ואני אקשה AND I WILL ALLOW [PHARAOH’S HEART] TO HARDEN — Since he has wickedly resisted Me, and it is manifest to Me that the heathen nations find no spiritual satisfaction in setting their whole heart to return to Me penitently, it is better that his heart should be hardened in order that My signs may be multiplied against him so that ye may recognise My divine power. Such, indeed, is the method of the Holy One, blessed be He: He brings punishment upon the nations so that Israel may hear of it and fear Him, as it is said, (Zephaniah 3:6, 3:7) “I have cut off nations, their corners are desolate etc. … I said: Surely thou wilt fear Me, thou wilt receive correction” (cf. Yevamot 63a). Nevertheless, in the case of the first five plagues it is not stated, “The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” but “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 3).
(א) ואני אקשה את לב פרעה אמרו במדרש רבה (שמו"ר ה ו) גילה לו שהוא עתיד לחזק את לבו בעבור לעשות בו הדין, תחת שהעבידם בעבודה קשה. ועוד שם (יג ד) כי אני הכבדתי את לבו (שמות י׳:א׳), אמר רבי יוחנן מכאן פתחון פה למינין לומר לא היתה ממנו שיעשה תשובה. אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש יסתם פיהם של מינין, אלא אם ללצים הוא יליץ (משלי ג לד), מתרה בו פעם ראשונה ושניה ושלישית ואינו חוזר בו והוא נועל בו דלת מן התשובה כדי לפרוע ממנו מה שחטא. כך פרעה הרשע, כיון ששגר הקב"ה אצלו חמש פעמים ולא השגיח על דבריו, אמר לו הקב"ה אתה הקשית את ערפך והכבדת את לבך, הריני מוסיף לך טומאה על טומאתך:
והנה פירשו בשאלה אשר ישאלו הכל, אם השם הקשה את לבו מה פשעו, ויש בו שני טעמים ושניהם אמת האחד, כי פרעה ברשעו אשר עשה לישראל רעות גדולות חנם, נתחייב למנוע ממנו דרכי תשובה, כאשר באו בזה פסוקים רבים בתורה ובכתובים, ולפי מעשיו הראשונים נדון. והטעם השני, כי היו חצי המכות עליו בפשעו, כי לא נאמר בהן רק ויחזק לב פרעה (להלן פסוק יג, כב, ח טו), ויכבד פרעה את לבו (להלן ח כח, ט ז). הנה לא רצה לשלחם לכבוד השם, אבל כאשר גברו המכות עליו ונלאה לסבול אותם, רך לבו והיה נמלך לשלחם מכובד המכות, לא לעשות רצון בוראו. ואז הקשה השם את רוחו ואמץ את לבבו למען ספר שמו, כענין שכתוב והתגדלתי והתקדשתי ונודעתי לעיני גוים רבים וגו' (יחזקאל לח כג):
ואשר אמר קודם המכות (שמות ד׳:כ״א) ואני אחזק את לבו ולא ישלח את העם, יודיע למשה העתיד לעשות בו במכות האחרונות, כענין שאמר (שמות ג׳:י״ט) ואני ידעתי כי לא יתן אתכם מלך מצרים להלוך וזה טעם ואני אקשה את לב פרעה והרבתי את אותותי, כלומר שאקשה לבו למען רבות מופתי בארץ מצרים. כי בחמש מכות האחרונות גם בטביעת הים נאמר ויחזק ה' (שמות י״ד:ח׳), כי לב מלך ביד ה' על כל אשר יחפוץ יטנו (משלי כא א):
והנה פירשו בשאלה אשר ישאלו הכל, אם השם הקשה את לבו מה פשעו, ויש בו שני טעמים ושניהם אמת האחד, כי פרעה ברשעו אשר עשה לישראל רעות גדולות חנם, נתחייב למנוע ממנו דרכי תשובה, כאשר באו בזה פסוקים רבים בתורה ובכתובים, ולפי מעשיו הראשונים נדון. והטעם השני, כי היו חצי המכות עליו בפשעו, כי לא נאמר בהן רק ויחזק לב פרעה (להלן פסוק יג, כב, ח טו), ויכבד פרעה את לבו (להלן ח כח, ט ז). הנה לא רצה לשלחם לכבוד השם, אבל כאשר גברו המכות עליו ונלאה לסבול אותם, רך לבו והיה נמלך לשלחם מכובד המכות, לא לעשות רצון בוראו. ואז הקשה השם את רוחו ואמץ את לבבו למען ספר שמו, כענין שכתוב והתגדלתי והתקדשתי ונודעתי לעיני גוים רבים וגו' (יחזקאל לח כג):
ואשר אמר קודם המכות (שמות ד׳:כ״א) ואני אחזק את לבו ולא ישלח את העם, יודיע למשה העתיד לעשות בו במכות האחרונות, כענין שאמר (שמות ג׳:י״ט) ואני ידעתי כי לא יתן אתכם מלך מצרים להלוך וזה טעם ואני אקשה את לב פרעה והרבתי את אותותי, כלומר שאקשה לבו למען רבות מופתי בארץ מצרים. כי בחמש מכות האחרונות גם בטביעת הים נאמר ויחזק ה' (שמות י״ד:ח׳), כי לב מלך ביד ה' על כל אשר יחפוץ יטנו (משלי כא א):
