Parshas Va’eira: Effecting Change

“And I shall harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:3)

The belief of free will is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. In fact, the entire system of ultimate consequences for our actions stems from this belief of free will. What happened to Pharaoh’s free will? How could G-d punish Pharaoh if his actions were involuntary?

Many of the Torah commentators address this fundamental question. The Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan (1838 – 1933) explains that every day in the prayer of the silent meditation (amidah/shemona esrei) we beseech the L-rd to help us come closer to Him, and to help us repent for all of our shortcomings. Why must we ask G-d to help us do teshuvah (repentance)? It should be a process that we should take on by ourselves?

The Chafetz Chaim explains that teshuvah defies the way of the world. A person’s disposition does not allow them to repent naturally, unless they have tremendous inspiration. Only with G-d’s assistance can we generally succeed in doing teshuvah. Although a baal teshuvah has come a very long way back home, the way back was paved by G-d.

The story is told about a business oligarch who sought out a suitor for his daughter. He decided upon an ingenious plan. He placed advertisements all over the world promising his daughters hand in marriage to the man who scales Mount Everest without equipment. Daredevils came, and experienced mountain climbers attempted but they were only able to get so high. Finally a scrawny little man came forward. He began the climb. He kept on going. It was getting harder and the air was thinning. He just wouldn’t give up. The oligarch was looking on and through the communication system kept on encouraging him up. Finally he had it. The oligarch told him to just take another three steps and to bear left. He made it up another three steps and collapsed. After he came to he looked to his left and saw a sign. It read, “Congratulations, you have made it to the helicopter pad which will take you to the top. You may now have my daughters hand in marriage!”

So it is with G-d. We must give it our all, but we can never scale the spiritual peak alone. After G-d sees our full effort, G-d airlifts us to the top.
G-d told Moses that Pharaoh lost the Divine assistance to do teshuvah. Therefore Pharaoh’s heart returned to its initial recalcitrance. G-d only removed the Divine assistance, Pharaoh’s free will however remained intact. Pharaoh could have inspired himself to do teshuvah, but G-d was not going to assist him in the process.
Perhaps the number one holdback from taking on more in the realm of Judaism is the ancient maxim, “it’s too hard!” Well now there is a solution. Just pray to G-d for assistance in taking on more and help will surely be quick in coming. The prayers have already been written for us by our Rabbi’s. There is indeed a modern day prayer which the Alcoholics Anonymous members all recite at the closing of their meetings, “G-d grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”

May we all be blessed with the inspiration for teshuvah, and the Divine assistance to affect that change.