c



  




 


ʣʒˎʫʍ ʤʔ ʥʩʕʰʍʦˌʍʥ ,ʤʓ˓ʤʔ ʭʕʲʤʕ -ʡʒʬ ʯʒʮ ʍ̌ ʤʔ .˒ʲʕʣˢʒ -ʬˋʍʥ ˣʠʕʸ ˒ʠʍʸ˒ ,˒ʰʩʑʡˢʕ -ʬˋʍʥ ʲʔ ˣʮ ʕ̌ ˒ʲʍʮ ʑ̌ :ʤʓ˓ʤʔ ʭʕʲʬʕ ˢʕ ʸʍ ʮʔ ˌʍʥ ʪʍ ʬʒ ,ʸʓʮʠʖ˕ʔʥ 
ʸ ʓ̌ ʠʏ ʣʔʲ ʸʓʮʠʖ˕ʔʥ ;ʩʕʰʖʣʏʠ ʩʔʺʮʕ -ʣʔʲ ,ʸʔʮʖʠʕʥ ! .ˣʬ ʠʕʴʸʕ ʍʥ--ʡ ʕ̌ ʕʥ ʯʩʑʡʕʩ ˣʡʕʡʬʍ ˒ ,ʲʕʮ ʍ̌ ʑʩ ʥʩʕʰʍʦˌʍʡ˒ ʥʩʕʰʩʒʲʡʍ ʤʓʠʸʍʑʩ-ʯʓ̋ :ʲ ʔ̌ ʤʕ ʥʩʕʰʩʒʲʍʥ
.ʤʕʮʮʕ ʍ̌ ʤʓʠˉʑ
ʕ ˢ ,ʤʕʮʣʕ ʠʏ ʤʕ ʍʥ ,ʭʕʣˌ ʯʩʒʠʮʒ ʭʩʑˢʡʕ ˒ ,ʡ ǯ ˣʩ ʯʩʒʠʮʒ ʭʩʑʸʲʕ ˒ʠ ʕ̌ -ʭʑʠ

c 

Explain the different interpretations by Rashi and Ibn Ezra/Radak of these passukim:
1.V ×
- Bnei Yisrael hear God's words and see God's miracles, but they do not try to
understand and internalize His messages. Instead, Bnei Yisrael are continuously making
themselves more arrogant (fattening their hearts) and refusing to repent (making their
ears heavier and heavier), since they did not want to listen to Yeshayahu's rebuke, lest he
should persuade them to change their ways. Until when will Bnei Yisrael make their
heart heavy and not listen to Yeshayahu's rebuke? God responds that He knows that Bnei
Yisrael will not repent until they will be punished for their sins by being exiled, leaving
their cities desolate.
2.V " #$%×&- Bnei Yisrael hear and see, but they do not understand because God
has deprived them of the ability to repent. God is making Bnei Yisrael's heart fat, ears
heavy and eyes sealed so that they cannot repent and relieve themselves of the
punishment that their sins had warranted. Until when will God deprive them of the
opportunity to repent? God will not restore Bnei Yisrael's ability to repent until they
have been punished through the desolation of their cities.


c
a)V God hardens Pharaoh's Heart- Exodus 4:21
b)V God hardened Sichon's spirit and strengthened his heart- Deuteronomy 2:30
c)V God hardened the Canaanites' hearts- Joshua 11:20
d)V God prevented the sinners of Bnei Yisrael from repenting- I Kings 18:37

'c

c":

a) If, according to Ibn Ezra/Radak, God is hardening the human's heart, thereby depriving him of
the ability to repent, how can such a coerced individual be held responsible and punished for his
actions? How can the deprivation of free will and the ability to repent be reconciled with Divine
justice?
b) Doesn't Judaism encourage Teshuva at all times, don't we say in Tefillot that until our dying
day, God will welcome us back to Him in repentance?
c) What is the point of Yeshayahu giving this nevuah if Bnei Yisrael could not do Teshuva?