(1) AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. The Rabbis said in Midrash Rabbah:94Shemoth Rabbah 5:6. “G-d revealed to Moses that He was destined to harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring judgment upon him for he caused them to work in cruel bondage.” It is also stated there [in Midrash Rabbah]:95Ibid., 13:4. “For I have hardened his heart.96Further, 10:1. Rabbi Yochanan said, ‘This provides a pretext for the heretics to say that G-d did not allow Pharaoh to repent.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, ‘The mouths of the heretics be closed! Only, if it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them.97Proverbs 3:34. When He warns one on three occasions and he does not turn from his ways, He closes the door of repentance on him in order to punish him for his sin. Such was the case with wicked Pharaoh. After the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him five times98“In the case of the first five plagues, it is not stated, ‘The Eternal hardened Pharaoh’s heart,’ but ‘Pharaoh’s heart was hardened’” (Rashi). That is, it was hardened by his own stubborness. [the request to let His people go] and he paid no attention to His words, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have stiffened your neck and hardened your heart; I will double your defilement.’”99Literally: “I will add defilement to your defilement.”
The Rabbis [in the above Midrash] have thus discussed the question which all ask:100See Ibn Ezra here, and Rambam in his Shemonah Perakim, Chapter 8, and in his Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Teshubah 6:3, where this problem is discussed. “If G-d hardened his heart, what then was Pharaoh’s sin?” For this there are two explanations, and both of them are true. One is that Pharaoh in his wickedness had unjustifiably perpetrated such great evils against Israel that justice required that the ways of repentance be withheld from him, as is so indicated in many places in the Torah and in the Writings.101See Rambam in Mishneh Torah, ibid., where he quotes from the Prophets and Writings to substantiate this point. He was judged according to his wickedness which he had originally committed of his own will. The second explanation is that half of the plagues came upon him because of his transgressions, for in connection with them it is only said: And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened;102Further, Verses 13 and 22, and 8:15. And Pharaoh hardened his heart.103Ibid., 8:28 and 9:7. Thus Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go for the glory of G-d. But when the plagues began bearing down upon him and he became weary to suffer them, his heart softened and he bethought himself to send them out on account of the onslaught of the plagues, not in order to do the will of his Creator. Then G-d hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate,104Deuteronomy 2:30. so that His name may be declared [throughout all the earth].105Further, 9:16. Similar in meaning is the verse, Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Eternal.106Ezekiel 38:23. And that which He said before the plagues, And I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go,107Above, 4:21. was merely His warning to Moses of that which He was destined to do to Pharaoh in the last [five] plagues, it being similar to that which He said, And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go.108Ibid., 3:18. This then is the meaning of the verse [before us], And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs. That is to say, “I will harden his heart so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt,”109Further, 11:9. since in the last five plagues, as well as at the drowning in the sea, it is said, And the Eternal hardened the heart of Pharaoh,110Ibid., 14:8. for the king’s heart is in the hand of the Eternal; He turneth it whithersoever He will.111Proverbs 21:1.
