שמות רבה י״גShemot Rabbah 13

Section 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בֹּא אֶל פַּרְעֹה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי כז, ג): כֹּבֶד אֶבֶן וְנֵטֶל הַחוֹל וְכַעַס אֱוִיל כָּבֵד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם, שָׁאַל אַבְנִימוֹס הַגַּרְדִי אֶת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמַר לָהֶם הָאָרֶץ הֵיאַךְ נִבְרֵאת תְּחִלָּה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אֵין אָדָם בָּקִי בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ, אֶלָּא לֵךְ אֵצֶל אַבָּא יוֹסֵף הַבַּנָּאי, הָלַךְ וּמְצָאוֹ שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד עַל הַקְּרוּיָא, אָמַר לוֹ שְׁאֵלָה יֵשׁ לִי לִשְׁאֹל אוֹתְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵינִי יָכוֹל לֵירֵד מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׂכִיר יוֹם אֶלָּא שְׁאַל מַה תְּבַקֵּשׁ, אָמַר לֵיהּ הֵיאַךְ נִבְרֵאת הָאָרֶץ תְּחִלָּה, אָמַר לֵיהּ נָטַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָפָר מִתַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד וְזָרַק עַל הַמַּיִם וְנַעֲשָׂה אֶרֶץ, וּצְרוֹרוֹת קְטַנִּים שֶׁהָיוּ בֶּעָפָר נַעֲשׂוּ הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב לח, לח): בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּקוּ, וּבָרוּר הוּא הַדָּבָר בְּאָזְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כֹּבֶד אֶבֶן וְנֵטֶל הַחוֹל, מַהוּ כֹּבֶד אֶבֶן, מִי שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה אֶת הֶהָרִים וְאֶת הַגְּבָעוֹת אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר הֵיאַךְ בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אֵלּוּ. מַהוּ וְנֵטֶל הַחוֹל, אֶלָּא הַחוֹל שֶׁהַמַּיִם עוֹמְדִים עָלָיו לְמַעְלָה, וְהוּא נָתוּן מִלְּמַטָּה וְהוּא נוֹשֵׂא אוֹתָם, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יְקָרָה הִיא בְּעֵינֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם וְרוֹאִין כְּאִלּוּ יְגִיעָה הִיא לְפָנַי, וְאֵינָהּ יְגִיעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מ, כח): לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע, בַּמֶּה אֲנִי יָגֵעַ בְּמִי שֶׁהוּא מַכְעִיס לְפָנַי בִּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (מלאכי ג, יז): הוֹגַעְתֶּם ה' בְּדִבְרֵיכֶם, הֱוֵי וְכַעַס אֱוִיל כָּבֵד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם, דָּבָר אַחֵר, כֹּבֶד אֶבֶן, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּבַּדְתִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ אֶבֶן, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא (בראשית מט, כד): מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנֵטֶל הַחוֹל, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלוּ לְחוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע ב, א): וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּחוֹל הַיָּם, שֶׁנָּטַלְתִּי אוֹתָם בָּעוֹלָם וְאָמַרְתִּי (זכריה ב, יב): כָּל הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶם כְּנוֹגֵעַ בְּבָבַת עֵינוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר תִּקּוּן סוֹפְרִים הוּא, עֵינִי כְּתִיב, וְעָמְדוּ וְהִכְעִיסוּ לְפָנַי וּבִקַּשְׁתִּי לְכַלּוֹתָן וּלְהַשְּׁלִיכָן מֵעַל פָּנָי, וְאָמַרְתִּי בִּשְׁבִיל פַּרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע שֶׁלֹא יֹאמַר לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהַצִּילָן וְעָמַד עֲלֵיהֶן וַהֲרָגָן, הֱוֵי וְכַעַס אֱוִיל כָּבֵד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם, הֱוֵי כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ.

