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If Hashem (ה׳) hardened Paroh's heart, why did Moshe keep warning him when he couldn't comply anyway? The answer lies in midah k'neged midah: just as Paroh enslaved the Jews through gradual deception that made them feel responsible for their own enslavement, Paroh needed to feel personally responsible for Egypt's destruction. The warnings ensured Paroh would experience the psychological torment of preventable tragedy rather than feeling like a mere victim.
Rabbi Greenberg begins by presenting Rav Weinberg's penetrating question on Parshas Bo: If Hashem (ה׳) hardened Paroh's heart during the final five plagues, preventing him from letting the Jewish people go, what was the purpose of Moshe's repeated warnings and negotiations? The entire process seemed like a meaningless charade since Paroh couldn't comply even if he wanted to. The shiur examines the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s approach in Hilchos Teshuvah, who suggests the warnings served to demonstrate that sometimes a person loses the right to repent. However, Rabbi Greenberg finds this explanation insufficient, as it requires too many assumptions about what observers would conclude from Paroh's behavior.
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Parshas Bo
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