DID G-D EVER TAKE AWAY FREE WILL or CHOICE?

(A Response to Why G-d harden Pharaohs Heart)

This is an old question addressed in many religions today, however I will focus only on Judaic principles and teachings on this matter.

This question is often derived from an account found in the Torah and in many seder/ haggadah accounts of G-d hardening Parohs heart. This scripture was the catalyst for many ideas regarding free will and the preponderance of its suspension, one of which people have accepted as truth.

Before I address this possible conclusion I would like to say we must first explore what free will is and why it was given to mankind.

According to R. Akiva, Seven things preceded the world and these are; Torah, Teshuvah (Repentance), Gan Eden, Gehinnom, Kiseh HaKovod (The Throne of Glory), The Beth HaMikdash and The Name of Messiah. (BT Mas. Pesahim (54a).

The creation of Teshuvah is important, for it is only through the choice of a person that Teshuvah can be made. Our sages teach that G-d is the Supreme author of all morality, and good and evil are defined by Him. We must understand the power of repentance is so much that G-d in his infinite wisdom understood that man being made in His divine image, would have to act without restraints and this is why freewill is given to mankind as a gift.

Obedience to G-d, is ultimately an altruistic act, which is G-ds own purpose of creation, but such an act must be made by the gift of choice. It would be impossible for man to be given or denied benefits for good actions of which he had no control over.

Additionally, since the Torah contains negative and positive commandments, then freewill is required by G-ds justice to execute reward or punishment. For it is taught in Devarim,

Here, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse, the blessing IF you obey the commands of HaShem your G-d that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of HaShem your G-d (11,26-28).

We are also taught that, Everything is in the hands of heaven, except the fear of heaven (BT Mas. Berakhoth (33b), this means that while G-d decides the fate of each individual, the making of such still depends upon the choices that individual makes. Rabbi Akiva said, Everything is foreseen, but the freedom of freewill is given. The world is judged in goodness, yet everything is proportioned to one's deeds. (Mishna Pirke Avoth 3,6)

There is no exception to this rule, and our sages made it clear teaching that G-d made us all from one man, and in doing so, takes away the excuse from both the righteous and the wicked lest they declare, We are descendents of a righteous ancestor, and the wicked say, We are descendants of a wicked ancestor (BT Mas. Sanhedrin (38a). No one is exonerated from their own actions.

Freewill is therefore, the prime ingredient of G-ds purpose for man. He [G-d] does not do anything in this world that might destroy or diminish mankinds choice between good and evil. Neither does G-d conspicuously award good or punishes the wicked, because it would effect mans choice for sin.

So what really happened to Paroh, is the hardening of his heart a suspension of his free will, or an influence of the heavenly court based on Parohs own choice? Well according to our sages, it is the latter part of the question that is true. The RaMBaM explains this in the MT Hilkhoth Teshuvah 6 saying,

There are many verses in the Torah and the words of the Prophets which would appear to contradict this principle [of free will]. Most people deduce from these verses and make it their opinion that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, decrees upon a person whether he will do good or bad and that one's will is not given to one for doing what one wants. I am hereby going to explain a major principle RaMBaM, teaches that we should not take this scripture about Parohs hardening of heart literally to mean, G-d that stopped his freedom to choose (freewill). RaMBaM continues

It is possible to commit a great sin or a number of sins until one comes before the True Judge for judgment, but one's punishment will be according to the sins which one had committed knowingly and willingly, which hinders repentance and do not allow one to return from one's wickedness, so one will therefore die and be destroyed because of one's sin. In other words, RaMBaM here is saying that we can create habitual forms of behavior of which, over a long enough period of time, can almost obliterate the possibility for change and as the saying goes Bad habits are hard to break.

Our sages, agrees with RaMBam saying, When a person sins and repeats it, then it will begin to seem permissible to them (BT Mas. Yoma (86b) & (Mas. Moed Katan (27b).

Rashi quotes the Midrash Tanhuma, which states that during the first five plagues, the Torah does not say that Hashem hardened Paroh's heart; but it only says, "And Paroh's heart was hardened." Paroh continued to refuse by his own decision to accept G-d's admonishments. He also ignored the plagues of Hashem, of which he should have yielded himself. It was from then on that Hashem knew that the suffering of the plagues would eventually cause Paroh to yield. However, according to the Sforno, that it wouldn't be a true form of repentance; so it wouldn't of help to guard him from further punishments that he deserved. Paroh, was a victim of his own choice and sin, and he remained stubborn until the end. Paroh could have changed his mind at any time, and unfortunately for Misrayim, he did at the very end. Our sages warns us of the effects of stubborn sin and encourages us to pursue righteousness saying The school of R. Yishmael taught: Sin dulls the heart of man, as it is said: Neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that you should also be defiled... Our Rabbis taught; Neither shall you make yourselves unclean that you should be defiled thereby. If a man defiles himself a little, he becomes much defiled: [if he defile himself] below, he becomes defiled from above; if he defiles himself in this world, he becomes defiled in the world to come. Our Rabbis taught: Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be holy: If a man sanctifies himself a little, he becomes much sanctified. [If he sanctify himself] below, he becomes sanctified from above; if he sanctify himself in this world, he becomes sanctified in the world to come. (BT Mas. Yoma (39a)

What we witnessed with Paroh, was a deferment of his repentance, and his evil inclination grew progressively stronger, until it ultimately harden his heart. Paroh made it a habit to continue to transgress and commit the sins against G-d and his people. As a our rabbis taught, when one makes himself defiled, he becomes defiled from above. In this

sense G-d hardens Parohs heart as well. G-ds heavenly court rules with justice, meting out judgment according to the deeds (choices) we all make.

Furthermore, our sages teach that the freedom of freewill is even until the last moments of wicked persons death. It is taught that the doors (gates) of repentance remain as long as the person is alive. Therefore one can still repent even in old age, even if they had intentions to do so and was prevented by their untimely death, G-d will still count their good intentions. This is speaking of a person who wanted to reconcile with both man & G-d.

Lastly, it is noteworthy to mention that our sages do teach that freewill is not forever. They teach that during the days of messiah that HaShem will diminish the yeser hara (evil inclination) and that we will have the ability to rule through our yeser hatov (good inclination). In the mean time make no mistake about it, freewill has not, and will not ever be removed, suspended, or taken away in this world. Shalom.