An insecure Pharaoh’s desperate need for kavod (Bo-Beshalah)
The triad of Parshiot Va’era, Bo and Beshalah are a single symphony of three well-defined movements.
The enigma regarding God’s ‘hardening’ Pharaoh’s heart, and yet making him take the rap for a recalcitrance that is then not his fault, has been debated ad infinitum. Yet, a careful reading of the text, in particular this aspect of God’s ostensibly heavy hand, as well as Pharaoh’s general behavior pattern, can lead one to a far more nuanced and infinitely more interesting perspective regarding both the contemporary Egyptian monarch of the Exodus saga and God’s role in his decision-making process.
It is difficult for us to shake loose from the Bible story images that were imprinted on our minds as children – the one-dimensional cartoon characters that rivet an infant’s imagination but insult the adult intelligence. The very term “Pharaoh” becomes a synonym for a wicked “frogs here, frogs there” monarch even though there were many Pharaohs each surely as unique as a fingerprint and often – as exemplified by the Pharaoh of Yosef versus the Pharaoh of our current triad of parshiot – polar opposites.
In Parshat Shemot we read:
וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף: |
There arose a new king over Egypt who knew not Yosef |
(Shemot/Exodus 1:8).
The second half of this verse seems superfluous. After all, the old generation had passed on. It was not only the new king who knew not Yosef, it was the progeny of Yosef and his brothers who knew not Yosef as well.
I would suggest that these words “who knew not Yosef” refer to a different kind of knowledge. They refer to awareness and discernment. In other words, a new king arose who would not be capable of recognizing a Yosef even if he were standing in front of him. A new king who lacks the character, the intelligence, the intuition and above all the self-confidence to ‘know’ a Yosef when he sees one. A king who is so insecure, he does not know how to delegate and is indecisive in extremis.
Typical of insecure men is an inability to trust anyone. Which is why insecure people become micromanagers who make every decision themselves – like the new Pharaoh. Inevitably, of course, these are more often the wrong decisions.
Indeed, Shemot seems to usher in a precipitous drop in the quality of the Pharaohs, and in these opening parshiot the Egyptian monarchy moves from poor to dismal.
Yosef’s Pharaoh came off as an enlightened monarch, one who solicited opinions, and who was a master delegator. Disturbed by a double dream that appears predictive,
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־כָּל־חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־כָּל־חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לָהֶם֙ אֶת־חֲלֹמ֔וֹ
He sent for called all the wizards and wise men of Egypt
(Bereishit/Genesis 41:8)
That earlier Pharaoh proactively seeks input from those who are wise. When they are unable to decode his dream, this Pharaoh is not beyond taking the advice of his cup-bearer, a former jailbird, and yanks Yosef out of the dungeon.
When Yosef clarifies the dream, that Pharaoh is instantly ready to elevate this alien to the second most prestigious position in Egypt, and entrusts him with the management of the entire economy.
Who can fail to be impressed by such a Pharaoh who has both strength of character and humility — who immediately acknowledges Elohim’s decisive role in the events that are about to unfold?
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו הֲנִמְצָ֣א כָזֶ֔ה אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בּֽוֹ:
And Pharaoh said to his servants,‘Is there (another) man like this in whom there is the spirit of Elohim?’
(Bereishit/Genesis 41:38)
By contrast, when the Exodus Pharaoh is confronted by Moshe and Aharon we read;
וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים
And Pharaoh also called for wise men and magicians
(Shemot/Exodus 7:11)
It appears as if he sent a messenger out to the street to round up a few freelance snake charmers. He was not responding to the purpose of Moshe’s mission, simply attempting to blow him off with a similar feat of prestidigitation. Indeed, this latter Pharaoh seems to have had no selected advisors of his own, as he did not rely on anyone else to influence his snap policy decisions.
Parenthetically, it is also evident that the Exodus Pharaoh has an open door, anyone can waltz into his chambers. He does not discriminate. His insecurity is such that there is no select cohort of counselors. Everyone is welcome to put in their two cents – not that he ever listens.
At the same time, he is also loath to punish or eliminate those who challenge him. Whether it is Shifra and Puah, Moshe and Aharon, or the vagrant snake charmers who eventually would tell him to get a grip.
This is all evidence of the fact that the Exodus Pharaoh is afraid of his own shadow and dares not silence dissenters and opponents. All this is characteristic of a very small, vain man obsessed with his title and starved for kavod (honor) which a man like this confuses with genuine respect.
As we proceed in Vaera and Bo, Pharaoh’s supercilious and vapid personality – and its attendant insecurity and desperate need for ‘kavod’ – become is undoing. The plague of lice makes it clear to all the that
אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִ֑וא
This is the finger of God
(Exodus 8:15)
yet Pharaoh’s insecurity-based hubris causes him to remain adamant.