The Rabbis [in the above Midrash] have thus discussed the question which all ask:100See Ibn Ezra here, and Rambam in his Shemonah Perakim, Chapter 8, and in his Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Teshubah 6:3, where this problem is discussed. “If G-d hardened his heart, what then was Pharaoh’s sin?” For this there are two explanations, and both of them are true. One is that Pharaoh in his wickedness had unjustifiably perpetrated such great evils against Israel that justice required that the ways of repentance be withheld from him, as is so indicated in many places in the Torah and in the Writings.101See Rambam in Mishneh Torah, ibid., where he quotes from the Prophets and Writings to substantiate this point. He was judged according to his wickedness which he had originally committed of his own will. The second explanation is that half of the plagues came upon him because of his transgressions, for in connection with them it is only said: And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened;102Further, Verses 13 and 22, and 8:15. And Pharaoh hardened his heart.103Ibid., 8:28 and 9:7. Thus Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go for the glory of G-d. But when the plagues began bearing down upon him and he became weary to suffer them, his heart softened and he bethought himself to send them out on account of the onslaught of the plagues, not in order to do the will of his Creator. Then G-d hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate,104Deuteronomy 2:30. so that His name may be declared [throughout all the earth].105Further, 9:16. Similar in meaning is the verse, Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Eternal.106Ezekiel 38:23. And that which He said before the plagues, And I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go,107Above, 4:21. was merely His warning to Moses of that which He was destined to do to Pharaoh in the last [five] plagues, it being similar to that which He said, And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go.108Ibid., 3:18. This then is the meaning of the verse [before us], And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs. That is to say, “I will harden his heart so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt,”109Further, 11:9. since in the last five plagues, as well as at the drowning in the sea, it is said, And the Eternal hardened the heart of Pharaoh,110Ibid., 14:8. for the king’s heart is in the hand of the Eternal; He turneth it whithersoever He will.111Proverbs 21:1.
(א) ואני אקשה. יש לשאול אם השם הקשה את לבו מה' פשעו ומה חטאתו. והתשוב' כי השם נתן חכמה לאדם ונטע בלבו שכל לקבל כח עליון להוסיף על טובתו או לחסר מרעתו. וזה אפרש בפרשת כי תשא ובפסוק מי יתן והיה לבבם זה. והנה טעם אקשה את לבו למען רבות מופתי. ורבי ישועה אמר כי טעם אקשה את לבו לסבול את המכות. ולא דבר נכונה:
(1) AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. The question arises: “If God hardened Pharaoh’s heart what was his transgression and what was his sin?”15Prima facie, our verse states that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for not mending his ways; i.e., I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for hardening his heart by multiplying “My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” The answer is: God granted wisdom to man and implanted in his heart the intelligence to receive power from on high to add to his good16If good things are destined to befall an individual he can increase the amount of good that will befall him by developing his intelligence. Individual Divine Providence is extended only to those who have developed their intellectual capacities. See Introduction to Vol. 1, p. XIII. or to diminish his evil.17A person can decrease the evil that is destined to befall him by developing his intelligence. See preceding note. I will explain this in the Torah portion Ki Tissa18Ex. 31:18; 33:21. and when I comment on the verse Oh that they had such a heart as this alway (Deut. 5:26). Now the meaning of our verse is: I will harden his heart in order to multiply My signs and My wonders.19God prevented Pharaoh from developing his intellectual capacities; God did this not to punish Pharaoh but so that He would have a pretext for multiplying His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. I.E. apparently held that man has free will. However, God occasionally takes it away when it serves His purpose to do so. For other interpretations, see Weiser and Krinsky. Rabbi Joshua says that its meaning is: I will harden his heart so that he will be able to bear the plagues.20Hence there is no problem as to why Pharaoh was punished for being obstinate; Pharaoh was a free agent. God; granted him the physical strength to bear His plagues. He did not take away Pharaoh’s free will. However, he spoke incorrectly.21Rabbi Joshua is wrong. Heart in Scripture refers to an individual’s mental rather than physical capacity. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart thus does not mean I will give Pharaoh a strong heart so that he can bear up under the pressure of the plagues, but rather that I will, so to speak, dull his brain so that he does not develop his intellectual capacity.
