The Erev Rav Also Went Up With Them

The Secret of the Erev Rav (Part 1)

R’ Yirmeyah ben Elazar taught (Eruvin 18b): כָּל אוֹתָן הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁהָיָה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּנִידּוּי הוֹלִיד רוּחִין וְשֵׁידִין וְלִילִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְחִי אָדָם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ״ מִכְּלָל דְּעַד הָאִידָּנָא לָאו כְּצַלְמוֹ אוֹלֵיד (All the years that Adam ha-Rishon was in [self-imposed] isolation [from Chavah], he fathered ruchin and shedin and lilin, as it says [Bereshit 5:3]: ‘And Adam lived 130 years and fathered [a son] in his likeness according to his image’, implying that until now he hadn’t fathered [descendants] according to his image). The Gemara objects to this teaching because R’ Meir taught that Adam ha-Rishon was such a tremendous chasid that he fasted and wore belts made of fig leaves throughout the 130 years of his separation from Chavah. If so, how could he have fathered so many different types of destructive spiritual beings [mazikim], i.e. demons, during that period of time? The answer is that R’ Yirmeyah ben Elazar was talking about fathering mazikim as the result of שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע דַּחֲזָא לְאוּנְסֵיהּ (accidental [or unavoidable] emission of seed). Nothing further is said in the Gemara about these mazikim that Adam fathered.

When B’nei Yisrael left Egypt, they were accompanied by a large group of people who were not physical descendants of Yisrael Avinu (Shemot 12:38): וְגַם־עֵרֶב רַב עָלָה אִתָּם וְצֹאן וּבָקָר מִקְנֶה כָּבֵד מְאֹד (And an Erev Rav [mixed multitude] also went up with them, and flocks and herds and a tremendous amount of livestock). Who were these people known as the Erev Rav? Rashi says that they were תַּעֲרֹבֶת אֻמּוֹת שֶׁל גֵּרִים (a mixture of nations of converts [gerim]). Ibn Ezra says that they were מאנשי מצרים שהתערב עמהם (Egyptians who had intermingled with them [i.e. with B’nei Yisrael]). There are allusions to this mysterious group of people here and there, but very little is provided in the Written Torah to fully explain who they are, where they came from, and why they were attached to B’nei Yisrael at the Exodus. However, all of these questions (and many more) are answered in our Kabbalistic sources, primarily in the Zohar ha-Kadosh and in the writings of the Arizal.

To keep things simple, the souls that were contained within Adam’s wasted seed became the root souls for two groups of people, B’nei Yisrael and the Erev Rav. Because these souls were fathered by Adam outside the framework of his marital relationship with Chavah, these souls would need to go through many rounds of gilgulim [‘reincarnations’, for lack of a better word in English] in order to become purified from their tumah. There were four main eras in ancient history when these souls experienced gilgul on a massive scale: the generation who experienced the flood [Dor ha’Mabul], the generation who built the Tower of Bavel and were subsequently scattered throughout the world [Dor ha’Flagah], the inhabitants of Sodom and Amora, and the people in ancient Egypt at the time of the Exodus. During each of these cycles of gilgulim, those souls that had become more and more purified ended up becoming B’nei Yisrael while the souls that remained steeped in their tumah became the Erev Rav.

There is much written about this subject in our sources, but the main point is that, in a certain way, B’nei Yisrael and the Erev Rav are ‘blood brothers’, the roots of their souls having come into existence at the same time and from the same event. It’s just that now, one group, i.e. B’nei Yisrael, is further along their road of tikkun than the other, i.e. the Erev Rav. Nevertheless, once we understand even this basic outline, it goes a long way in explaining why Moshe Rabbeinu felt compelled to bring the Erev Rav along with B’nei Yisrael even though Hashem strongly advised him not to do so.

We now come to Parashat Ki Tisa. When Moshe was up in the mountain receiving the Torah from Hashem, the ‘people’ miscalculated regarding the time of his promised return. In their panic, they built the golden calf (Shemot 32:4): וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (And they said, ‘This is your god, Yisrael, which brought you up from the Land of Egypt). We italicized a few words in the verse to emphasize what is hidden in plain sight— there are two groups of people mentioned here. As Rashi explains: וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִכָּאן שֶׁעֵרֶב רַב שֶׁעָלוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם הֵם שֶׁנִּקְהֲלוּ עַל אַהֲרֹן וְהֵם שֶׁעֲשָׂאוּהוּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִטְעוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרָיו (It does not say, ‘This is our god’; from here we learn that the Erev Rav that went up from Egypt gathered together against Aharon and made it, and afterward, they led Yisrael astray after it).

