Parshat Bo; Exodus 10:1 – 13:16 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This is the week that we read of the Children of Israel escaping the terror of Pharaoh. The final four plagues come to bear upon Egypt and then with the death of the first –born of Egypt, Pharaoh changes his mind letting the Israelites go off to the desert. In this portion Bo, several times, Pharaoh agrees to let them go, only to change his mind or as the text says, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” The torah text points out that it is God who stiffened Pharaoh’s resolve on several occasions, making it appear that Pharaoh is manipulated by God.

But this language can be understood as the pure stubborn streak and ego of the ruling Pharaoh. Pharaoh hardened his heart to the pleas of the slave and the Hebrews. Pharaoh hardened his heart to the Israelites long before God came into the picture in Egypt. Pharaoh had laid down laws of pure cruelty toward the Hebrews. Murdering their children. Separating families. Causing undue pain and hardship on an entire group of people unjustly. Pharaoh’s heart was hard and coarse long before God sent the plagues upon Egypt and long before Moses was sent to demand the Israelites’ freedom.

One way to look at this is as the great teacher Ramban, Nachmanides taught. He wrote that Egypt (i.e. Pharaoh) was only punished for sins that were committed prior to Pharaoh being coerced by God. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart after only to prevent him from escaping the punishment he so richly deserved.

But another way to understand these passages is that even though God hardened Pharaoh’s heart each time, we believe that each human being has free will. Even if God stiffened Pharaoh’s resolve—Pharaoh could have used his own free will to try and overcome this. Pharaoh’s free will could have brought other conclusions. Pharaoh’s free will could have opened him to a different viewpoint. He could have accepted the strength of Adonai. He could have used his free will to overcome the cruelty he inflicted.

It is only with the threat of locusts about to reign down upon Egypt, that Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron after the urging of his courtiers. He might be ready to let them go if Moses will stop the horror Egypt has been experiencing. “Go worship Adonai your God!” (Ex. 10:8). Pharaoh is only ready to let part of the people go worship in the desert—and so the locusts come. Is this just a moment of shrewd negotiating on Pharaoh’s part? Clearly he is not really ready to accept the power of Adonai over his realm. Pharaoh is ready to negotiate but not ready to accept God supreme. Thus his heart is not open and the negotiation is still an example of his toughened demeanor and attitude.

It takes the death of his own child with the final plague to push Pharaoh over the edge, so to speak. He finally agrees to let the Israelites go. And then it is only momentary. Because later he gathers his army to pursue the Israelites—even after he agreed to let them go. Thus Pharaoh’s base nature is revealed. A true leader remains open and sensitive even to the poorest among his or her people. A true leader keeps faith with God. A true leader speaks from a place of the open heart and tries to meet the needs of his or her community. Pharaoh is a contrast to all of these. His heart is closed. And he and his countrymen pay a very steep price indeed.

Posted by Lee at February 1, 2006 09:27 AM