'×

 - Divine Punishment for sins committed out of free will
Rambam, Mishneh Torah (Laws of Repentance 6:3)
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.ʥʰʥʶʸʡ ʤʬʧʺʡ ʤʹʲʹ ʥʲʹʸʡ ʺʥʮʩ ʠʬʠ ,ʡʥʹʬ ʬʥʫʩ ʥʰʩʠ ,ʠʨʥʧʬ ʤʡʥʹʺʤ 'ʤ ʲʰʥʮʹ ʯʮʦʡʹ ,ʭʬʥʲʤ ʩʠʡʬ ʲʩʣʥʤʬ
A man may commit so great a sin or such numerous sins that justice requires of the true judge, as
the penalty to be exacted from this particular sinner for the sins, committed by him voluntarily
and of his own mind, that repentance shall be withheld from him and liberty to turn from his
wickedness shall not be accorded him, so that he may die and perish in the sins which he
committed« Hence also, it is written in the Pentateuch, ³And I will harden Pharaoh¶s heart
(Exodus 4:21). Because Pharaoh sinned on his own impulse and ill-treated the Israelites who
sojourned in his land, as is said ³Come let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they might not
increase´ (Exodus 1:10), justice required that repentance should be withheld from him till
retribution had been visited upon him. God, accordingly, hardened his heart.
Why did God send Moses to Pharaoh saying: "Send [forth the people], repent"? God had already
told Moses that Pharaoh would not send [forth the people] as [Exodus 9:30] states: "I realize that
you and your subjects [still do not fear God]." [The reason is stated in Exodus 9:16:] "For this
alone, I have preserved you« [so that My name will be related throughout the earth]," to make
known to all the inhabitants of the world that when God prevents a sinner from repenting, he
cannot repent, but will die because of the wickedness which he initially committed willfully.
(Thus, a person will know [of this possible punishment] and will not be able to continue leading
his life [sinfully] and rely on the option of repentance.-Shemoneh Perakim)
Similarly, Sichon, because of his [previous] sins, was held liable to be prevented from repenting
ʵʒ̇ ʠʑ ʍʥ ,ˣʧ˒ʸ-ʺʓʠ ʪʕ ʩʓʤʖʬʎʠ ʤʕʥʤʍʩ ʤ ʕ̌ ʷʍ ʤʑ -ʩʑ˗ ˣˎ ,˒ʰʒʸʡʑ ʲʏ ʤʔ ,ʯˣˎ ʍ̌ ʧʓ ʪʍ ʬʓ ʮʓ ʯʖʧʩʑʱ ,ʤʕʡˌ ʠʖʬʍʥas [Deuteronomy 2:30 states:
.ʤʓ˓ʤʔ ʭˣ˕ʔ˗ ,ʪʕ ʣʍʕʩʡʍ ˣˢʑˢ ʯʔʲʮʔ ʬʍ ,ˣʡʕʡʬʍ -ʺʓʠ
"God, your Lord, hardened his spirit and strengthened his heart«" Also, the Canaanites,
because of their abominable acts, were prevented from repenting so that they would wage war
against Israel as [Joshua 11:20] states:
ʍ ʩ-ʺʓʠ ʤʕʮʧʕ ʬʍ ʑ̇ ʤʔ ʺʠʔʸʷʍ ʬʑ ʭʕˎʬʑ -ʺʓʠ ʷʒ˓ʧʔ ʬʍ ʤʕʺʍʩʤʕ ʤʕʥʤʍʩ ʺʒʠʮʒ ʩʑ˗ Ò
:ʤʕ̊ʑʧˢʍ ,ʭʓʤʬʕ -ʺˣʩʎʤ ʩʑˢʬʍ ʡʑ ʬʍ ,ʭʕʮʩʑʸʧʏ ʤʔ ʯʔʲʮʔ ʬʍ ,ʬʒʠʸʕ ˈʑ
.ʤ ʓ̌ ʖʮ-ʺʓʠ ʤʕʥʤʍʩ ʤʕ˒ʶʑ ʸ ʓ̌ ʠʏ ˗ʔ ,ʭʕʣʩʑʮ ʍ̌ ʤʔ ʯʔʲʮʔ ʬʍ ʩʑ˗
"This was inspired by God, to harden their hearts so that they should come against Israel in battle
in order to utterly destroy them." Similarly, the Israelites during the era of Elijah committed
many iniquities. Those who committed these many sins were prevented from repenting as [I
Kings 18:37] states:
.ʺʩʑ̊ʔʸʖʧʏʠ ,ʭʕˎʬʑ -ʺʓʠ ʺʕ ʖˎʑʱʤʏ ʤʕˢˋʍʥ ;ʭʩʑʤʖʬʎʠʤʕ ʤʕʥʤʍʩ ʤʕˢˋ-ʩʑ˗ ,ʤʓ˓ʤʔ ʭʕʲʤʕ ˒ʲʍʣʒʩʍʥ ,ʩʑʰʒʰʲʏ ,ʤʕʥʤʍʩ ʩʑʰʒʰʲʏ