The root כבד that is used in the opening of Parshat Bo to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is just one of the terms the Torah deploys to describe this phenomenon of Pharaoh changing his mind. In this context it is normally understood as meaning “heavy”.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙
And God said to Moshe come to Pharaoh for I have heavied his heart (Shemot/Exodus 10:1)
The כבד word has already appeared five times in Parshat Vaera:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה כָּבֵ֖ד לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה מֵאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלַּ֥ח הָעָֽם:
And God told Moshe Pharaoh’s heart is כבד , he refuses to send the Peopl (7:14)
וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּ֤י הָֽיְתָה֙ הָֽרְוָחָ֔ה וְהַכְבֵּד֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה
And Pharaoh saw there was a respite and his heart was כבד and he did not listen to them
( 8:11)
וַיַּכְבֵּ֤ד פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם
And Pharaoh כבד his heart this time as well
(8:28)
וַיִּכְבַּד֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם
And Pharaoh’s heart was כבד and he did not send the People
(9:7)
and finally
וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַֽעֲבָדָֽיו
And his heart was כבד and his servants
(9:34)
In Parshat Vaera the other term used is חזק, which is understood to mean strong or strentghtened, eg:
וַֽיֶּֽחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה:
And Pharaoh’s heart was חזק
(7:13)
וַיֶּֽחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
And Pharaoh’s heart was חזק and he did not send the Children of Israel
(9:35)
Another term used but only once is קשה to harden;
וַֽאֲנִ֥י אַקְשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה
And I will קשה the heart of Pharaoh
(7:3)
Interestingly, when the words קשה and חזק are used it is clearly God who is making this happen. By contrast, until the opening of Parshat Bo the term כבד seems to imply something that occurs organically within Pharaoh, or something he does to himself. It is not something that God implants in him.
I would like to suggest that כבד does not mean heavy, and חזק does not mean strong. After all, what exactly is a heavy heart? In our parlance a heavy heart signifies remorse, sadness, sensitivity. This is hardly the case here.
Rather I suggest the root כבד here refers to ‘honor’, as in kavod, while חזק means ‘reinforced’, as in God (merely) reinforces Pharaoh’s natural inclination.
Unlike the Pharaoh of Yosef’s time – a great and mighty king who is strong enough and smart enough to acknowledge wisdom in others and the existence of God – this Pharaoh is a weak, insecure personality. Hence his diminished self-confidence makes him crave kavod. As we know, people who seek kavod are attempting to fill a gaping hole in their self-esteem because, indeed, they usually do not merit esteem.
When Pharaoh reneges on his agreements to allow the Israelites to leave, it is God’s doing insofar as he is reinforcing who Pharaoh is to begin with. At other times it is Pharaoh’s puny ego only, desperate for kavod, that gets in his way.
Indeed at the very end of Parshat Vaera, in two sequential verses, we have וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ (passive) – and his heart craved kavod, followed immediately by וַיֶּֽחֱזַק֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה (active) And He (God) reinforced Pharaoh’s heart.
Until now Pharaoh has amply demonstrated his craving for kavod. Now God plays Pharaoh’s game. He (God) ups the ante by getting directly involved in this little man’s lust for honor, now that the king is no longer able even to listen to his own people who pretty much have told him that the jig is up.
Now let us focus on the word “בא– BO ”. This is unusual. God tells Moshe for the second time to “come” to Pharaoh. The proper term should be “לך” – go.
I would suggest that בא is a sign of disrespect, it is informal. “Come to Pharaoh” drips with contempt. And indeed, when Moshe leaves Pharaoh’s presence in this instance it says;
וַיִּ֥פֶן וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֥ם פַּרְעֹֽה
And (Moshe) turned his back and exited from Pharaoh
(10:6)
Moshe turns his back to Pharaoh and makes his exit – a total sign of contempt to any monarch, and proof that Moshe knows he has nothing to fear from this royal midget.
Interestingly this precise term was used to show Pharaoh’s earlier contempt for Moshe in Parshat Vaera:
וַיִּ֣פֶן פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ
And Pharaoh turned around and came to his house
(7:23)
(Curiously, here too, the word בא is used; וַיָּבֹ֖א – the same juxtaposition of בא and וַיִּ֣פֶן as we have in Parshat Bo.)
Clearly the onset of Parshat Bo marks a turning point. It is the start of the end game. By now even Pharaoh’s servants know it’s over and have no fear of disrespecting him by saying;
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י פַרְעֹ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו עַד־מָתַי֙ יִֽהְיֶ֨ה זֶ֥ה לָ֨נוּ֙ לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְיַֽעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָֽבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם
… Let the people go and they will worship their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is lost?
