Re-Thinking the Erev Rav: On and The Economic Challenges of Freedom Shaul Magid

Passover Rabbinic Webinar April 3, 2019

1. Exodus 12:37-38 p. 1 2. Midrash Tanhuma, Parshat Ki Tisa, 21:2 p. 1 3. 2.45b p. 1 4. Zohar 1.28b p. 2 5. Hayyim Vital, Etz Ha-Dat Tov, 77 p. 2 6. Sifrei, Parshat Derakhim Derekh Mizrayim p. 3 7. Exodus 3:21 p. 3 8. Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar Divrei Yoel, 3.323. p. 4 Shaul Magid is a faculty member and Kogod senior research fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. He is the Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College where he teaches Jewish Studies and Religion, rabbi of the Fire Island Synagogue in Sea View, NY, contributing editor to Tablet Magazine and editor of Jewish Thought and Culture at Tikkun Magazine. He is also a member of the American Academy for Jewish Research. Shaul received his rabbinical ordination in Jerusalem and his PhD from Brandeis University. Shaul’s academic work focuses on Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, and modern Jewish thought with specific emphasis on American , Jewishness, and collective identity. He has published several books, including American Post-Judaism (Indiana University Press, 2013), which investigates questions of ethnicity in a post-ethnic society, From Metaphysics to Midrash: Myth, History, and the Interpretation of Scripture in Lurianic which won the 2008 American Academy of Religion Best Book Award and Hasidism Incarnate: Hasidism, Christianity, and the Construction of Modern Judaism (Stanford University Press, 2014), which explores the deep engagement of Hasidism and invites us to reconsider the differences between Judaism and Christianity in a world not burdened by the Christian persecution of Jews. His forthcoming books are: The Bible, the Talmud and the New Testament: Elijah Zvi Soloveitchik’s Commentary to the Gospels, and Piety and Rebellion: Studies in Hasidism both to be published in 2019.

The Shalom Hartman Institute is a pluralistic center of research and education deepening and elevating the quality of Jewish life in Israel and North America. Through our work we are redefining the conversation about Judaism in modernity, religious pluralism, Israeli democracy, Israel and world Jewry, and the relationship with other faith communities.

475 Riverside Dr., Suite 1450 New York, NY 10115 212-268-0300 [email protected] www.shalomhartman.org 1. Exodus 12:37-38 The journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. Moreover a mixed multitude (erev rav) went up with them, with very much livestock, both flocks and herds. ִּסְעּ֧ו וַיבְנֵֵֽי־יִּשְרָאֵ ֵ֛ למֵרַ עְמְסֵֵ֖ ססֻכ הֹּ֑תָ כְשֵ ש־מֵא֨ ֹות ֧אלףרַ גְלִּ ֵ֛יהַגְבָרִֵּ֖ ים לְבַ ַ֥ד מִּטֵָֽ ף׃ וְגַם־עֵַ֥ר ב רֵַ֖ב עָלָ ָ֣האִּתָ ֹּ֑ ם וְ צָ֣ אןּובָקָָ֔ר נמִּקְ ֵ֖ה כָבֵ ַ֥ד אמְ ֵֽ ד׃

