Ramban on Vaera: The Hardening of Pharoah's Heart

In Parashat Vaera, God informs Moshe that it is not going to be an easy process before Pharaoh lets Bnei Yisrael out. But then God adds “And I will harden his heart.” Why? Is God taking away Pharaoh’s free will? One opinion is that God is closing the doors to teshuva as a punishment for the evil Pharaoh did to Bnei Yisrael. Ramban explains that God is hardening Pharaoh’s heart to allow him to withstand the plagues – which serve as important political and theological signs from God. God is not taking away his free will. On the contrary, acting properly out of fear or pain is not enough. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart to allow Pharaoh to make his own choices – perhaps paving the way for him to truly repent if he so desires.