"You have turned their heart backwards."
In conclusion, God did not decree that Pharaoh should harm the Israelites, that Sichon should sin
in his land, that the Canaanites should perform abominable acts, or that the Israelites should
worship idols. They all sinned on their own initiative and they were obliged to have their
Teshuvah held back.

'( )c

*


  

  

a) If God is hardening the human's heart, thereby depriving him of the ability to repent, how can
such a coerced individual be held responsible and punished for his actions? How can the
deprivation of free will and the ability to repent be reconciled with Divine justice?

Pharaoh could be held responsible for his decisions made when God hardened his heart since
such deprivation of the ability to repent was a justified Divine punishment for his initial
affliction of the Jews which he chose to do freely. God, therefore, acted in accordance with
Divine justice.
b) Doesn't Judaism encourage Teshuva at all times, don't we say in Tefillot that until our dying
day, God will welcome us back to Him in repentance?

Judaism generally encourages a universal opportunity for sinners to repent, except in the most
grievous sinful situations in which the sinner must be punished for his actions.

Similar to the interpretation of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, in Yeshayahu 6:9-11, God may
be punishing Bnei Yisrael for their sinful actions that they committed of their own free choice by
depriving them of an opportunity to repent.

c) What is the point of Yeshayahu giving this nevuah if Bnei Yisrael could not do Teshuva?

The lesson for Bnei Yisrael is that you shouldn't think that you can persist in sins with the
expectation of a future opportunity to repent b/c there is a possibility that you will be punished
and deprived of such an opportunity.

' ( 
+ ×


   ×": Jewish Philosophers have argued that Rambam did
not interpret God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart as a supernatural intervention in which He took
away Pharaoh's free will and ability to repent since Rambam viewed miracles naturalistically and
minimized the occasions of supernatural Divine intervention. Rather, they argue that Rambam
viewed God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart in naturalistic terms, namely, God gave man free
choice, such that when man habituates evil acts, they become more and more difficult for him to
resist. Accordingly, God did not supernaturally deprive Pharaoh of the ability to repent, but
rather, Pharaoh, of his own free choice, continuously chose to afflict the Jews until his fate
became irreversible. When the Chumash says God hardened Pharaoh's heart it just means that
God gave man free choice such that the more he chooses to persist in sin, the harder it becomes
to return to the good path.

Nechama Leibowitz suggests this line of reasoning:

The final decision always rests with man. At the beginning, however, man is free to choose any
path of action he desires. He is afforded equal opportunity to do good or evil. But as soon as he
has made his first choice, then the opportunities facing him are no longer so evenly balanced.
The more he persists in the first path of his choosing, shall we say, the evil path, the harder will it
become for him to revert to the good path, even though his essential freedom of choice is not
affected. In other words, it is not the Almighty who has hampered his freedom, and made the
path of repentance difficult. He has, by his own choice and persistence in evil, placed obstacles
in the way leading back to reformation« God did not force Pharaoh to choose evil. It was
Pharaoh's own doing. Once he persisted in his course of action it became more and more
irresistible. God had built this response, as it were, into man's make-up. The more he sins, the
more his sins act as a barrier between him and repentance.

Nachum Sarna further elaborates in his JPS Commentary on Shemot:

In the Biblical conception, the psychological faculties are considered to be concentrated in the
heart. Regarded as the seat of the intellectual, moral, and spiritual life of the individual, this
organ is the determinant of behavior. The "hardening of the heart" thus expresses a state of
arrogant moral degeneracy, unresponsive to human reason and incapable of compassion.
Pharaoh's personal culpability is beyond question. It is to be noted that in the first five plagues
Pharaoh's obduracy is self-willed. It is only thereafter that it is attributed to divine causality.
This is the biblical way of asserting that the king's intransigence has by them become habitual
and irreversible; his character has become his destiny. He is deprived of the possibility of
relenting and is irresistibly impelled to his self-wrought doom.