2. Midrash Tanhuma, Parshat Ki Tisa, 21:2 Hurry down, for your people have transgressed. (Exodus 32:7) It doesn’t say “people” but “your people.” God said to , “Your people (i.e., the erev rav not Israel, who are described as My people) made the calf. I already told you When Pharaoh does not heed you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and deliver My ranks, My people the Israelites, from the land of Egypt with extraordinary chastisements. (Exodus 7:4). You were the one who caused me to accept the erev rav by saying “it will be good to receive penitents.” I responded “but see what they will do in the future, they will make the calf, they will be idolaters, and cause the nation to sin with them…(Midrash Tanhuma, 21) לְךרֵד כִּי שִּחֵ ת עַמְ ָך. הָ עָם ל א נאֱמַ ר א לָאעַמְ ָך. אָמַ ר לֹו הַקָ דֹוש בָרּוְך הּוא לְמ שה: עַמְ ָך עָשּו א ת הָ עֵג ל. ש אֲנִּי אָמַרְתִּי לְָך, וְהֹוצֵ אתִּי את צִּבְ א תַי א תעַמִּ יבְ נֵי יִּשְרָאֵ ל)שמות ז, ד(. וְאַתָ ההָ יִּיתָ גֹורֵ ם וְקִּבַלְתָ הָ עֵר ברַ בוְאָמַרְ תָ מּוטָ בלְקַ בֵל א ת הַשָבִּ ים.וַאֲנִּי הָ יִּיתִּ ירֹוא ה מָ ה הֵ ם עֲתִּ ידִּ ים לַעֲשֹות, .וְהֵם ש עָשּו את הָ עֵגל,שהָ יּו עֹובְדֵ י העֲבֹודָ זָרָ הוְ גָרְ מּו ילְעַמִּ לַחֲט א עִּמָהם

3. Zohar 2.45b If the erev rav had not bound themselves to Israel they would not have done that deed [the golden calf] and all those Israelites who died [as a result] would not have perished, and all that happened to Israel would not have happened…that deed was the cause of everything; it caused death, it caused the subjection to other nations, it caused the destruction of the first tablets, its caused the death of many thousands of Israelites. All of this was due to the existence of the erev rav (Zohar 2.45b)

תָאחֲזֵי,אִּי לָא הֲוֹו אִּ יּנּון עֵר ב רַ ב דְאִּתְ חַבְ רּובְ הֹון יִּשְרָאֵ ל, לָאאִּתְ עָבִּ ידהַ הּוא עֹובָדָ א, וְלָאמִּ יתּו .…מִּ ִּשְרָאֵ יל, כָל אִּ יּנּון דְמִּ יתּו, וְלָא גָרִּ ים לֹון ללְיִּשְרָאֵ כָל מַה דְ גָרִּ ים כֵיוָןדְאִּתְעָבִּ יד הַ הּוא עֹובָדָ א, גָרִּ ימּו כ לָא. גָרִּ ימּו מֹותָ א, גָרִּ ימּו שִּ עְ בּודמַ לְכְ וָון, גָרִּ ימּו דְאִּ תְ בָרּו אִּ יּנּון לּוחֵ י קַדְמָאֵ י,גָרִּ ימּו דְמִּ יתּו מִּ ִּישְרָאֵ ל, הכַמָ אַ לְפִּ ין מִּ ּנַיְיהּו.וְכָל דָ א,בְגִּ ין אִּתְ חַבְ רּותָא דְאִּ יּנּון .עֵר ברַ ב,דְאִּתְ חַבְ רּו בְ הּו

1 4. Zohar 1.28b The son of David (i.e., the Messiah) will not come until all the souls will be born [in bodies].”1 At that time renewal (hithadshut) will come to the world. Then the erev rav will be erased (mitavrin) from the world. Then it will be said to Israel and Moses that all will have their proper soul-mates and both Adam and Eve will be naked (‘arumim), they will not be ashamed since licentiousness (‘ervah) will be erased from the world. Ervah (ERVA) is the erev rav (ERV-RV) who brought exile into the world, the erev rav in particular (vaday)! It is said about the erev rav, and the serpent was the shrewdest (‘arum) of all the wild beasts God had made (Genesis 3:1). He was shrewd for evil purposes more than all the wild beasts, who are the idolatrous nations of the world. The erev rav are the children of the serpent in the garden, they are surely the poison that the serpent placed inside Eve.2 Cain, who came from this poison, killed his brother Abel (b’sh’gam hu basar).3 This refers to Abel. And this also refers to Moses, and they (the erev rav) also killed Moses. This was Cain, who was the first born of Adam. (Zohar 1.28b)

