"And HaShem hardened the heart of Pharaoh"

"And HaShem hardened the heart of Pharaoh"
(Exodus 9:12)Tevet 26, 5769/January 22, 2009

The book of Genesis opens with a majestic description of the six days of creation. Although G-d surely possessed the ability to begin and complete creation in an instant, Torah chooses to describe creation as a step-by-step, day-by-day process. And now, in this week's Torah reading of Va'era, (Exodus 6:2-9:35), we are witness to G-d's confrontation with Pharaoh, in which He seems to be undoing His own work of creation, step-by-step, plague-by-plague. The pre-creation waters themselves are poisoned and rendered lifeless by the first plague. One-by-one the fishes of the sea, the creatures of the earth and the birds of the sky are decimated. Finally, light itself is blotted out as man is plunged into darkness. Lastly, the first-borns, symbolizing the very hope, the very reason for creation, are obliterated. And somewhere along the way, another casualty occurs, perhaps the cruelest of all: free choice is rescinded:

"But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as HaShem had spoken." (ibid 8:11) "And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go." (ibid 8:28) "But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go." (ibid 9:7) "And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as HaShem had spoken by Moses." (ibid 9:34-35)

And then:

"And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs in the midst of them." (ibid 10:1)
Pharaoh willfully hardens his own heart, plague after plague. But at a certain point we see that G-d now hardens Pharaoh's heart. How is it that Pharaoh's willfulness is turned to will-less-ness?

Many people today confuse free choice with free will. Many mistake freedom from responsibility for free will. And many assume that an exercise in willfulness is an exercise in free will. But true free will, the free will that G-d imbued within man can be manifested only through recognition of the Creator and His will. Pharaoh decided to go head-to-head with G-d, as it were, pitting his will against G-d's will. G-d showed Pharaoh, and all that Pharaoh represented, that to deny G-d's will is equivalent to denying the very world that G-d created. The ensuing result, the incremental loss of order and return to primordial chaos reflects, at-large, the parallel loss of order and return to chaos within the soul, and with it, the loss of free will.

How much of today's violent instability is a result of man's denial of G-d's will, or an attempt to impose his own will upon that of the Almighty? Must man risk losing all his cherished dreams, the first-borns of his aspirations before he opens his eyes and his heart to the very source of his own free will, his own longed for freedom - the G-d of creation and the G-d of redemption, the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yisrael?

For the second week, a new Temple Talk was not recorded, as Rabbi Chaim Richman is currently wrapping up his Torah teaching tour of America and returning to the land of Israel. Featured this week on Israel National Radio is last year's Temple Talk, in which Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss this week's Torah reading of Va'era. Click here to hear. Next week will feature an all new Temple Talk.

Large numbers of Jews continue to ascend the Temple Mount, as part of the Temple Institute's "Tight Connection to the Heart" program, and the 24th of Tevet, (January 20, 2009), was yet another history making day for the Temple Institute and for the entire people of Israel. On this day thirty members of the "Rinat Yisrael" Synagogue in Teaneck, New Jersey ascended the Temple Mount in order to pray on behalf of IDF soldiers wounded in "Cast Lead" - the name of the war that has been waged these past three weeks in Gaza. The group arrived in Israel with the expressed purpose of prayer in the place of the Holy Temple. The worshippers were led by Rabbi Yosef Adler, and were escorted up to and around the Mount by Yehudah Glick, director of the Temple Institute.

On that day, (January 20), the attention of the world was focused upon Washington, marking the historic events transpiring there. But here in the heart of Jerusalem, upon the Temple Mount itself, the very spot chosen by G-d for His house, real change is taking place, as Jews, for the first time in modern history, are arriving in large numbers, and praying openly. This truly is change that we can live with. Click here to learn more and to see photographs.

Today features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "Enduring Sanctity: Maimonides’ Laws of the Chosen House, chapter 6: A historical overview in which the enduring sanctity of the Temple Mount and the abiding presence of the shechinah - the Divine indwelling - is explained." Click here to view.

Parashat Va’era traces the steps of the emergence of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, for which we thank G-d every day, and celebrate on the seven days of Passover. True, we are no longer slaves in Egypt, but how free are we? Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Va’era (Exodus 6:2-9:35).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org