In this lesson from Dennis Teaches the Torah, Dennis Prager examines Exodus chapters 10 and 11, as God brings the final plagues upon Egypt and Pharaoh continues to refuse to free the Israelites. Through the plagues of locusts and darkness, and the warning of the coming death of the firstborn, Dennis explores the growing confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh and the events leading up to the Exodus.

Dennis also addresses some of the deeper questions raised by these chapters. Why didn’t witnessing extraordinary miracles convince Pharaoh to believe in God? What does it mean that God strengthened Pharaoh’s heart rather than simply hardening it? And why does God allow human beings the freedom to choose whether or not to believe? He contrasts the God of the Torah, who stands apart from nature, with the gods of pagan religions, which were often identified with natural forces.

The lesson further explores the meaning of the Jewish people’s chosenness, the relationship between faith and evidence, and the importance of moral truth. Through the story of Pharaoh’s resistance, Dennis considers the limits of miracles as proof, the nature of free will, and the enduring lessons of the Exodus.