Bo ~ the many meanings of Erev Rav

(37) The Israelites journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. (38) Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them, sheep and cattle, a great amount of livestock. (39) And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

... (Exodus 12:37) "like six hundred thousand men": like sixty ten thousands, those are the words of Rabbi Yishmael... (Exodus, Ibid.) "aside from the children": aside from the women and children. Rabbi Yochanan says: aside from the children actually means also aside from children, women and elderly. (Exodus 12:38) "and also a great multitude": a hundred and twenty ten thousands - these are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Akiva says: Two hundred and forty ten thousands. R. Nathan says: Three hundred and sixty ten thousands. "And flocks and herds, a great crush of cattle": Of this the Holy One of Blessing had said to Abraham (Genesis 15:14) "And after this, they will go out with great wealth." At the exodus, I will fill them with silver and gold. (Exodus 12:39) ...

Many miracles did the Holy One, blessed be He, do for Israel: ... He killed the firstborn of the captives; since they said to the captive that was imprisoned in the jail, "Do you want to go out and the Jews will [also] be delivered?" And he would say, "We will not ever leave from here so that Israel does not go out." That is why God judged them with [the Egyptians]: "from the firstborn of Pharaoh... to the firstborn of the captive" (Exodus 12:29). There is a parable about a king who made a joyous occasion for his son and killed his enemies. The king said, "Anyone who caused me joy should come to my son's joyous occasion, and anyone who is hated by me will be killed with the enemies." So [too], God made a joyous occasion for Israel, since He redeemed them - God said, "Anyone who loves My son should come and rejoice with My son." The kosher ones in Egypt came and made a Pesach sacrifice with the Jews and went out with them, as it is stated (Exodus 12:38), "And also a mixed multitude went out with them." And all those that wanted Israel not to be redeemed died with the firstborn, as it is stated (Pslams 78:51), "And He smote all the firstborn of Egypt." They all cried out, as it is stated (Exodus 12:39), "and there was a great outcry in Egypt." ...

Another opinion: "and it was, as Pharaoh sent" (Exodus 13:17) - one [verse] written [that connects to this is] "So said Ad-nai of Hosts: the people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah; [all their captors held them, they refused to let them go.] Their Redeemer is mighty, His name is Ad-nai of Hosts..." (Jeremiah 50:33-34). A parable that explains this: A person had an orchard, and a friend said: 'sell this orchard to me!' and the person sold it for 100 coins, but s/he did not know what was in it. Others asked the owner 'for how much did you sell the orchard?' 'For 100 coins.' They said to the owner: 'The orchard has 100 coins in olive trees, and [another] 100 coins in grapevines, and [another] 100 in spices, and [another] 100 coins in each and every type of trees! And you didn't know what you were selling!' And what is there in the orchard? Fields of "nard and saffron" (Songs 4:14), and if the wellsprings were not [now] belonging to the buyer, it would have been enough, as it is written " a garden spring, a well of living water, and rills of Lebanon" (Songs 4:15) - the seller became disgusted [with himself], so too Pharaoh when he sent Israel had nothing left, and his courtiers asked 'what have you done?!' If they had only the spoils, it would be enough, but as it is written: "also an erev rav went up with them", also many rich people were among them, and many wise people, and many handcrafters, as it is said: "your water ditches gardens of pomegranate trees" (Songs 4:13). How many men, women and children were there? As it is written "all their captors held onto them" (Jeremiah 50:33) and afterwards it is written "their Redeemer, strong, Ad-nai Tzevaot is His name" (Jeremiah 50:33). At that moment [Pharaoh began saying Oy, Oy! "and it was, when Pharaoh sent."

An "erev rav" went up with them - it teaches that converts and slaves came up with them, and so: "sheep and cattle". How do I know that there were also camels and horses? The text says "a great amount of livestock" ...

and a multitude of strangers, two hundred and forty 'ten thousands' [myriads], went up with them, and sheep, and oxen, and cattle, very many.

(1) ערב רב A MIXED MULTITUDE — a mingling of various nations who had become converts.

§ After citing one teaching in the name of Rav Natan bar Abba, the Gemara quotes a few more statements attributed to the same scholar. Since he is not mentioned often, Rav Natan’s teachings are arranged together, so that they can be remembered more easily. Rav Natan bar Abba said that Rav said: The wealthy Jews of Babylonia will descend to Gehenna because they do not have compassion on others. This is illustrated by incidents such as this: Shabbetai bar Marinus happened to come to Babylonia. He requested their participation in a business venture, to lend him money and receive half the profits in return, and they did not give it to him. Furthermore, when he asked them to sustain him with food, they likewise refused to sustain him. He said: These wealthy people are not descendants of our forefathers, but they came from the erev rav [mixed multitude], as it is written: “And show you compassion, and have compassion upon you, and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 13:18), from which it is derived: Anyone who has compassion for God’s creatures, it is known that he is of the descendants of Abraham, our father, and anyone who does not have compassion for God’s creatures, it is known that he is not of the descendants of Abraham, our father. Since these wealthy Babylonians do not have compassion on people, clearly they are not descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

They were Egyptians that mixed in with the Jewish people. They were the "Asafsuf" that joined [nesfu] them.

