It’s a question that our sages grappled with, and the Midrash in Shemot Rabbah offers a fascinating perspective, connecting it to the story of the Exodus. It all begins with the verse, "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).
But what does Pharaoh's hardened heart really mean?
The Midrash cleverly links this to a verse in Proverbs (27:3): “The heft of a stone and the weight of sand, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both.” This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of what truly "weighs" on the Divine.
The Midrash then tells a story. Avnimos, a weaver, approaches the Rabbis with a burning question: How was the earth created? The Rabbis, acknowledging their limitations, direct him to Abba Yosef, a builder. Finding Abba Yosef on scaffolding, Avnimos poses his question. Abba Yosef explains that God took dirt from beneath the Throne of Glory and cast it upon the water, and it became earth. The pebbles within the dirt became mountains and hills, referencing Job 38:38, “When the dirt turns into a mass, and the clods cleave together.” imagery for a moment. Dirt from beneath the Throne of Glory... becoming the foundation of our world. Powerful. The Midrash then circles back to the proverb. “The heft of a stone” – doesn't seeing mountains and hills make us wonder at God's creation? And "the weight of sand" – the sand that supports the water, seemingly heavy, yet God doesn't tire from it, as Isaiah 40:28 tells us: “He does not tire and does not weary.” So, what does weary God? According to Malachi 2:17, it's when we "wearied the Lord with your words." That is "the anger of a fool [that] is heavier than both."
But there's another layer to this, a second interpretation. “The heft [koved] of a stone” becomes connected to the word for honor [kibadti]. God honored Israel, who are called a stone, referencing Genesis 49:24, “From the Shepherd of the stone of Israel.” And “the weight [netel] of sand” refers to Israel, who are compared to sand, as Hosea 2:1 states, “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea.” God elevated them, declaring that "One who touches them touches the pupil of his eye.” This is based on Zechariah (2:12). Rabbi Yehoshua even suggests a textual emendation — that the verse should read "My eye" instead of "his eye," showing just how intensely God feels about protecting Israel.
But... they angered God. And God considered destroying them. But ultimately, God refrained, so that Pharaoh wouldn't be able to 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.”
And that is why God hardened Pharaoh's heart. It wasn't arbitrary. It was a consequence, a reaction, to the "weight" of foolish anger, both Pharaoh's and, in a way, Israel's own.
So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that our actions, our words, our very being, carry a weight – a weight that can either honor God or, heaven forbid, contribute to a burden even heavier than mountains and sand. A burden borne out of foolish anger. And that is a truly weighty thought.