Cytowanie Komentarza do Wyjścia 9:12

כי אני הכבדתי, even though Moses had said; “I know that you do not yet relate with awe and reverence to G’d,” (9,30) he thought that even if he does not humble himself to G’d because of G’d’s greatness, at least he should do what G’d says seeing that he has no choice, and can no longer withstand the cumulative effect of the plagues. He had arrived at this conclusion when he noted the words ה' הצדיק, “the Lord is the Just One.” However, when he found out that all these pious words notwithstanding Pharaoh continued to oppose G’d’s will in spite of the fact that he found it impossible to cope with the plagues, Moses had come to the conclusion that warning Pharaoh of an impending plague was an exercise in futility. This is why G’d had to tell him at this stage that already during the sixth plague (9,12) He had stiffened Pharaoh’s heart so that ordinary rules of psychology could no longer be applied to this man. The purpose was to enable G’d to demonstrate more miracles so that maybe some Egyptians would be moved by what they experienced to become penitents. If so, the Israelites in the future would be able to tell their children of the greatness of G’d’s miracles. This in turn would convince mankind that G’d loved His creatures and was very patient with them, giving them opportunities to mend their ways. This is why the warning to Pharaoh was in place although it would prove ineffectual. G’d’s plan was

WILL NOT BE GIVEN THE MEANS TO REPENT. I.e., G-d will not aid hm, as the verse says, “let none support him”. This is unlike all other sinners who decide to repent, as they certainly are included in the rule “G-d aids whoever wishes to purify himself” (Yoma 39a).
Rambam, however, explains that G-d will prevent him from repenting, just as it is said of Pharaoh that “G-d hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12). In the eighth of the Eight Chapters he appends as an introduction to this tractate he explains that there are sins for which one absolutely must be punished, to the point that G-d will prevent the sinner from repenting in order that he receive the punishment he deserves. He writes as much in Mishne Torah, Hilchot Teshuva 6:6-7, where he furnishes scriptural proofs.

Who would grant! Scripture does not say, “who would grant me ”, but rather, “who would grant them ” (the word them is displaced in the sentence, and appears after that they had such a will). Know that the Divine decree underlies all actions and all phenomena, in the sense that the nature and potentiality of everything in the universe, including living creatures, is determined by the action of the constellations on the four elements. A creature’s behavior at every moment is governed by its nature and its potential. However, as the author of the Sefer Yeṣira has explained, a certain amount of deviation can exist. Individuals derive their nature from the species, and they can change their nature within the boundaries of their species’s potential. This is the meaning of “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh” [Exodus 9: 12], although elsewhere Scripture asserts, “he hardened his heart; he and his officials” [Exodus 9: 34]. Both statements are true. Accordingly the prophets have said, “I know, God , that the way of a man is not in himself” [Jeremiah 10: 23] and “Why have you made us stray, God , from Your ways?” [Isaiah 63: 17]. Nevertheless, Moshe said, “choose life” [30: 19]. God does not prevent anyone from achieving good. Indeed, He wishes to bestow good; and Scripture says so anthropomorphically by using the expression, Who would grant.