.אֵ ין ב ן דָוִּ ד בָא עַד ש ִּיכְלּו כָל נְשָ מֹות ש בַגּוף זוְאָ הַ חֲדָ שֹות יָבֹואּו בְהַהּוא זִּמְ נָא מִּתְ עַבְרִּ ין עֵרב ברַ מֵ עָלְמָ א, וְאִּתְ רמָ בְ יִּשְרָאֵ לּובְ משה כָל חַ ד בְ בַתזּוגַיְיהּו ִּוַיהְ יּו שְ נֵיה םעֲרּומִּ ים הָאָדָ םוְאִּשְ תֹו וְ ל א יִּתְ בֹושָ שּו. דְאִּתְ עֲבַר ערְ וָה מֵ עָלְמָא דְאִּ לֵיןאִּ ּנּון דְ גָרְ מּו גָלּותָ א, . עֵרב רַ ב וַדַ אי וְעֲלַיְיהּו אִּתְ מָ ר. וְהַ ּנָחָ ש הָ יּועָרּום מִּ כָל חַ יַת הַשָד הוְ גו' עָרּום לְרַע מִּ כָלחֵ יוָן דְ אּומִּ ין דְ עָלְמָ א עֹובְדֵ י כֹוכָבִּ ים ּומַזָלֹות.וְאִּ ּנּון בְ נֹוידְ נָחָ ש הַקַדְ מֹונִּידְ פַתֵ י לְחַ ּוָה. וְעֵר ברַ בוַדַ אי אִּ ּנּון הֲוּו אזּוהֲמָ דְאַטִּ יל נָחָשבְחַ ּוָה. ּומֵהַהִּ יאזּוהֲמָ א נָפַק קַ יִּן לוְקָטַ לְה ב לרֹועֵה צ אן דְאִּתְ מָ רבֵיּה בְשַ גָם הּוא בָשָר בְשַ גָ ם .זהב ל. בְשַ גָ''םוַדַ אי אִּ יהּו מש ''ה וְקָטִּ יל לֵיּהוְאִּ יהּו הֲוָה אבְרָ בּוכְרָא דְאָדָ ם

5. Hayyim Vital, Etz Ha-Dat Tov, 77 And all the people saw the voices (Exodus 20:15)…Know that God took Israel out of Egypt. This is not the case with the erev rav, who were taken out by Moses, as it says, who you took out of the Land of Egypt (Exodus 32:7). It does not say “I [God] took them [the erev rav] out.” Therefore the erev rav are called “Moses’ people” (‘am shel Moshe)…They are no worse than the other nations, in fact, they are better since they came [out] in order to convert, as we will explain. On the third day God descended and all the people saw (Exodus 19:11), the word “all” includes the erev rav as they also saw God’s decent with their eyes…This is not the case with the rest of the world who only heard voices but did not know where they were coming from until the time of Balaam son of Beor. (Hayyim Vital, Etz Ha-Da’at Tov, 77 b).

1 b.T Sanhedrin 97a. 2 b.T. Shabbat 146a. 3 See b.T Hulin fol. 139a and Tikkunei Zohar, tikun 69.

2 6. Sifrei, Parshat Derakhim Derekh Mizrayim Moreover a mixed multitude (erev rav) went up with them…here the [earlier verse regarding Abraham] is fulfilled And they went out with great wealth. (Genesis 15:14)

7. Exodus 3:21 וְנָתַתִֵּ֛יא ת־חֵ ַ֥ ןהֵָֽעָם־הַז ֵ֖ה בְ עֵינֵ ָ֣י מִּצְרָ ֹּ֑יִּםוְהָ יָה֙כִּ ָ֣ יתֵֵֽ לֵכָ֔ ּון ַ֥לא תֵ לְכֵ֖ ּו רֵיקֵָֽ ם׃ And I will dispose the Egyptians favorably toward this people, so that when you go, you will not go away empty-handed. (Exodus 3:21)

3 8. Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar Divrei Yoel, 3.323.