(א) ואני אקשה. הנה בהיות האל חפץ בתשובת רשעים ולא במיתתם, כאמרו חי אני נאם ה', אם אחפוץ במות הרשע, כי אם בשוב הרשע מדרכו וחיה, אמר שירבה את אותותיו ואת מופתיו, וזה להשיב את המצרים בתשובה, בהודיע להם גדלו וחסדו באותות ובמופתים, כאמרו בעבור זאת העמדתיך, בעבור הראותך את כחי ועם זה היתה הכונה שישראל יראו וייראו, כאמרו למען שיתי אותותי אלה בקרבו, ולמען תספר, ואין ספק שלולא הכבדת הלב היה פרעה משלח את ישראל בלי ספק, לא על צד תשובה והכנעה לאל יתברך, שיתנחם מהיות מורד, אף על פי שהכיר גדלו וטובו, אלא על צד היותו בלתי יכול לסבול עוד את צרת המכות, כמו שהגידו עבדיו באמרם הטרם תדע כי אבדה מצרים וזאת לא היתה תשובה כלל. אבל אם היה פרעה חפץ להכנע לאל יתברך, ולשוב אליו בתשובה שלמה, לא היה לו מזה שום מונע. והנה אמר האל יתברך ואני אקשה את לב פרעה, שיתאמץ לסבול המכות ולא ישלח מיראת המכות את ישראל, למען שיתי אותותי אלה בקרבו, שמהם יכירו גדלי וטובי וישובו המצרים באיזו תשובה אמתית. ולמען תספר אתה ישראל הרואה בצרתם, באזני בנך להודיע שכל אלה יפעל אל עם גבר להשיבו אליו, וזה כשיפשפשו במעשיהם בבוא עליהם איזה פורענות:
(1) ואני אקשה, seeing that G’d is interested in the sinner’s repentance rather than his death (as we know from Ezekiel 33,11 חי אני, נאום ה', אם אחפוץ במות הרשע כי אם בשובו מדרכו וחיה, “by My life, I do not want the death of the wicked but that he return from his wicked path and live”), G’d told Moses that He would bring on numerous plagues, all in order to increase the chances that Pharaoh would finally see the light and become a genuine penitent. He hoped that by demonstrating His greatness and His power this would eventually cause the Egyptians to recognise all this. At the same time, G’d also spelled out a similar thought in 9,16 but aimed at the Israelites, when He said: “that the only reason He had not yet killed Pharaoh was so that in the course of more plagues you, the Jewish people, would come to recognise both G’d’s greatness and His patience.“ He also wanted the Jewish people to learn how to both love and revere Him when they witnessed and thought about the meaning of all these plagues. There can be no question that without G’d stiffening Pharaoh’s attitude from time to time, he would have collapsed much sooner and would have sent the Israelites on their desired journey. However, this would not have been the result of his repentance and humbling himself before the Lord, involving genuine regret about his previous errors, but the result of his impotence to withstand the pressure applied to him. He would have acted out of terror of what the next plague would do to him and to his country. If we needed confirmation of this, all we have to do is look at what his servants said to him when Moses threatened with the plague of locust. They said to him: “how long will you be obstinate, do you not see that Egypt will go down the drain?!” There was not a single word of regret of past errors, no word of recognition that G’d could have killed them all long before this and that He must therefore be very patient, and kind, but mere terror forced them to utter these words. (10,7) Keeping all this in mind, it is foolish to ask how G’d could punish Pharaoh after he Himself had interfered with his decision-making process by “stiffening his heart,” ואני אקשה את לב פרעה, I will stiffen the heart of Pharaoh, etc.” not in order to punish him but in order to finally trigger repentance in his heart. The operative clause is “in order that I can demonstrate all these miracles of Mine in his midst” (10,1), the purpose being to bring about his humbling himself in repentance and genuine contrition. If that wish of G’d would indeed materialise, the Jewish people also would tell of G’d’s greatness, (למען ספר את שמי, having observed at first hand how the mightiest secular power on earth turned into G’d fearing human beings.) They would tell their children and children’s children the lesson they had learned that G’d’s apparent cruelty is actually an act of loving kindness as it results in His creatures coming to love and to revere Him. [Noach, who had survived the destruction of mankind by a deliberate act of G’d’s kindness to him and his family, had not been able to relate to his children what G’d hoped that the Israelites would be able to relate to their children. Ed.] The basic lesson in ethics we derive from all this is that when suffering an affliction we must first and foremost examine our past actions to find out where we went wrong, and try to find out what these afflictions are intended to trigger in our memory so that we can improve our conduct both vis-à-vis G’d and our fellow man.
