<HTML>I would like to contribute to the discussion on the meaning of the terms
kaved vs. hazak. As far as I know the term 'kaved' is a reflection of the
Egyptian belief that when a person dies his heart is weighed. If it is too
heavy the dead one goes to hell (or to the Egyptian equivalent) - only if
it is light does one go to heaven. Anyway, by making Par'os heart heavy,
his after-death fate is sealed - in any case this is a symbolic way of
saying he is a rasha. I don't remember where I heard this explanation but
it is what I teach in class - this is not the only place where Egyptian
beliefs are mirrored in the chumash (cf: ve'raitem al ha'ovnayim).
kol tuv
shmuel afek</HTML>
