By Rabbi Moshe Vosoghi:
Before Moshe met with Pharaoh and threatened to bring the Makkot, Hashem informed Moshe that He will ‘harden Pharaoh’s heart’ to the terrible toll of the Makkot, not allowing Pharaoh to free the Jewish people. The idea that Hashem will “harden Pharaoh’s heart” is difficult to understand. If Pharaoh wanted to allow Bnei Yisrael to leave but was unable to free them, why is Pharaoh punished for being obstinate?
The Ramban (שמות ז,ג) explains that Hashem was not taking away Pharaoh’s ability to choose, rather, He was preserving it! The Makkot were overwhelming, a challenge that that no normal person would be able to withstand. In the face of the Makkot, there was no doubt that Pharaoh would concede, and allow the Jewish people to leave. However, it would not have been his choice – the fury of the Makkot would have forced his choice. Therefore, Hashem had to “harden his heart,” balancing out the effect of the Makkot, and returning Pharaoh’s ability to choose. This explanation is mystifying – why bother allowing Pharaoh free will at this point? Pharaoh was thoroughly evil, enslaving the Jewish nation and inflicting terrible horrors on the men, women, and children. Why not allow the Makkot to force Pharaoh to make his decision, thus giving Bnei Yisrael their freedom?
The answer lies in the purpose of our existence. We are on this planet solely to serve Hashem. In essence, that means that we need to make choices, big and small, that will further the goal of Avodat Hashem. Alone among all creations, mankind was given the ability to make moral choices, whether to do good or evil. If a person’s ability to choose between good or evil were taken away, they would effectively lose their humanity. Therefore, despite reasons to the contrary, it was important that Pharaoh retain his ability to choose to serve Hashem, as this is the entire reason for anyone to exist. Hashem assigns so much value to our ability to choose, because it’s the only way for us to come close to Him. We are given countless opportunities on a daily basis to use our free will, the greatest gift given to us. Let us choose wisely.