GEN847 Pharaoh and his followers disobeyed by choice, with force or compulsion.  They oppressed the foreigners who were in their midst and treated them with sheer injustice.  As it is clear said: And he said to his people; Behold, the people of Israel…Come, let us deal shrewdly with them Exodus 1:9-10. This action was due to their choice and to the evil character of their thought; there was nothing compelling them to do it.  God punished them for it by preventing them from repenting so that the punishment which His justice required would befall them.  What prevented them from repentance was that they would not set [Israel] free. God explained this to [Pharaoh] and informed him that if He had only wanted to take [Israel] out [of Egypt], he would have exterminated [Pharaoh] and his followers, and they would have gone out.  But in addition to taking them out, He wanted to punish [Pharaoh] for oppressing them previously. As He had said at the very outset: [this verse].  It was not possible to punish them if they repented, so they were prevented from repenting and they continued holding [Israel]. This is what He says: Surely now I have put forth my hand…but because of this I have left you standing, etc. Exodus 9:15-16.  No disgrace need be attached to us because of our saying that God may punish an individual for not repenting, even though He leaves him no choice about repentance. For He, may He be exalted, knows the sins, and His wisdom and justice impose the extent of the punishment. He may punish in this world alone, He may punish in the other [world] alone, or He may punish in both realms. … He may prevent the choice of repentance so that a man does not at all incline toward it and is destroyed for his sin.  EWM 90-1

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GEN1001 [T]he prophets applied all these terms to God: slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, just and righteous, perfect, powerful, strong, and the like.   They did so to proclaim that these ways are good and right, and a man is obliged to train himself to follow them and to imitate according to his strength.   How so?  A man shall habituate himself in these character traits until they are firmly established in him.  Time after time, he shall perform actions in accordance with the character traits that are in the mean.  He shall repeat them continually until performing them is easy for him and they are not burdensome and these character traits are firmly established in his soul.   Since these terms applied to the Creator refer to the middle way that we are obliged to follow, this way is called the way of the Lord.  This is what Abraham taught to his sons.  As it is said: [this verse]. Whoever walks in this way brings good and blessing upon himself.   As it is said [this verse].   EWM 30

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GEN1105 When a man sins against another man, he [the latter] shall not hate him and remain silent.   As it is said about the wicked: “And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor evil, although Absalom hated Amnon.”   Samuel 2 13:22. [After Amnon had forced their sister, Tamar, to lie with him, Absalom hated Amnon and did not rebuke him.]  Rather, he is commanded to speak to him, and to say to him: “Why did you do such-and-such to me?  Why did you sin against me in such-and-such a matter?”   AS it is said: “You shall surely rebuke your neighbor.” Leviticus 19:17. If he repents and requests forgiveness from him, he needs to forgive and shall not be cruel.  As it is said [this verse]. [After Abimelech showed regret from having taken Sarah, whom he had supposed to be Abraham’s sister, Abraham asked God not to punish Abimelech.]   EWM 48

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GEN1366 To possess the moral virtues in their entirety, to the extent of not being impaired by any vice at all, is not one of the conditions of prophecy. … Samuel was afraid of Saul, and Jacob was fearful of meeting Esau.   EWM 81-2

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GEN1569 [S]ome  moral virtues, such as [irascibility], [laziness], [sadness], [anxiety and grief] prevent prophecy entirely.  …   for the holy spirit was removed from our father Jacob during all the days of his sadness over Joseph until the news came that he was alive. It [Scripture] said: [this verse.]   EWM 82

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