דברי בא יואל שכג

1 1 ::>,ti 'D ,,. .;::,l 0'i5nn ,,f>5 ti ,n-,r;,:; ,11m, iiJn, 'l#J31 �11,::, br,,,:,n::, '1l7 :ii,,::, i6:;t,, iit�i o::mi, ,r,p,ti 90 ,::mn,c, :;i,5 o,p,, 'll7nl 'lno :,n ,.,, ,'m ,,fie,, ::>en i:17' . ,ci, o::,,- :itim ,,::, f,,- ,,,,n, ,o,si:i,. :ii ti,:,., o,-,5n-,, ::,en -int,c "'Sn f:l>i b1tiip:, m,,, ,>f>'lC') ::,tn \i:ll')t'l::>ti li li1'::, f})i., ,,,,-, ,-m 1i1· 0)) iti11'::> "l:m itiP ,...,,l, inf:ln:> p75,,,r,,.,,r ::,,Sn ,t,.,i:;,, ,::, ,,,Pl Di:> mtiD, 1m,b ,,,,, o::,, ,,::,, o::m:D ,,rt,:;.., b, ili ")n,if, f:li::, ,-,::,· Ciin:; ,Si,m ,::,tin 11 ::ml ::m,,::, ,::,r1 ,11,, ,itii:i f,,- , ,i.,i,f)l ci,i::> '"ti ')ll 'lnlfl ''l qD ")1l'i::> '")l 1.l'ti::>t "01'::> ,f>5, ,11r,fi, ::,,,i, ,,,:ifi o::mM ::,,,,p::, r,,p:i::,c .p::,, ,t>-ic, ,,, ,ci:i 1,, ,0,-,37 'l.l> tii,i::> ml1Cr, ,::,n ::,-,,t,,,.1 ,,m c,,-,:; . \;,l··J__,1,.1,.'--: * 1 il:I) >-'l iY''C::>l l')P1l ' ::'lC ,::,11.i, ,,-,:;f, o::,'):;f:, ::,�1i1n:; f>,cc ,n,. ,'i'l' ,nc c,1,p bi, ,ci.,,. 'lom · ,�;";,�po,";�/;:: �)p >i .>iD b>l •j�� ,r11::,,i:i ;ti ,n,i;� c,,i:i ,.,,i,,- ::,r,nt pt., �m·, .::i11Sl ,>m c,:,i:i ,os, p til.,i ;.i, ::,,,,,::,1 p,1::-ii.,o:i ici,i, i:i-, rmt,:;, 11 - 11 ,mp r ::>1P:s ,mm 1m b o,t,::, ::,,::>, �"?Ji !:>11.D O.l p�, b11,::ib, ,o,-,SnD bf:lic, i·Mi::,c_p ::>� t,,::, 'l")1S::, iS::> w ::,nr,,n.::, ::>7ti bi:i 7,i,r, ::,�1i7n:i ,,::,, bfiiti'ti ,,::, i'l111,::i::-i t,r,p:;_,-;::,7 ,lPiC!:> ll'O, ,r;, i'l1"'0> '�10 'll ,'l11::,S,:;i 61,::, lPti::> itiiD::> )l10)l 0.l ,,n.i,;, i.>,,,c ,Oi'lf>1·S1 i'l.DC) ,ar, 1,10,, iom ,-,i.,o:; if:li:m, ,'ltiii:i::, p,10,, ,,,i:i::> ::,r:; 'i'lCi,i.,, 1,10,:; 01iSn:i ,,ni:it 1ir,f> ,,,,i,::, 11 , r:,r, iinf>t 9f>1 , ,,,i:i::> p,om 'li'l1-' ,m -,i;,i:i::, i.,11::,.i, (D''ti 'P 97) m,i:i i'l,on:; b11r:m inf:m oit>::, i'lD i':;i,n• t,,,,i:i (3"1' r,,,,, 91 p::i,-,,i,) p,75 1i'llf> inf:>, f>bti 1m oi:i::, ,,rt>:i f>> i37 ")t'll' oit,::, >ibi, r11 ,mp i'lD7 bi,, ii'lti7 bi, ti,.,-,::i ,f>s, l' ,-,r,t,, ,o::,:; o,,p