As a result, no supernatural Divine intervention coerced Pharaoh's decision and Pharaoh was
justifiably held accountable. Judaism does encourage everyone to repent at all times, but one
must understand the nature of human free choice and the challenges of repentance when one
habituates sinful action.

'( )c

*


  

  

a) If God is hardening the human's heart, thereby depriving him of the ability to repent, how can
such a coerced individual be held responsible and punished for his actions? How can the
deprivation of free will and the ability to repent be reconciled with Divine justice?

Pharaoh could be held responsible for his decisions made when 'God hardened his heart' since
Pharaoh was really depriving himself of the ability to repent by habituating evil acts. Pharaoh
freely chose to initially afflict the Jews, which later resulted in his 'hardened' irresistible sinful
acts. God, therefore, acted in accordance with Divine justice and did not coerce or deprive
Pharaoh of his ability to repent.

b) Doesn't Judaism encourage Teshuva at all times, don't we say in Tefillot that until our dying
day, God will welcome us back to Him in repentance?

Judaism encourages a universal opportunity for sinners to repent and God would not
supernaturally intervene with such an opportunity, however, the choice to repent becomes more
and more difficult as one persists on a sinful path.

Similar to the interpretation of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, in Yeshayahu 6:9-11, Bnei
Yisrael's persistence in sin may have made their fate irresistible, as if they did not have the
ability to repent, even though there was no external compulsion depriving them of such an
opportunity.

c) What is the point of Yeshayahu giving this nevuah if Bnei Yisrael could not do Teshuva?

The lesson for Bnei Yisrael is don't underestimate the impact (and consequences) of your
habitual bad actions- if you persist on choosing the evil path, it will become nearly impossible
(even without external coercion) for you to revert back to the path of the good.

,( 
+# 
 ×" %("

An alternative interpretation to Rambam that is discussed in the context of Paroah and could be
applied to Yeshayahu, although not mentioned by parshanim here, is that of Ramban and Yosef
Albo who argue that God's hardening of Paroah's heart was to preserve Paroah's free will, as
opposed to Rambam's view that such hardening was to deprive Paroah of his free choice and
ability to repent. Ramban and Albo suggest that the afflictions of the plagues would have had a
debilitating effect on Paroah that would have coerced him to liberate the Jews to avoid further
suffering. God, by hardening Paroah's heart, gave him the fortitude to withstand his debilitating
suffering by suggesting to Paroah alternative sources for the plagues: nature, chance, accident,
etc., in order to allow him to make a free choice whether or not to free the Jews. Paroah,
therefore, freely chose to attribute the plagues to nature and continued to refuse to let the Jews
go, as opposed to recognizing their Divine source. As a result, God could hold Paroah morally
responsible for his decision, without compromising Divine justice. Such an interpretation
preserves Paroah's free will, as well as Judaism's claim that an individual has a universal
opportunity to repent.