(א) ואני אקשה את לב פרעה. רבים שואלים בכאן אם הקב"ה היה מקשה את לבו שלא ישלח אותם למה הרבה עליהם המכות הגדולות ההם חנם והנה זה חמס כפי הנראה והש"י צדיק לא יעשה עולה, ואם היה קושי הלב והסרוב לבלתי שלחם ממנו ומאתו איך היה מענישו על קושי לבו בכל המכות ההן, והתשובה בזה כי פרעה היה רשע מצד אחר והיה חוטא כבר ואילו היה חטאו מניעו לשלח את בני ישראל והקב"ה מחזק את לבו באותה מניעה ומענישו עליה היה בזה חמס אבל החטא לפרעה מבואר בכתוב שאמר (שמות א) הנה עם בני ישראל רב ועצום ממנו הבה נתחכמה לו וכיון שהיה רשע וכופר מעצמו והזיד עליהם הוא ועמו נתחייב למנוע ממנו דרכי התשובה הוא שהיה הקב"ה נותן בלבו שלא ישלחם כי אם היו חוזרין בתשובה אי אפשר להענישם והראיה מאנשי נינוה ועל כן הוצרך למנוע מהם דרכי התשובה ואמר ואני אקשה את לב פרעה כן כתב הרמב"ן ז"ל.
(ב) ובמדרש ואני אקשה את לב פרעה אמר רבי יוחנן מכאן פתחון פה למינין לומר לא היתה ממנו שיעשה תשובה, אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש יסתם פיהם של מינין אלא אם ללצים. הוא יליץ מתרה בו פעם ראשונה שניה שלישית ואינו חוזר בו הוא נועל בו דלת מן התשובה כדי לפרוע ממנו מה שחטא, כך פרעה הרשע כיון ששגר הקב"ה אצלו ה' פעמים ולא השגיח על דבריו אמרו לו הקב"ה אתה הקשית ערפך והכבדת לבך הריני מוסיף טומאה על טומאתך.
(ג) ולפי המדרש הזה יהיה פירוש ואני אקשה את לב פרעה, באחרונה, כי בחמשה מכות ראשונות לא נאמר בהם רק ויחזק לב פרעה ויכבד פרעה את לבו והנה לא רצה לשלחם לכבוד השם יתברך, אבל כאשר גברו עליו המכות ונלאה לסבול אותן רך לבו והיה נמלך לשלחם מכובד המכות לא לעשות רצון בוראו, אבל בה' אחרונות נאמר בהן ויחזק ה' את לב פרעה כי הקשה ה' את לבו למען ספר שמו בכל הארץ וכענין שכתוב והתגדלתי והתקדשתי וגו'.
(ד) ודע כי קושי הלב הזה כבר נרמז למשה בתחלת נבואתו בפרשת הסנה הוא שכתוב (שמות ג) וירא והנה הסנה בוער באש והסנה איננו אכל, המשיל הכתוב רבוי הצרות והמכות באש והמשיל את פרעה הרשע בקוץ שהוא הסנה, ונרמז לו למשה מזה מה שעתיד הקב"ה להקשות לבו של פרעה שלא יכנע מפני המכות כשם שהסנה איננו אכל מפני האש, וזהו שאמר לו מתוך מראה זו של סנה ועתה לכה ואשלחך אל פרעה וכמו שכתבתי שם.
(1) ואני אקשה את לב פרעה, “and I will harden the heart of Pharaoh.” Many people ask that if G’d’ hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he refused to release the Israelites how could G’d justify bringing the plagues upon him and the Egyptians seeing these people had acted under duress? Such plagues would represent caprice, undeserved violence by the Creator against people who were not guilty. How can we reconcile this with our concept of a fair and just G’d? Punishing Pharaoh for divinely inspired obstinacy and refusal to change his ways seems unfair. The answer is, of course, that Pharaoh had already been a confirmed sinner, having committed other sins which accounted for his forfeiting the right to do Teshuvah, repentance. If his only sin had been that he refused to let the Israelites go, and G’d had indeed made his heart stubborn on that score alone, punishing him would indeed have been doing violence to his rights as a human being.
