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The Rectification of Pharaoh Pharaoh’s Loss of Free Choice In our last article, we discussed how Pharaoh lost his free will as punishment for his wickedness. We also clarified the necessity of him receiving this particular punishment – since in this way the Jewish people would remain in Egypt long enough to complete the elevation of the sparks of holiness imbedded there, as well as their own purification in preparation for Mt. Sinai. We were still left with the puzzling question of why
denying Pharaoh his free choice was necessary. Certainly G-d had other ways of
keeping the Jewish people in Egypt without compromising the principle of free
choice! Step Aside The universe was created in a way that it appears
superficially to be separate from its Creator. Only through deep contemplation
does one come to the realization that there is an Infinite Source. Perceiving the true force manifest in the universe,
however, presents an indirect challenge to one’s personal “ego.” If G-d is the
true source of everything, than this realization entails that one must put
aside one’s personal agenda and be concerned with G-d's. The Amida prayer, therefore, concludes with
the petition, “Let my soul be like dust before other people; open my heart to
your Torah.” For only through the quality of humility and nullification of ego
does one become a fitting receptacle for G‑d’s holiness. From this perspective, the ultimate expression of
holiness is nullification of one’s will. By allowing one’s own concerns to fade
in the face of G-d’s concerns, one allows G-d’s presence to be revealed. It’s Nullification Time Conversely, ignoring G-d’s role leads to a feeling
that the universe (or a certain part of it) is true existence. This sense of
independence constitutes the primary characteristic of idolatry. One who
worships an idol does so out of a conviction that the idol is dependent on
nothing else other than itself. An arrogant individual personifies this same
quality. The Torah therefore paraphrases G-d as saying, “In the place where an
arrogant person stands, both he and I cannot both be present.” One way in which G-d brings about this nullification
of self is through physical and/or emotional tribulation. It is difficult to
feel crushed and egotistical at the same time. This was another dimension of how the Egyptian
bondage helped prepare the Jewish people to receive the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
Only when they reached the deepest level of self-nullification were they
capable of receiving the highest revelation of G-dliness. Full of Himself But G-d’s revelation was meant to elevate the entire
world, not just the Jewish people. Accordingly, the whole world also had to go
through a process of nullification in order to facilitate the eventual
ubiquitous revelation of G-dliness. For this process, Egypt was again the primary focus.
As mentioned previously, Egypt was the major repository of holy sparks from the
time of creation. As the most powerful ruler in the world, and the primary
opponent to holiness, Pharaoh had the dubious distinction of being the
spiritual heir of the Primordial Snake that had caused so much trouble to Adam
and Eve. Pharaoh is even referred to as a “snake” in the words of the prophets. And in the area of arrogance, Pharaoh was unmatched.
He proclaimed himself a god, claiming to possess even supernatural powers. When
Moses first approached him, Pharaoh scoffed, “Who is G-d, that I should listen
to Him?!” Claiming to transcend the bodily limitations , he
would take care of his physical needs in secret to create the impression that
he was superhuman. He publicly declared that he had actually created the source
of all life in Egypt – the Nile River. He even claimed to have created himself!
In order to
prepare the world to receive the holiness at Mt. Sinai, Pharaoh and Egypt needed
some very intense work. Imposed Humility This came first and foremost in the form of the
plagues. Egypt was virtually demolished, as Pharaoh’s servants complained,
“Don’t you know that Egypt is destroyed?” Even Pharaoh was forced to abandon
his insolent stance, and would agree to let the Jewish people go – only to
change his mind again soon after. As the arrogance of Pharaoh and the Egyptians
eroded, the world automatically became better prepared for the revelation of
G-dliness . But even as G-d took destroyed their food and water,
their health and sense of security, there was still one thing he did not take
away. The Most Essential Freedom In the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden, G-d mentions the unique quality of man – that he has the freedom to
choose between good and evil. The ultimate expression of the freedom to choose is
manifest in thought, and even the most brutal force cannot abrogate it .
Psychiatrist Victor Frankl formulated a whole school of therapy around this
concept. When enduring incredible torture in a Nazi concentration camp, he came
to the realization that although the Nazis could totally control his physical
existence, they could not control his thoughts. They would control the events,
but he would decide how to would interpret them. Only he could choose whether
the physical suffering would lead him to lose hope or to find meaning in the
horrific experience. He claims that this insight enabled him to keep his
hope, and eventually to survive the camps, whereas others lost their will to
live and ultimately perished. Once he
realized that he had the choice of how he could think, he realized that he was
still in possession of the most important feature of being human. Losing It All It was precisely this last vestige of control that
G-d took away from Pharaoh. Even as Egypt was being devastated, Pharaoh, in his
arrogance, could always come up with an alternate interpretation of the events.
And even if he didn’t, the essence of what distinguishes a human being from all
other beings was still in his possession. G-d therefore brought about the ultimate shattering
of Pharaoh’s ego. He stripped him of the most basic element – the last
frontier, so to speak – of human control. He stripped away his free will. This punishment was a “measure for measure”
rectification of Pharaoh’s sin. He claimed to be the most powerful being in the
universe. From his perspective, even G-d had no control over anything. "Measure for measure," however, G-d showed
Pharaoh that it was he who didn’t have control even over himself. This represented the consummate nullification of
Pharaoh’s egoistic excesses. By denying Pharaoh his free will, G-d broke his
coarseness and thereby prepared the world to become G-d’s “garden” of holiness. Up until now, we have addressed how and why Pharaoh
was denied his free choice. We are still left with the question, however,
regarding the scope of Pharaoh’s punishment. Was he punished only for his
previous sins, before his free choice was taken away, or was he held responsible
for his later actions as well? In our next article, we will discuss Pharaoh’s
punishment for his behavior after G-d had “hardened his heart.” <<Next
article: Shall the Judge of the World Not Do Justice?: Punishment Without Free
Choice |
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