Sadly, what took place at that time became the theme for many variations that repeated itself over and over again throughout Jewish history because there has never been a time when the Erev Rav became completely separated from B’nei Yisrael. They were attached to us from the very beginning of our ascent from Egypt and they are still with us today. In fact, numerous sources teach unequivocally that toward the end of the fourth exile, i.e. that of Edom, our galut would be intensified and compounded by the Erev Rav who would ascend to power and influence and rule over B’nei Yisrael with tremendous cruelty. Therefore, just before the final redemption, the Jewish People will end up experiencing a galut within a galut: the galut of the Erev Rav simultaneously with the galut of Edom.

Therefore, we need to know how to recognize the souls of the Erev Rav so that we don’t get caught up in their attempts to lead us astray, G-d forbid. What follows is a summary of the Zohar ha-Kadosh (Bereshit 25a-b) as expounded by the Matok mi’D’vash. For the sake of brevity, we will not ‘spell everything out’; nevertheless, those with understanding will gain in understanding.

There are five basic types of souls associated with the Erev Rav, each with its own unique set of characteristics. They are: נְ‘פִילִים [Nefilim], גִּ‘בּוֹרִים [Gibborim], עֲ‘נָקִים [Anakin], רְ‘פָאִים [Refa’im] and עֲ‘מָלֵקִים [Amalekim]. The rashei teivot of these five types of souls is נג”ע ר”ע [nega ra, ‘bad plague’], for that is exactly what they are, a plague-sore on the body of Yisrael. Collectively, they were responsible for the descent of the Shechinah into galut.

The Nefilim are described in Bereshit 6:2: וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹקִים אֶת־בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ (And B’nei Elokim saw the daughters of Adam, for they were good [i.e. beautiful], and they took for themselves women from all whom they chose). It is also written in Bereshit 6:4: הַנְּפִלִים הָיוּ בָאָרֶץ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וְגַם אַחֲרֵי־כֵן אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים אֶל־בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם וְיָלְדוּ לָהֶם הֵמָּה הַגִּבֹּרִים אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם אַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם (And there were Nefilim [Fallen Ones] in the world in those days, and also after that, when B’nei Elokim came to the daughters of Adam, and they bore children for them, the Gibborim of old, famous people). Who were these B’nei Elokim? The Zohar ha-Kadosh says that they were two malachim, Aza and Aza’el, who protested against the creation of Adam. They were upset and jealous over the fact that Hashem’s plan for Adam was that he would be placed in authority over the malachim, and that he would appoint whomever he wished for various appointments and positions, as it says in Tehillim 8:5: מָה־אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי־תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ (What is man that you remember him?). Their claim was that Adam would sin and, therefore, be unworthy of ruling over them. However, Hashem defended Adam (and His own plan), and said to these two malachim that if they were to descend to the lower world where Adam would go, they would sin even worse than he would. Hashem threw them down to this world, and immediately they lusted after women and sunk deep in promiscuity. Even today, the souls of this group of Erev Rav are steeped in sexual promiscuity and perversion. Their souls are rooted in these two malachim which is why they are also known as Nefilim.

The Gibborim, as mentioned above (in Bereshit 6:4), are interested in fame, honor and prestige. This was the main thrust of the rise to power of Nimrod (Bereshit 10:8): וְכוּשׁ יָלַד אֶת־נִמְרֹד הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ (And Kush fathered Nimrod, he was the one who began to be a gibbor in the earth). These are the people of the generation of the dispersion (Dor ha’Flagah) who built the Tower of Bavel in order to wage war against Hashem (Bereshit 11:4): וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה  נִבְנֶה־לָּנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם וְנַעֲשֶׂה־לָּנוּ שֵׁם (And they said, Come, let us build a city and a tower, whose top will reach in the Heavens, and let’s make a name for ourselves). Making a name for oneself instead of glorifying the name of Hashem is the essence of avodah zarah. Today, we find the souls of the Gibborim, who are rooted in these people, interested in building synagogues and placing a Sefer Torah inside together with its crown. But the crown is really not there for Hashem; it’s there for them. They’re more interested in the name on the building or the plaque than they are in giving kavod to Hashem. They want other people to give them kavod rather than giving kavod to Hashem. They are ‘mighty people’ because, in a sense, they wield a ‘sword’ to manipulate others, to hold sway over them and bend them to their will to serve their desires. Fundamentally, they’re rebels against Hashem, even as Nimrod was a rebel. They are known as Gibborim because they increase and strengthen [התגברות, hitgabrut] tumah in the midst of B’nei Yisrael.

