Комментарий к Шмот 8:11

והכבד את לבו HE ALLOWED HIS HEART TO BE HARDENED — The word הַכְבֵּד expresses doing something (the Hebrew infinitive but having a past meaning) just as, (Genesis 12:9) “going (הלוך) and journeying (ונסוע)”. So, too, (2 Kings 3:24) “and smiting (והכת) Moab”; (I Samuel 22:13) “and enquiring (ושאול) of God for him”; (1 Kings 20:37); “smiting (הכה) and wounding (ופצוע)”.

HE MADE IT HARD [HACHBED]. Because this plague was great, his mind did not strengthen by itself, rather, he affirmatively acted wrongly to harden his mind.

כי היתה הרוחה, even though the evil had not been removed totally, seeing that the stench of the dead beasts remained and putrefied the atmosphere, and these beasts remained in the river as a possible threat in the future.

And where had He said this? When He said, “Pharaoh will not listen. . .” You might ask: Why did Rashi not make this comment before, regarding the plague of blood, where it is written, “Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. . . just as Adonoy had spoken” (7:22), or regarding Aharon’s staff swallowing the others (7:13)? The answer is: Before, since the plague had not yet passed [and Pharaoh was suffering] and nevertheless he was persisting in his wickedness, his heart was certainly hardened because of what Hashem had said, “Pharaoh will not listen to you.” But here it is written, “[When] Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as Adonoy had spoken.” Thus Rashi is explaining how we know that even when there is respite, Hashem said that he will still not listen — for which Rashi cites the verse (7:4), “Pharaoh will not listen to you,” after which is written, “But then I will display My hand. . .” The question arises: if it is speaking where the plague did not yet pass, why does it say: “But then I will display My hand”? Obviously, it must be speaking where Pharaoh will have respite, and nevertheless he will not listen — and “then I will display My hand.”

And when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them: It is likely that Moses and Aaron came to him after they removed the frogs to request from him that he send away the Israelites as he had promised them; but he did not listen to them. And they then said to him - according to what I think - that if he refused to send away the people, the dirt of the ground would be struck with the rod that was in their hands and it would become lice. And when he refused to send them away, Moses then commanded Aaron that he should strike the dirt of the ground and it become lice in all the Land of Egypt - as was their custom in the previous plagues. For they would only bring the plagues for the purpose of his sending away the Children of Israel from Egypt.

‎ כאשר דבר ה׳ AS THE LORD HAD SPOKEN — And where had He said this? When He said, (Exodus 7:4) “Pharaoh will not hearken to you”.

והכבד את לבו, He reinforced his natural courage not to be frightened of a re-emergence of the crocodiles that had remained alive. He was also willing to put up with the stench of the decaying beasts. All of this rather than to admit his impotence vis-à-vis the G’d of the Israelites.