Ramban, Commentary on Exodus 7:3

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The second explanation is that half of the plagues came upon him because of his transgressions,
for in connection with them it is only said: And Pharaoh¶s heart was hardened; And Pharaoh
hardened his heart. Thus Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go for the glory of God.
But when the plagues began bearing down upon him and he became weary to suffer them, his
heart softened and he bethought himself to send them out on account of the onslaught of the
plagues, not in order to do the will of his Creator. Then God hardened his spirit and made his
heart obstinate, so that His name may be declared [throughout all the earth]. And that which He
said before the plagues, And I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go (Ex. 4:17),
was merely his warning to Moses of that which He was destined to do to Pharaoh in the last
[five] plagues, it being similar to that which he said, And I know that the king of Egypt will not
give you leave to go (Ex. 3:18). This then is the meaning of the verse, And I will harden
Pharaoh's heart and multiply My signs. That is to say, "I will harden his heart so that My
wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt (Ex. 11:9), since in the last five plagues, as well
as at the drowning in the sea, it is said, And the Eternal hardened the heart of Pharaoh (Ex.
14:8), for the king's heart is in the hand of the Eternal; He turneth it whithersoever He will.
(Proverbs 21:1)
Nahmanides 10:1- And He explained to him: "The reason I hardened their hearts is that I might
set in their midst these signs that I wish to do among them so that the Egyptians will know My
power, but not in order that I can punish them more on account of this hardening of heart, and
also that you and all Israel should recount during the coming generations the power of My deeds,
and you shall know that I am the Eternal, and whatsoever I please, I do in heaven and in earth.
Nahmanides 14:4- Because Pharaoh feared them (Israel) at the plague of the firstborn and he
asked them and bless me also (Ex. 12:32), he was not disposed to pursue after the Israelites even
if they were to flee, and he would rather have Moses do with them as he pleases. Therefore, it
was necessary to state that God hardened his heart to pursue after them. Further on, it says once
more, And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them
(Ex. 14:17). After the Egyptians saw that the sea had split before the children of Israel and that
they walking in the midst of the sea upon dry land, which is the most outstanding wonder of all
wonders, how could they be disposed to come in after them to harm them! This was indeed
madness on their part. But it was He Who turned their counsel into foolishness and strengthened
their hearts to enter the sea.
.
Sefer ha-Ikkarim IV:25, Joseph Albo
There are two kinds of repentance from fear. The first is that of the man who repents from fear
of the punishment which is upon him, like a slave entreating his master while he is beating him,
but as soon as his master removes the rod from him, he disobeys as before, as was the case with
Pharaoh. As long as the plague was upon him, he said: "The Lord is righteous", but as soon as
he was relieved, he hardened his heart again as before. This showed clearly that the first
repentance was forced by the terrors of death which had fallen upon him, and was not a free act.
Such an attitude should not be regarded as repentance at all. The other is the case of the man
who repents from fear of God and His punishment, who has the fear of the Lord before him even
in time of respite. He is afraid of God's punishment because he believes that all things come
from God as reward or punishment, and does not ascribe events to nature and chance, as Pharaoh
did, who as soon as the plague departed went back to his original bad behavior. Even after the
plague of the first born, the moment he thought the Israelites had lost their way, he ascribed all
the signs and wonders which he had seen, to chance. Therefore he took courage and pursued the
Israelites, thereby proving clearly that his repentance in the first place was due to compulsion on
account of the plagues, and was not voluntary. In this way we must explain the statements in the
Bible that God hardens the heart of the wicked, or makes them stiff-necked, and prevents them
from repenting. The wicked man, when misfortune comes upon him, pretends to become pious,
and returns to God from the fear of the punishment which is upon him, as Pharaoh said: "I have
sinned this time: the Lord is righteous."
ʯʤʡ ʺʥʬʺʬ ʯʩʣʣʶ ʥʠ ʣʶ ʥʬ ʯʺʥʰʹʫ ʥʡʬ ʺʠ ʷʦʧʮ ʪʸʡʺʩ 'ʤ ʤʰʤ ,ʩʩʸʩʧʡ ʥʰʩʠʥ ʱʰʥʠʬ ʤʮʥʣ ʬʲʴʤ ʤʦʹ ʸʥʡʲʡʥ
ʤʫʮʤ ʺʮʧʮ ʤʰʷʹ ʪʸʥʮʤ ʥʡʬʮ ʸʥʱʩʹ ʩʣʫ ʤʦʥ ,ʺʩʤʥʬʠʤ ʤʧʢʹʤʤ ʣʶ ʬʲ ʠʬʥ ʤʸʷʮʡ ʤʠʡʹ ʸʮʥʬʥ ʤʫʮʤ
.ʺ ʸ -. ʥʺʡʥʹʺ ʤʺʩʤ ʭʠ ʯʧʡʩ ʦʠʥ ,ʧʩʸʫʮ ʩʬʡʮ ʥʺʸʩʧʡʥ ʥʲʡʨ ʬʲ ʸʠʹʩʥ
Now, since this act is like one that is forced and not free, God hardens his heart, by suggesting to
him other causes to which he can attribute the misfortune, accident, for example, rather than
divine providence. This is done in order to remove from his heart the softening effect which
came from the misfortune, so that he may return to his natural state and act freely without
compulsion Then it may be found out whether his repentance was free or not. Now since, when
the yoke of the plague was removed from Pharaoh, his choice was evil, God said: "I hardened his
heart," ie, I removed from his heart the softening effect which came from the plague and restored
him to the natural state of freedom; while he, owing to his wicked attitude, when in a state of
freedom, sought various causes and excuses to which he might ascribe the plagues so that they
might seem accidental.)