Most of us are familiar with Pharaoh, the villain of the Passover story. He tortured and enslaved the Jews, until G-d sent Moses to demand: "Let my people go!” Ultimately G-d strikes the Egyptians with ten plagues and the Jews are liberated.
Let’s take a deeper peek at the narrative:
Pharaoh is stubbornly self-destructive. Why does he persist in his evil ways, when he knows that freeing the Jews will stop the plagues and ease his pain? Why doesn’t he just do the [self-serving] right thing?
In addition, Scripture clearly says that G-d 'hardened Pharaoh's heart,' reinforcing his stubbornness, and THAT was why he didn't acquiesce to Moses’ demands. So if G-d messed with his mind and he was unable to make a good choice, why is he punished for making a bad one?
Here’s a way to understand Pharaoh, and simultaneously understand more about ourselves:
When a behavior brings painful results, it’s normal – even reflexive -to work toward modifying that behavior; we simply want to avoid the pain. But there’s an exception. It’s when we tell ourselves “I can’t change.”
Let’s say someone finds it difficult to show a spouse emotional support, and therefore catches marital grief. Or someone is less than diligent and consequently suffers at the office. The easy way out is to say “hey, this is the way I am” and then blame others for their lack of understanding.
This pain won’t bring behavioral modification, because the person seems himself as a victim of [other-inflicted] pain, rather than its cause. It’s the other party’s fault.
That doesn’t mean the person can’t change, it’s just that he’s placed himself in a particularly non-growth-inducing spot. His self-righteous pain supports his illusion of "I can't change, so this isn’t about me."
In response to Pharaoh's cruelty, G-d desensitized him enough so that the pain didn’t inspire him to change. Instead of digesting what he was doing to others, he chose to focus on what was being done to him. His own self-improvement wasn't on the table.
But G-d didn’t see him as incapable of growth. G-d just wanted better behavior, and Pharaoh couldn’t find the strength to deliver. He didn't have the moral guts to find his better self.
That was then, this is now. But at a certain level, then is now.
Pharaoh lives on in many of us.
And it’s time for freedom.