or>,t> ,,i:i,, omi:i, ,i:i ,>,Sn, ,pi,:;,, lliti' JDC'l ti""'' ::,:i,i, :irm p-,i,:;; �,::, ,11,::,,, ,o,.i,,,,. o,pi1p1::,,, o::>:i O"i' 6> ,,1.l t,i,:ic, ii., i'lnf:>:i 'lm,:; 11D ::i,r,,::, -,,:,r::,t omt> ,,,i:il o,13i:i, p,75 ,mt> inf:>, t,bc inf>p ,,tm r ::,r::, i,10,::, >1J,., 'lm,:i, ,rm:,t, 7:i::i, Oii ,,,.,, omo o,,,,,pn mi::i.i,::i, M,5::, ,,,,::>1 ,0::>3 c,,p c,,;.,::,::, c,c,o m,::;r, p:;. t>sn,c, oit,::, . >i:i ;i, ommt,:; 01pmi'lD 1,,i:i, /::, ,ir,f>n -i,o> Mt ,ru::>ii,::, mfm o,�m,r, -,r,t> 911ib ,o:;, m'l1'lt::i ,o::>:i o,,p fi> ,m c,,i:; ,M, 1-' ,ir,f:>, ,011 Dmil ,o::>1ci:in:, mci:i> r,,,.,, ,,_ c, f:ll::> 961 ,,,f> r11::>iD :i,i,, ,.,, >m ti:>i ,,�,.c;, on ,,,.,::>1 ,,t>v m:;,r;r, ,::,r ,c,,r,, f>il?::> pSi >1:ic::i p'l 061::s-::,> i'lii'titi::> o::>, p1rm omt, O"t'" ,,.,.l ,,,> .::'l>D> 1 ,116 -'"Dl ,omn,,t l�iOr, ,-i, ::,,,i,fif> iDP5 , ,t,pr, 11 1 '1.li M,c,� inn ::,r;p3:; ::-i i:i ,,,3") ::,en> ::,,,;:ip::, ,11,tiD cr,,c,l ,,,) 0 :i,t,,::,, iitip i.,11,, m�, ,i:n ::,r:; p�m ,::,,,i,t>f> be ,mi 1''.l'l::i> ,,., .l11'im ,m� p.> 01' lCD.> :ipi,, !'))CC ,;,r'l o,,pm 1t>, ,oi'lt> ::,bi,. ::ii ::;-,i, OJ1 >">::> tiiin::> ,; ,::,,, ,C'Di::> ,,ci,m, minb t>>, ,mnc msn 0,:;3,on ,,::,c ,,i.,n ,., ,,m c,,i::i ,fis, l' ,jr,t,, :ipi,, )'i,i'l::iti '"!:)Dl ,3115 7cn::,:,, ,,�, imr,, 'l1C r,,,i,, ,>·m 1,10,> itii:i::, o::,; ::icm 3i :;-,i,3 ob,n ,'le,�::, Jl'O)l 9b 7nPc ,i,,1,::,, ::,,,p l>1:if> ,>m ti'-'il ,r,s, ,11r,b ::,r,p:i::>::, o::,:; o,,pm oc >c 1ci1» r,,:i, iJiom 'l1JO ,,:,i:; inr ,, o,,mi,, o,n,,p ,,::,,r; c,,.,::, t,r,p::i::, ,,::, ::-ir ,-i, ,:, "::, D) ,_, lp753 '7nPC :,11:,. f,m::;i ,,::, fi> ,'l::lPi 1 .p::,, 'lCi.i,::, 1i110>l ,:i,.on p, t,,:;:; '�::>c inr, :,11t,cn ,:,11:, ,m p 0,::, * 'lti6 mi,C1'::'\ l) p,r::, n, ,11,i.,i,r,1 ,1'Ci ,r;,f>:; mSn .l"'im ,mJ p, OD r,bcc ::,r, ,oc i:;,,-,::, ,:,,, ::i,ti mt>n i,:;it>, ::i,c o,c,c n,,,. �n�, �mnb 6> .:,,,,,i,f>, ,i,n·r>i 'llC ,; ,::,,, ,,mn·� ,S,'Dbn ,, i'llblS �:) ,os, ::,r::, o,,:, OSi,:; .o,Pi::> ,,cpni,

4