The Anakin are so-called because of what is written in Mishlei 1:9: כִּי  לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶךָ (For [the words of Torah] are a graceful wreath for your head and a chain [anakim] for your neck [i.e. a necklace]). Whereas the words of Torah are likened to a beautiful necklace, i.e. Anakim, around the neck of those who learn Torah, this group of people from the Erev Rav take the necklace for themselves and make a Torah out of themselves. They are flippant and arrogant toward the tzaddkim and are not ashamed to mock, disgrace or humiliate our Torah sages.

The Refa’im are like the walking dead, soulless individuals more interested in ingratiating themselves to the goyim than in doing good or helping out a Jew. When they see the Jews suffering, they do nothing to help, rather they forsake them in their time of need. They sit in their ivory towers and pontificate, but when the time of reckoning comes, they refuse to side with B’nei Yisrael. They have the power to help, but do not know the meaning of mesirut nefesh. They forsake the Torah and won’t lift a finger to those wishing to learn, rather harassing them at every opportunity and making their lives miserable and difficult. In the words of the prophet (Yeshayah 26:14): מֵתִים בַּל־יִחְיוּ רְפָאִים בַּל־יָקֻמוּ לָכֵן פָּקַדְתָּ וַתַּשְׁמִידֵם וַתְּאַבֵּד כׇּל־זֵכֶר לָמוֹ (They are dead, they shall not live, soulless individuals will not rise [in the resurrection]; therefore, You have visited them and will destroy them, and make the memory of them perish).

The Amalekim are named after the nation of Amalek who were the first people to attack Yisrael and wage war against them after the Exodus (Shemot 17:8): וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם (And Amalek came and fought against Yisrael in Refidim). Their intent was, and still is, total annihilation, body and soul, G-d forbid. Their souls are rooted in Balak [בָּלָק] and Bilam [בִּלְעָם], for the name ‘Amalek’ is hinted at in the last two letters of each of their names: the ע”ם from בִּלְעָם and the ל”ק from בָּלָק. Those four letters spell the name of the nation Amalek [עֲמָלֵק]. Not only that, but the remaining letters, the initial ‘ב from בָּלָק and the ב”ל from בִּלְעָם spell out the name of the nation-state בָּבֶל [Bavel], the first nation to openly rebel against Hashem (as we saw above). How are their souls recognized today? They are our leaders and rulers who obstruct the Jewish People and oppress them even as Pharaoh oppressed B’nei Yisrael with hard labor when they were in Egypt. They rob them of their wealth and property, make the lives of the Jewish People bitter and difficult, and do not lead the people with mercy or compassion. They are only interested in authority, rule and dominion.

Even though there are five types of souls associated with the Erev Rav, is there a fundamental characteristic common to them all? According to the Zohar ha-Kadosh, collectively they all desire to return the world to the state of תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ [tohu va’vohu] that it was in before the seven days of creation unfolded (Bereshit 1:2): וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם (And the earth was without form [tohu] and empty [bohu] and darkness was on the face of the deep). Fundamentally, they want everything destroyed, because everything is a manifestation of Hashem’s goodness. In the end, they will not be successful, for it is written in the very next pasuk (1:3): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר (And G-d said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light). That is the light of redemption, the Ohr ha-Ganuz, the Hidden Light of the 50^th Gate of Binah, the Torah of Mashiach, which will soon be revealed in its fullness through the world.

But why did Moshe Rabbeinu insist on bringing the Erev Rav out of Egypt together with B’nei Yisrael if they would cause so much trouble? And if we’re supposed to focus on our blemishes and flaws in order to bring tikkun to our souls, what good does it do for us to focus on the tumah of the souls from the Erev Rav? And, when it’s all said and done, will these souls of the Erev Rav be rectified or not? We hope to continue this topic in our next issue.