The Pharaoh mind-block
Pharaoh was a bad guy. He was a diabolical, bloodthirsty dictator. Your blood could boil after reading how he two-timed our ancestors, enslaved and abused them and murdered their babies. But, would the Torah be satisfied with us seething over Pharaoh? Remember, the Torah is not a history book but a guide to life. Every story it tells shares a moral lesson. Every character it describes represents a human challenge or virtue. What should we learn from the Biblical Pharaoh?
Most people see Exodus as the original liberation story. Moses’ bold challenge to the Egyptian monarch inspired countless civil rights movements. But, the Exodus is not a story of emancipation. Yes, the Jews were freed, and we celebrate their release every Pesach. Exodus did not end the history of slavery as much as it launched the story of the Jewish People. At the Burning Bush, G-d spelt out Moses’ mission: “When you take the Jewish nation out of Egypt, they will serve Me on this mountain”. The goal of the Exodus was to reach Sinai.
Sinai changed everything for the Israelites. They became a unique nation- G-d’s Chosen People. At the foot of the mountain, they committed themselves unreservedly to Torah values. That day launched their centuries-long journey to alter reality. With the Torah, they would transform our mundane planet into the Divine residence.
From slaves to Sinai is a radical shift. Getting the Torah would not only upgrade us from bondage it would empower us to achieve what giants like Abraham could not. Before Sinai, spiritual greats dedicated their lives to developing a meaningful connection with G-d. They meditated on the Divine, prayed deeply and followed spiritual rituals. Our forefathers attained ultimate holiness, catapulting their souls to the climax of human potential. It did nothing to upgrade the world.
That changed at Sinai. When He gave us the Torah, G-d shared His infinite self. His mitzvos invite us to infuse materialism with holiness. Abraham wished for the transformative opportunity the Torah would offer. Our mitzvos imbue Divine energy into stuff. Judaism is no longer the ethereal personal growth of the Patriarchs. It is an incredible venture that uses simple deeds to inject Infinity into the finite.
The goal of leaving Egypt was to reach Sinai and introduce G-d’s impossible project to achieve the purpose of Creation. Only one obstacle stood between the Jews and Sinai: Pharaoh. Pharaoh proclaimed himself a god. He expected people to worship him and pompously declared that the Nile, Egypt’s source of livelihood, was his. To break the Jews out of Egypt, G-d first had to break Egypt. And to wreck Egypt, He had to bring down its pompous leader. Each plague chipped away at Pharaoh’s facade until he was humbled and acknowledged Hashem.
The dramatic story of Pharaoh’s downfall carries an important lesson about spiritual growth. We are all on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual connection. But, there is a Pharaoh in our way. Like the villain of the Exodus story, our inner Pharaoh insists that we are not going anywhere. To reach our personal Sinai, we need to uproot this Pharaoh mentality.
Pharaoh inside our heads claims: “I made myself”, “I am the master of my success”. He denies our gifts from G-d. Pharaoh was a prime narcissist who represents our self-interested reptilian brain. The first step towards spiritual growth is humility. When we break free of our preconceptions and overriding sense of rightness, we open ourselves to learn what it takes to achieve meaningful connection and spiritual growth.