On hardening of Hearts: a Thought for Parashat Bo

Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Tenth Plague of Egypt

G-d takes a certain amount of flak from some readers of the Torah, for a lot of reasons.  A good example of this is found in the passage concerning the Ten Plagues against Egypt, which began in last week's portion and concludes in this week's reading.  In this case the 'flak' is criticism because G-d, in sending Moses to Pharaoh to demand that the latter let the Israelite people go from their servitude, informs Moses that he 'will harden Pharaoh's heart,' making him obstinate to refuse the demand.  That's not fair! goes the usual criticism.  Since it's not just Pharaoh, but all of Egypt that will suffer the effects of the Plagues, why would a Just and Merciful G-d cause Pharaoh to refuse by hardening his heart?

As this week's reading opens, in Chapter Ten of Exodus, we are in the prelude to the Eighth Plague:  that of locusts.  In sending Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh to repeat the demand let my people go and warn him of the consequence - the locusts - that will follow his refusal, Hashem tells Moses that he will harden not only Pharaoh's heart, but also those of his advisers.

But then, after Moses makes his presentation - demanding freedom for the Israelites and threatening the locusts - and Pharaoh predictably refuses, we hear the voices of Pharaoh's advisers offering what sounds like good, honest advice:  they plead with him to let the Israelites go, saying:  עד-מתי יהיה זה לנו למוקש?  שלח את האנשים ויעבדו את ה' אלקיהם הטרם תדע כי עבדה מצרים   How long will this man menace us?  Let these people go and serve their G-d!  Can't you see that Egypt is lost?  While Pharaoh's heart indeed seems to be hardened to the point where he will risk his very kingdom - remember, Seven Plagues have already wreaked much destruction upon Egypt - his counselors advise that he give up the struggle and give in.  The G-d of Moses is clearly more powerful than Pharaoh.

If G-d's 'hardening of hearts' is understood to take away Pharaoh's and his advisers' free will to decide, the text clearly shows that at least in the case of the advisers, that is not what happens.  So G-d's 'hardening of hearts,' clearly means something other than His taking away their ability to make a rational choice.  Indeed, it would seem that Pharaoh's abstinence is of his own making; he is being true to his own personality, to his own way of thinking.  In Pharaoh's obstinence, we hear echoes of the folly that many a despotic ruler has made, ignoring his advisers.  Looked at in this light, we can see that Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go, is not G-d's will imposed on him to teach him and his subject people a lesson.  Rather, it shows that Pharaoh is apt to get into a pissing contest with this Hashem and his representative, the same Moses who grew up in the royal palace as this Pharaoh's step-brother.

Seen in this light, it is unnecessary - and unfair as it were - to judge G-d for causing the suffering of the Egyptians.  It is clear that it is Pharaoh himself - not the G-d of Israel - who causes the Egyptian people to suffer.