Shabbat Gathering: Was Hashem fair to pharaoh?

Brian D. Johnson

20 Mar 2026 • 4 min read

Gud Shabbos Khaveyrim, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

In the Passover story, Moses and Aaron repeatedly petition pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage and pharaoh denies their freedom until after the death of the first born. In the first few plagues, pharaoh hardens his own heart against the Israelites. In the final few plagues, Hashem hardens pharaoh’s heart and this doesn’t seem fair. Pharaoh was ready to release the Israelites from captivity but Hashem intervened and prevented this from happening. No, that doesn’t seem fair.

This conundrum has dogged me for decades and I still haven’t solved this puzzle.

Rashi, the medieval French scholar, says that Hashem hardened pharaoh’s heart because the Egyptians hadn’t been sufficiently punished, so Hashem decided to mete out more punishment even though pharaoh was ready to let the Israelites go. Sforno, the medieval Italian commentator says Hashem hardened pharaoh’s heart so pharaoh could reach a point of real repentance. And that’s just two sources.

My own opinion is that Hashem hardened pharaoh’s heart in order to make the story even more memorable so that we would continue to tell the story every year at our seder, but that doesn’t let Hashem off the hook for hardening pharaoh’s heart. So, I don’t know the best approach to unravel this puzzle.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Mit vareme grusn,
(With warm regards,)

All my love,
brian.