A little late for thoughts on this one, but my current habit is studying the parsha Saturday morning, so oh well.
So, three times, Parʿoh relents in the face of the plagues, and the plagues are lifted - only for him to break his word when the danger had passed:
| Ex. 8:11 | וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּ֤י הָֽיְתָה֙ הָֽרְוָחָ֔ה וְהַכְבֵּד֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} | But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them, as יהוה had spoken. |
| Ex. 8:28 | וַיַּכְבֵּ֤ד פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃ {פ} | But Pharaoh became stubborn this time also, and would not let the people go. |
| Ex. 9:34 | וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּֽי־חָדַ֨ל הַמָּטָ֧ר וְהַבָּרָ֛ד וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף לַחֲטֹ֑א וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ | But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he became stubborn and reverted to his guilty ways, as did his courtiers. |
Three times, the power of HaShem is demonstrated to him and three times and relents if only because of inconvenience.
More than anything, this reminded me of government responses to COVID-19. Infections going up? Shut everything down, wear masks, protect each other. Infection rates are dropping? Great, we'll rescind all precautions. Oh no, the plagues are back how could we have foreseen this!
Over and over again. For three years. But now we're just "living with it" (read "dying from it") while people in government insists on air filtration, testing, defense-in-depth mitigations for themselves. They will protect themselves while we are placed at risk to keep their economy growing.
The prophetic age is long past, but we still have each other. Uphold the welfare of your fellow, and the orphan, and the widow.
Organize your workplace. Organize your apartments. Organize your communities.