Pharaoh’s original sin versus the Jewish people has been spelled out in Exodus 3,5 where he used the natural (or unnatural) increase of the births amongst the Jewish people as a pretext to “outsmart” them and to kill their babies. Seeing that he had displayed his wickedness for all to see without having been interfered with by G’d, the time had now come when his punishment was that he was deprived of his free choice. Had G’d allowed Pharaoh and his people to become penitents He could not even have punished them for what they had done up until now. We have proof of this from the story of Jonah and Nineveh. G’d accepted the repentance of the people of Nineveh and they completely escaped punishment. This is why G’d had to find a stratagem to prevent the Egyptians from becoming penitents at this stage. (2) A Midrashic approach based on Shemot Rabbah 13,3: Rabbi Yochanan said that this verse provides the heretics with ammunition and enables them to claim that if Pharaoh did not do Teshuvah it was G’d’s fault, not his own. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish replied that on the contrary, this very verse is an answer to the heretics as it demonstrates Solomon’s saying (Proverbs 3,34) “at the scoffers He scoffs, but to the humble He shows grace.” G’d had issued three successive warnings to Pharaoh and he had failed to respond to any of them. As a result, G’d slammed the door to Teshuvah shut. It is only after the fifth plague that the Torah actually uses the transitive form of “G’d hardened Pharaoh’s heart,” instead of the intransitive “Pharaoh’s heart remained hard” (compare 8,28 and contrast with 9,12). (3) According to this Midrash the words which G’d spoke to Moses in our verse where He said: “I will harden the heart of Pharaoh,” refer to the last five plagues. We observe that several times when the plagues were really hurting the Egyptians Pharaoh weakened and made promises and offered compromises to Moses until in the end he reneged. The reason he reneged was that G’d hardened his heart although without such interference he would have given in much sooner. G’d had provided an additional rationale for all this when He said (9,16) “in order for My name to become a household word all over the earth.” This is analogous to Ezekiel 38,23 והתגדלתי והתקדשתי ונודעתי לעיני גוים רבים, “Thus will I be exalted and sanctified and become known in the eyes of many nations, etc.” (4) You should know that the obstinacy of Pharaoh had already been hinted at to Moses at the very beginning of his career as a prophet at the burning bush when G’d had shown him a bush which burned without being consumed. G’d had compared the multiple troubles and plagues to fire, and Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians as the bush of thorns which refused to submit to the fire (plagues). This had been G’d’s way of alerting Moses to the remarkable obstinacy which would be displayed by Pharaoh plus the fact that this would be just as unnatural as the spectacle he was observing at the time.
Pharaoh’s original sin versus the Jewish people has been spelled out in Exodus 3,5 where he used the natural (or unnatural) increase of the births amongst the Jewish people as a pretext to “outsmart” them and to kill their babies. Seeing that he had displayed his wickedness for all to see without having been interfered with by G’d, the time had now come when his punishment was that he was deprived of his free choice. Had G’d allowed Pharaoh and his people to become penitents He could not even have punished them for what they had done up until now. We have proof of this from the story of Jonah and Nineveh. G’d accepted the repentance of the people of Nineveh and they completely escaped punishment. This is why G’d had to find a stratagem to prevent the Egyptians from becoming penitents at this stage. (2) A Midrashic approach based on Shemot Rabbah 13,3: Rabbi Yochanan said that this verse provides the heretics with ammunition and enables them to claim that if Pharaoh did not do Teshuvah it was G’d’s fault, not his own. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish replied that on the contrary, this very verse is an answer to the heretics as it demonstrates Solomon’s saying (Proverbs 3,34) “at the scoffers He scoffs, but to the humble He shows grace.” G’d had issued three successive warnings to Pharaoh and he had failed to respond to any of them. As a result, G’d slammed the door to Teshuvah shut. It is only after the fifth plague that the Torah actually uses the transitive form of “G’d hardened Pharaoh’s heart,” instead of the intransitive “Pharaoh’s heart remained hard” (compare 8,28 and contrast with 9,12). (3) According to this Midrash the words which G’d spoke to Moses in our verse where He said: “I will harden the heart of Pharaoh,” refer to the last five plagues. We observe that several times when the plagues were really hurting the Egyptians Pharaoh weakened and made promises and offered compromises to Moses until in the end he reneged. The reason he reneged was that G’d hardened his heart although without such interference he would have given in much sooner. G’d had provided an additional rationale for all this when He said (9,16) “in order for My name to become a household word all over the earth.” This is analogous to Ezekiel 38,23 והתגדלתי והתקדשתי ונודעתי לעיני גוים רבים, “Thus will I be exalted and sanctified and become known in the eyes of many nations, etc.” (4) You should know that the obstinacy of Pharaoh had already been hinted at to Moses at the very beginning of his career as a prophet at the burning bush when G’d had shown him a bush which burned without being consumed. G’d had compared the multiple troubles and plagues to fire, and Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians as the bush of thorns which refused to submit to the fire (plagues). This had been G’d’s way of alerting Moses to the remarkable obstinacy which would be displayed by Pharaoh plus the fact that this would be just as unnatural as the spectacle he was observing at the time.