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Re-Thinking the Erev Rav: on the Exodus and the Economic Challenges of Freedom Shaul Magid

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Re-Thinking the Erev Rav: on the Exodus and the Economic Challenges of Freedom Shaul Magid Re-Thinking the Erev Rav: On The Exodus 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. Zohar 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 Judaism, 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 Kabbalah 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 Israelites 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. ִּוַיְס֧עּוְב ֵֵֽני־ִּיְשָר ֵֵ֛אלֵ מַרְעְמ ֵֵ֖ססֻ ס ֹּ֑ כָתהְ כֵששֵ־מ֨אֹות ֧א לַףרְג ִֵּ֛ליַ הְגָבִֵּ֖ריםְ ל ַַ֥בד ִּמ ֵָֽטף׃ ְוַגם־ֵַ֥ער ֵַ֖ב רבָ ע ָָ֣לִּה א ָֹּ֑תם ְוָ֣צ אן ָּוב ָָ֔קִּר מְק ֵ֖נָה כֵַ֥בד ְמ ֵֽ אד׃ 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 Moses, “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) לְֵךרד ִּכִּישֵחַת עְמָך.ָהָעם ל א נֱאַמר אָלא ַעְמָך. ָאַמר לֹוַ הָקָדֹוש ברּוְך הּואְ למ שַה: עְמָָךעשּו א ת הָ עֵג ל. ש אֲנִּי ָאַמְרִּתיְ לָך, ְוֵהֹוצאִּת י אִּת צְב אַת י אתַ עִּמי ְבֵני ִּיְשָרֵאל )שמות ז, ד(. ְוַאָתה ָהִּיָית גֵֹורם ְוִּקַבְלָתָ הֵע רַב רב ְוָאַמְרָת מָּוטבְ לַקֵבל אתַ הָשִּבים. ַוֲאִּני ָהִּיִּיתי רֹו אָה מהֵ הֲם עִּתיִּדים ַלֲעשֹות, .ְוֵה םשָעש ּו אתָהֵע ג ל, שָהיּו עְֹובֵדֲי עבֹוָדָה זָרה ְוָגְרמּו ְלַעִּמיַ לֲחט ִּא עָמ הם 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) ָתאֲחֵזִּי, אָי לאֲ הוֹו ִּאיֵּנּון ע רַב רבְ דִּאְתַחְברּוְ בהֹון ִּיְשָרֵאל,ָ לִּא אְתָעִּביד ַההּוא עֹוָבָדא, ְוָלא ִּמיתּו .… ִִּּמי ְשָרֵאל,ָ כל ִּאיּנּוןְ דִּמיתּו, ְוָלא ָגִּרים לֹוןְ לִּיְשָרֵאלָ כַל מְהדָגִּרים ֵכיָוְן דִּאְתָעִּביד ַההּוא עֹוָבָדָא, גִּרימּו כָלָא. גִּרימּומָֹותָא, גִּריִּמּו שְעבּוד ַמְלְכָווָן, גִּרימּוְ דִּ א ְתָברּו ִּאיּנּון לּוֵחיַ קְדָמֵאי, ָגִּרימּוְ דִּמיתּוִּ ִּמי ְשָרֵאל,ַ כָמהַ אְלִּפין ִּמ ַּנְייהּו. ְוָכָל דא, ְבִּגיןִּ אְתַחְברּוָתְא דִּאיּנּון . ֵע רַב רב, ְדִּאְתַחְברּו ְבהּו 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 ִּי ְכלּוָ כל ְנָשמֹות שַבגּוף ְוָאז ַהֲחָדשֹות ָיבֹואּו ְבַההּוא ִּזְמָנאִּ מְתַעְבִּרין ֵע רבַ רבֵ מָעְלָמא, ְוִּאְתָמר ְבִּיְשָרֵאל ְּובמ שהָ כל ַחדְ בַבת זּוַגְייהּו ִַּוי ְהיּו ְשֵנ יהֲםערִּּומיםָ הָאָדם ְוִּאְשתֹו ְול א ִּיְתָבֹוששּו. ְדִּאְתֲעַב ר עְרָוה ֵמָעְלָמְא דִּאֵלין ִּאּנּון ְדָגְרָמּו גלָּותא, . ֵע רַב רב ַוַדאי ְוֲעַלְייהּוִּ אְתָמר.ְוַהָּנָחש ָהיּוָ ערּוםִּ מָכלַ חַיתַ הָשדה ְוגוָ' ערְּום לַרִּע מָכל ֵחיָוןְ דאּוִּמין ְדָעְלָמ א עֹובְדֵ י כֹוכָבִּ ים ּו ַמָזלֹות. ְוִּאּנּון ְבנֹוי ְדָנָחשַ הַקְדמֹוִּני ְדַפֵתי ְלַחָּוה. ְוֵע רַב רב ַוַדאי ִּאּנּוןֲ הוּו ֲזּוהָמא ְדַא ִּ טיל ָנָחש ְבַחָּוה. ֵּומַהִּהיא זּוֲהָמא ָנַפק ַקִּין ְוָקַטְל ל ה בל רֵֹועהצ אןְ דִּאְתָמרֵ ביּה ְבַשָגם הָּוא בָשְר בַש גָ ם . זהה בְל.בַשָג''ם ַוַדאי ִּאיהּו מ ש''ה ְוָקִּטילֵ ליּה ְוִּאיהּוֲ הָוְהבָרא בְּוכָרְא דָאָדם 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 ְוָנַתִֵּ֛תי את־ ֵַ֥חן ֵָֽהָעם־ַה ֵ֖זה ְבֵעיֵנָ֣יִּ מְצ ָֹּ֑רִּים ְוָהָי֙ה ִָּ֣כי ֵֵֽ תֵלָ֔כּון ַ֥לאֵ תְלֵ֖כּו ֵר ֵָֽיקם׃ 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,,-,:; .
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