{"id":64985,"date":"2019-10-30T18:19:48","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T16:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=64985"},"modified":"2023-05-25T12:26:52","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T09:26:52","slug":"god-hardens-hearts-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/god-hardens-hearts-again\/","title":{"rendered":"God Hardens Hearts – Again?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[447,940,412,569],"acf":{"old_id":"64985","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34250,"related_cahpter":"340","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"We\u2019d like to believe we resist inspiration and change because of some external force, but in truth, we are responsible for our own choices; choosing to improve is up to us\r\n\r\n","content":"

Isaiah\u2019s first prophecy is kind of \u2018meta,\u2019 a prophecy about prophecy \u2013 specifically, about not listening to prophecy. It\u2019s not so clear, though, who prevents the people from listening.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radak (the commentator, R. David Kimchi) offers two interpretations, one of which is reflected in the JPS translation:<\/span><\/p>\n

Go, say to that people: \u2018Hear, indeed, but do not understand; See, indeed, but do not grasp.\u2019 Dull that people\u2019s mind, Stop its ears, And seal its eyes\u2014 Lest, seeing with its eyes And hearing with its ears, It also grasp with its mind, And repent and save itself\u00a0<\/span>(6:9-10).<\/span><\/p>\n

Every translation involves interpretation, and this interpretation rests on the imperative, verb form. God commands that the people not absorb prophetic messages or be impressed by miracles, \u201clest\u201d they be inspired to repent before He can punish them as described in the ensuing verses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radak relates this reading to the account in Exodus of God hardening Pharaoh\u2019s heart, ensuring he doesn\u2019t give in to the plagues and let God\u2019s people go until He has punished the Egyptians sufficiently. Surprisingly like their earliest oppressor, the Jewish people have chosen wickedness to such a degree that they will not be allowed to repent and escape punishment so easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand \u2013 it wasn\u2019t only God who kept Pharaoh from being moved by the powerful displays of divine wrath. Taking the other approach to our text, Rashi also cites a parallel from Exodus \u2013 one in which Pharaoh apparently hardened his own heart. Similarly, Rashi explains, Isaiah criticizes the people for refusing to listen or to be inspired by God\u2019s wonders.<\/span><\/p>\n

How, then, do we explain the imperative form and the \u201clest\u201d? Rashi continues, \u201cthey set their hearts not to listen to the words of the prophets, for they fear lest his words be good in their eyes and they would understand in their hearts and repent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What a sharp insight into human nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody is perfect, and it\u2019s important that we not allow criticism (our own or others\u2019) to bring us to self-loathing. But there is also a danger in the other direction, that we might embrace our imperfections to the point of actively resisting self-improvement. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me; I don\u2019t want to know what I\u2019m doing wrong!\u201d But often we do know, or we know that there is more to know. We know we could do better, but we actively close our ears and eyes to anything that might call us to that better, as if we\u2019re commanding ourselves to do so \u201clest\u201d we be moved to change. Change is hard; putting our heads in the sand is much more comfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n

As is often the case, the two readings of our verse can work together, representing perhaps two levels of perception and reality. We\u2019d like to believe we resist inspiration and change because of some external force; a personified \u201cevil inclination\u201d (see Metzudat David) or even God Himself. But in truth, we are responsible for our own choices; choosing to improve is up to us.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":64986,"id":64986,"title":"is6-hardened-heart","filename":"is6-hardened-heart.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/god-hardens-hearts-again\/is6-hardened-heart\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is6-hardened-heart","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":64985,"date":"2019-10-30 16:19:25","modified":"2023-01-29 15:27:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":489,"height":487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","medium_large-width":489,"medium_large-height":487,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","large-width":489,"large-height":487,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":489,"1536x1536-height":487,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":489,"2048x2048-height":487,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart.jpg","post_full_size-width":489,"post_full_size-height":487,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-hardened-heart-422x420.jpg","home_baner-width":422,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"God Hardens Hearts - Again?","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"We\u2019d like to believe we resist inspiration and change because of some external force, but in truth, we are responsible for our own choices; 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