blew something up inside my steering box?!

You shouldn't be able to turn a good steering gear with your bare hand. The master splines wont let it go together wrong. Alignment shop can recenter the steering wheel.
A new box will have a little more resistance than a worn one.
It's not nessesary to bleed the system. It is nessesary to fill it, turn from lock to lock then turn it off and let it sit. Foam in the fuild will exit the resivoir. Recheck fill level.
That foam will make it hard to steer.