cellio | a torah thought (Bo, but plagues in general)

Saturday's torah reader pointed out something interesting. During the description of the plagues, we are told repeatedly that God "hardened Paro's heart". (That's the usual translation, anyway.) This raises all sorts of disturbing questions about free will and teshuvah (repentance). But Bruce pointed out that while the first word used does indeed mean "harden", the words used later in the narrative are "kavod" -- "make heavy" and "chazak" -- "strengthen". (I might have the vowels a little off in the Hebrew.) Bruce's point is that God was just letting Paro do what he wanted to do anyway, not manipulting him. That does lead to a different interpretation!