“The Lord said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh, as I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, in order to place these signs of Mine in their midst” (Exodus 10:1). “The Lord said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh” – that is what is written: “The heft of a stone and the weight of sand, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both” (Proverbs 27:3). Avnimos the weaver asked our Rabbis, of blessed memory; he said to them: ‘The earth, how was it created initially?’ They said to him: ‘No one is expert in these matters, but go to Abba Yosef the builder.’ He went and found him standing on scaffolding. He said to him: ‘I have a question to ask you.’ He said to him: ‘I cannot descend because I am a day laborer, but ask what you want to ask.’ He asked: ‘How was the earth created initially?’ He said to him: ‘The Holy One blessed be He took dirt from beneath the Throne of Glory and cast it on the water, and it became earth. The small pebbles that were in the dirt became mountains and hills, as it is stated: “When the dirt turns into a mass, and the clods cleave together”’ (Job 38:38). This is clear in the ears of people, as it is stated: “The heft of a stone and the weight of sand.” What is “the heft of a stone”? One who sees the mountains and the hills, does he not say: How did the Holy One blessed be He create these? What is “the weight of sand”? The sand upon which the water stands from above, and it is under it and bears it. The Holy One blessed be He says: It appears heavy in the eyes of people, and they view it as though it is wearying for Me, but it is not wearying, as it is stated: “He does not tire and does not weary” (Isaiah 40:28). What wearies Me? One who angers me with idle chatter, as it is stated: “You wearied the Lord with your words” (Malachi 2:17). That is “but the anger of a fool is heavier than both.” Another interpretation: “The heft [koved] of a stone” – the Holy One blessed be He said: I honored [kibadti] Israel, who are called stone, as it is stated: “From the Shepherd of the stone of Israel” (Genesis 49:24). “The weight [netel] of sand” – this is Israel, who were analogized to sand, as it is stated: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea” (Hosea 2:1), and I have elevated them in the world, and I said: One who touches them touches the pupil of his eye. Rabbi Yehoshua says: It is a textual emendation; “My eye” is written. They arose and angered Me and I sought to eliminate them and to cast them from before Me, but I said [I will not destroy them,] so that Pharaoh the wicked will not say: He was unable to deliver them so he stood against them and killed them. That is “but the anger of a fool is heavier than both.” That is “as I have hardened his heart.”

Section 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים לב, כו): אָמַרְתִּי אַפְאֵיהֶם, מַהוּ אַפְאֵיהֶם, אָמַרְתִּי בְאַפִּי אַיֵּה הֵם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַפְאֵיהֶם, אָמַרְתִּי בְּאַף שֶׁהִכְעִיסוּ לְפָנַי אַיֵּה הֵם לֹא יִהְיוּ אֶלָּא (דברים לב, כו): אַשְׁבִּיתָה מֵאֱנוֹשׁ זִכְרָם, וּמִי גָרַם לָהֶם שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם, (דברים לב, כז): לוּלֵי כַּעַס אוֹיֵב.

Another interpretation: “As I have hardened his heart” – that is what is written: “I said I will eliminate them [afeihem]” (Deuteronomy 32:26). What is afeihem? I said in my wrath [be’api]: Where are they [ayeh hem]? Alternatively: Afeihem – I said in My wrath [be’af] that they angered Me: Where are they [ayeh hem]? They will be nothing other than: “I will cease their memory from man” (Deuteronomy 32:26). Who caused them to emerge from there? “Were it not that I dreaded the enemy's provocation” (Deuteronomy 32:27).

Section 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִכָּאן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לַמִּינִין לוֹמַר לֹא הָיְתָה מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ יִסָּתֵם פִּיהֶם שֶׁל מִינִים, אֶלָּא (משלי ג, לד): אִם לַלֵּצִים הוּא יָלִיץ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַתְרֶה בּוֹ בָּאָדָם פַּעַם רִאשׁוֹנָה שְׁנִיָּה וּשְׁלִישִׁית וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר בּוֹ, וְהוּא נוֹעֵל לִבּוֹ מִן הַתְּשׁוּבָה כְּדֵי לִפְרֹעַ מִמֶּנּוּ מַה שֶּׁחָטָא. אַף כָּךְ פַּרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע, כֵּיוָן שֶׁשִּׁגֵּר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָמֵשׁ פְּעָמִים וְלֹא הִשְׁגִּיחַ עַל דְּבָרָיו, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה הִקְשֵׁיתָ עָרְפְּךָ וְהִכְבַּדְתָּ אֶת לִבְּךָ, הֲרֵינִי מוֹסִיף לְךָ טֻמְאָה עַל טֻמְאָתְךָ, הֱוֵי: כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ. מַהוּ הִכְבַּדְתִּי, שֶׁעָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת לִבּוֹ כַּכָּבֵד הַזֶּה שֶׁהִיא מִתְבַּשֶׁלֶת שְׁנִיָּה וְאַרְטָסִיס נִכְנָס בְּתוֹכָהּ, כָּךְ נַעֲשָׂה לִבּוֹ שֶׁל פַּרְעֹה כַּכָּבֵד הַזֶּה וְלֹא הָיָה מְקַבֵּל דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הֱוֵי: כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ וגו':

Another interpretation: “As I have hardened his heart” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here there is an opening for the heretics to say that he had no [opportunity] to repent, as it is stated: “As I have hardened his heart.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said to him: Let the mouths of the heretics be sealed; rather, “to the scorners He scorns” (Proverbs 3:34). The Holy One blessed be He forewarns a person the first time, the second, and the third, and if he does not relent, He locks his heart from repentance in order to exact retribution for his sins. The same is true regarding the wicked Pharaoh. Once the Holy One blessed be He sent [him warnings] five times, and he disregarded His words, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: You were stubborn and hardened your heart; behold. I will add impurity to your impurity. That is: “As I have hardened [hikhbadti] his heart.” What is hikhbadti? The Holy One blessed be He rendered his heart like this liver, which, when it is cooked twice, becomes hard. Thus, Pharaoh’s heart became like that liver, and he did not accept the words of the Holy One, blessed be He. That is: “As I have hardened his heart.”