(10:7)
Nevertheless, Pharaoh holds out stubbornly on account of his pathetic ego. Yet, despite hanging on to his vestigial kavod, Pharaoh is clearly licked. Moshe can now treat him with utter contempt, without any fear of retribution. Pharaoh’s days are numbered, and everyone knows at this point that the emperor is naked.
From here on, God simply plays with Pharaoh. We no longer see the word כבד in reference to the Egyptian monarch, merely God doing his חזק number. He does this both to humiliate Pharaoh and – in so doing – to aggrandize Himself to an Israelite People sorely in need of spiritual re-tooling before their redemption.
Pharaoh makes an utter fool of himself, demonstrating the pinnacle of his insecure, indecisive personality – just as his servants have read him the riot act – in four sequential verses (10:8-11)
וַיּוּשַׁ֞ב אֶת־משֶׁ֤ה וְאֶת־אַֽהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֥וּ עִבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם מִ֥י וָמִ֖י הַהֹֽלְכִֽים
[Thereupon,] Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, worship the Lord your God. Who and who are going?”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה בִּנְעָרֵ֥ינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵ֖ינוּ נֵלֵ֑ךְ בְּבָנֵ֨ינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵ֜נוּ בְּצֹאנֵ֤נוּ וּבִבְקָרֵ֨נוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֥י חַג־יְהֹוָ֖ה לָֽנוּ
And Moshe said, “With our youth and with our elders we will go, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our cattle we will go, for it is a festival of the Lord to us.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם יְהִ֨י כֵ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶת־טַפְּכֶ֑ רְא֕וּ כִּ֥י רָעָ֖ה נֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם
So he [Pharaoh] said to them, “So may the Lord be with you, just as I will let you and your young children out. See that evil is before your faces.
לֹ֣א כֵ֗ן לְכ֙וּ נָ֤א הַגְּבָרִים֙ וְעִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֑ים וַיְגָ֣רֶשׁ אֹתָ֔ם מֵאֵ֖ת פְּנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה
Not so; let the men go now and worship the Lord, for that is what you request. And he chased them out from before Pharaoh.
Notice the flip-flopping – hardly the mark of real confidence and power.
What is emerging from the text is that Pharaoh is arrogating for himself the characteristics and entitlements that belong only to the Almighty. God indeed has the right to demand כבד from humankind, because God is beyond ego and hubris. By honoring God we acknowledge our own diminutiveness. In fact, the only other party we are told to honor is our parents, and for similar reasons. They, too, are our creators, hence, ultimately they are entitled to כבד . As we are instructed in the Ten Commandments to “honor (כבד ) your father and your mother …”
Pharaoh further arrogates the right to behave like Elohim when he says to Moshe after the plague of darkness;
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ מֵֽעָלָ֑י הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ אַל־תֹּ֨סֶף֙ רְא֣וֹת פָּנַ֔י כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם רְאֹֽתְךָ֥ פָנַ֖י תָּמֽוּת
Go away from me! Beware! You shall no longer see my face, for on the day that you see my face, you shall die!
(10:28).
These sentiments are virtually identical to what God later says to Moshe:
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָֽאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי:
You cannot see my face: for no man shall see me and live
(33:20)
Once the plagues are over and the Israelites have left the borders of Egypt, the כבד reappears. Only this time it is God who uses the term in self-reference;
וְחִזַּקְתִּ֣י אֶת־לֵֽב־פַּרְעֹה֘ וְרָדַ֣ף אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֒ וְאִכָּֽבְדָ֤ה בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכָל־חֵיל֔וֹ וְיָֽדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵֽן
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will be כבד through Pharaoh and through his entire force, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. And they did so. (14:4)
וַֽאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מְחַזֵּק֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב מִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָבֹ֖אוּ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וְאִכָּֽבְדָ֤ה בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכָל־חֵיל֔וֹ בְּרִכְבּ֖וֹ וּבְפָֽרָשָֽׁ
And I, behold! I shall harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will come after you, and I will be כבד through Pharaoh, and through all his force, through his chariots, and through his horsemen. (14:17)
We have come full circle. The supercilious king who attempts to camouflage his insecurity and weakness with tough words and recalcitrance has his ultimate degradation, while God the Almighty rightfully claims the כבד – the glory and respect to which no human being is entitled.
Perhaps this should serve as a lesson to the legions of kavod-seekers for whom their names cannot appear often enough or large enough; who cannot be honored at enough dinners, feted at enough testimonials, showered with enough glorious adjectives by fawning fund raisers, bombarded with enough blessings by greedy rabbis and rosh yeshivas. Do they realize how silly they look? How the whole world knows they are merely buying the sanctimonious encomiums of sycophants?