As we get ready for the Seder night, it doesn’t feel like we’re just retelling an old story. It feels like we’re living through its sequel. In the Torah, the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus) isn’t just about the plagues; it is about a psychological “lock-in” that we are witnessing once again in our own time: “And Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Vayakbed Paroh et libo).

Today, as long-range ballistic missiles are launched from Iran toward targets 4,000 km away—and as the regime ignores peace initiatives while continuing aggression against neighbors like Kuwait—the world finds itself in a fog of confusion. Why would a regime, already weakened and under immense strain, choose to double down?

The answer is not found in a military manual. It lies in the deeper mechanics of the “Hardened Heart.”

The Two Stages of Stubbornness

The Torah is precise in its description. At the beginning, Pharaoh “made his heart heavy” (Vayakbed). It was a choice. He saw the blood in the water and the frogs in his bed, and still, he willfully turned away from the truth.

But then, after repeatedly rejecting reality, the language shifts: “And Hashem strengthened (hardened) Pharaoh’s heart.” This marks a spiritual turning point. When evil persistently rejects truth, it........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)