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Why was Pharaoh Punished? Wasn’t it G-d who “Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart”? The basic approach of the commentaries is that G-d indeed
“hardened Pharaoh’s heart,” but only after Pharaoh had tormented the Jewish
people for a lengthy period of time. A simple reading of the sequence of events
confirms this. Pharaoh’s
inhumane treatment of the Jewish people, including infanticide and devastating
oppression, begins at the opening of Exodus, before Moses is even born. G-d’s
first statement of intent, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Ex. 4:21), was said
only after Moses had grown up, escaped to Midian, married and had children.
Therefore, it was only after Pharaoh had sinned in the most appalling manner
that G-d stripped him of his free choice. Unusual Punishment But
what was the purpose of removing his free choice? Maimonides explains that the
loss of his free choice was itself Pharaoh’s punishment. Normally, the path of
repentance is always open; G-d wanted to show the world that a person could sin
so severely that he would be denied the ability to correct it through
repentance, causing him to die in that degenerate state. In a way, this is the
ultimate punishment, since the person is denied the ultimate reward of the
World to Come. But
this raises another question: there are numerous ways by which G-d could have
punished Pharaoh. The lesson that G-d might remove a person's free choice can
be derived from other Biblical passages, as Maimonides documents. What was the
point in punishing Pharaoh in this specific way? So many Sparks There are a number of approaches to resolving this
question, the first of which involves the concept of purification of sparks, or
birurim. Kabala
explains that with the creation of the universe, sparks of holiness were spread
throughout the world. This process is alluded to in the second verse of the
account of Creation (Gen. 1:2), which says, “the spirit of G-d hovered
above the water.” The Hebrew word for “hovered,” is m’rachefet, and
contains five letters. When rearranged, these letters spell out the phrase “288
died” (rachaf-met), alluding to the descent of these 288 sparks from
their spiritual source above down to the physical world. These
288 sparks must be purified and elevated in order to bring the world to
completeness and redemption. In Egypt, 202 out of the total 288 sparks were
purified.. This is alluded to in the verse, “A mixed multitude (erev rav)
came up with them” (Ex. 12:38). The Hebrew word, “rav”
(“multitude”) has a numeric value of 202, referring to the 202 sparks, which
were elevated. After the Exodus from Egypt, we are left to work on the
remaining 86, which had split into countless minute sparks. How? How Long? Some
of the ways in which these sparks can be purified are known to us; others are
concealed from us in what is known as the “secret of purification,” sod
habirurim. The primary purification of the sparks in Egypt was achieved
through the exhausting labor of the Jewish people. This is actually one of the
reasons why the work was so hard: the sparks had to be completely elevated
before the Jewish people could leave. If
they hadn’t worked so strenuously, the 210 years would not have been
sufficient; they would have had to remain even longer to elevate the sparks. It
was vitally important to elevate every spark as part of the overall scheme of
creation. In addition, these sparks contained various souls which, when
purified, would later descend to become vital elements of the Jewish people. Being Purified Can Be Hard Work There
was another factor as well. The Jews who were enslaved in Egypt were being
prepared to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai. Scripture therefore compares
Egypt to a “crucible,” which purifies metal through intense heat. Only this
process can expunge the impurities, and produce pure, untainted gold. Accordingly,
the Egyptian bondage was an integral part of creating the Jewish people. Had
they been redeemed “prematurely,” the purification would have been incomplete. Had
it been up to him, Pharaoh would never have allowed this process to be
completed. The plagues, as his servants pointed out to him, had virtually
destroyed Egypt. There was no point in holding on to the Jews any longer. But
had he relented earlier, the purification of sparks and the preparation of the
Jewish people would not have been completed. The hundreds of years of slavery
would have been pointless. This
helps us understand why G‑d punished Pharaoh by taking away his free
will. In this way, G-d ensured that the Egyptian exile would last the proper
length of time, and that its ultimate purpose be achieved. No Other Way? Although
the removal of Pharaoh's free will did fulfill this function, our question is
still not entirely answered. Certainly, G-d could have kept the Jewish people
in Egypt in some other way. The Jewish people could have been kept in Egypt
without resorting to the extreme measure of denying Pharaoh his free will. In
our next installment, we will discuss why it was important for Pharaoh to be
punished in this way, leading us closer to the essence of the concept of free
will. <<Next article:
Pharaoh’s loss of free choice – G-d’s Rectification of Pharaoh Rabbi Berel Bell is a well-known educator, author and
lecturer. Many of his classes may be heard on http://www.chassidus.com/audio/. He
and his family reside in Montreal, Canada. |
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