(K:Y TWMw) „.LARsY YNB TA XLw ALW HERP BL TA ÂH QZXYW‰
“And Hashem strengthened Pharaoh’s heart and he did not send the Children of Israel. (Shmos 10:20)
As the plagues progressed, Pharaoh came under increasing stress. Not only because of the physical manifestations of torture the Egyptians endured, but because of the inconvenient truths those plagues represented. Having to accept a completely new approach to life is very difficult, and would undermine all that Pharaoh had believed his entire life. This is extremely mentally taxing.
By the time it came to the sixth, seventh, and eighth plagues, Pharaoh should have had a complete mental breakdown. But he didn’t. Why? Because Hashem strengthened his heart.
Elsewhere it says that Hashem hardened his heart, and that could mean making him feel cold and emotionless towards the Jewish subjects he had enslaved.
Now, however, it uses the word, “strengthened.” This answers a question asked by many. “If Hashem hardened Pharoah’s heart, then he didn’t have free will to let the Jews go, so how could he be punished?” The answer, now, is that Hashem didn’t change Pharaoh’s thinking on the matter. Rather, he fortified Pharaoh with the feeling of wellbeing which enabled him to choose freely. His heart was strengthened so the outside forces of the plagues didn’t interfere with his own judgment, as they would have anyone else.
Chazal have taught us that the “measure of good” is five hundred times the “measure of bad.” We learn this from the posuk which states Hashem visits the sins of the fathers on people up to four generations (if they follow the negative ways) and rewards the kindness of people for two thousand generations (five hundred times more.)
If Hashem gave Pharaoh strength to be able to do evil and choose wickedness, then certainly Hashem gives us all the strength to do good and wonderful things. The chizuk we find from Hashem should enable us to overcome the challenges of suffering and make the proper choices based on our reflection and good judgment.
The fact that, time and time again, Hashem strengthened Pharaoh’s heart for bad, should give us all tremendous chizuk and peace of mind. If we want to do the right thing, Hashem will strengthen us, and enable us to resist the urge to fall apart; giving us the strength to stand up for what we believe in, and helping us to succeed.