(4) The asafsuf in its midst lusted a lust; and also the Children of Israel wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat! (5) We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. (6) Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all! Nothing but this manna to look to!” (7) Now the manna was like coriander seed, and in color it was like bdellium.

...(Shemot 17:7) "And he called the name of the place Massah and Merivah." I might think that that was its name in the past; it is, therefore, written "because of the quarrel (riv [as in "Merivah"]) of the children of Israel" — it was thus called because of the event. Similarly, (Bamidbar 11:34) "And he called the name of that place Kivroth Hata'avah." I might think that that was its name in the past; it is, therefore, written "for there they buried (kavru) the people that lusted (hamitavim)" — it was thus called because of the event. But you still do not know who were those who incited them to this transgression. — It is written (Bamidbar, Ibid. 4) "And the asafsuf in its midst (lusted lust"). These are the converts that were "added on" (hanosafim [as in "asafsuf"]) to them — how much more so the common Jews (i.e., the rabble). R. Shimon b. Menassia says: These ("the asafsuf") are the elders, viz. (Ibid. 11:16) "Gather (asfah) unto me seventy men from the elders of Israel." If thus, the elders, how much more so, the commoners! Similarly, (Bereshit 6:2) "And the sons of the judges saw the daughters of man, etc." What did they do? They would seize women from the marketplace and "afflict" them. If thus, the sons of the judges, how much more so the commoners? "they lusted lust": I might think that they lusted something they did not have; it is, therefore, written "Who will feed us flesh," (which implies that they lusted something which they had.) "and the children of Israel also wept again," which teaches us that the first ones (viz. Ibid. 2) were the children of Israel. "And they said: 'Who will feed us flesh?'" Now is it because they did not have flesh that they grumbled? Is it not written (Shemot 12:38) "And also a mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and herds, etc."? I might think that they had eaten them in the desert, but is it not written upon their entering the land (Bamidbar 32:1) "And much livestock were possessed by the sons of Reuven and the sons of Gad, etc."? But (the truth is that) they were only seeking a pretext to abandon God.

... Nadab and Abihu were destroyed by fire as they entered the tent of meeting, while the elders were destroyed by fire when they were filled with lusting, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the asafsuf which was in their midst became filled with lust.” Who were the asafsuf? R. Simeon ben Menasya and R. Simeon bar Abba [differed on the matter]. One said, “These were the converts who came up with them from Egypt and who were gathered (ne'esafim) together with them as stated (in Exod. 12:38), ‘And a mixed multitude went up with them.’” But the other said, “Asafsuf can only be a Sanhedrin, since it is stated (in Numb. 11:16), ‘Gather (esfah) Me seventy men.’” What [else] is written there (in Numb. 11:1)? “Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed them in the outskirts (qetseh) of the camp,” [i.e.,] among the selected (muqetsim) in the camp. And where is it shown that those elders who went up onto the mountain were destroyed by fire? Where it is stated (in Ps. 106:18), “And fire broke out in their company ('edah),” since company ('edah) can only be a Sanhedrin as stated (in Numb. 15:24), “And it shall come to pass that if it was done [by mistake] away from the eyes of the congregation ('edah).” It is also written (in Lev. 4:13), “And if the whole congregation ('edah) of Israel should err.” And so did David say (in Ps. 78:31), “When God’s anger flared up at them, He slew their sturdiest,” these were the Sanhedrin; “struck down the chosen of Israel,” these were the chosen ones that were called elders, about whom it is written (in II Sam. 6:1), “And David still added to the chosen among Israel.” Then they wept again and demanded meat. Now you might say, “What they wanted was flesh? Did it not come about that the manna became whatever they wanted inside of their mouths, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), ‘So He gave them what they asked for...’?” And in case you should say that they did not have oxen and cattle in the desert, has it not already stated (in Exod. 12:38), “And a mixed multitude went up with them and flocks and herds.” And in case you should say they ate them in the desert, is it not written (in Numb. 32:1), “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much livestock?” From here R. Simeon said, “It was not meat for which they lusted, since it says so (in Ps. 78:27), ‘And He rained down flesh (she'er) upon them like dust.’ Now she'er must denote illicit intercourse since it is stated (in Lev. 18:6), ‘None of you shall approach any close (she'er) relation to him.’ Ergo, it [really] says that they desired to permit illicit intercourse for themselves; and so it says (in Numb. 11:10), ‘Now Moses heard the people weeping for their families.’...

And also an "erev rav" went up with them: they said that these are Egyptian people that mixed [nit'arvu] with them to convert as they saw the greatness of the miracles that God did for them, and they are the asafsuf which is mentioned in a different place (Numbers 11:4). And it does not seem so, because if they were just mixed to convert, it does not make sense that they would go out with them, since Israel did not say they would be going away forever, rather, they wanted to go back immediately. And it does not make sense that strangers would join them in a feast for their God if up to that moment they did not fear Hashem and did not cling to Israel and weren't circumcised. Now we find in Nehemiah (13:3), “they separated all the alien mixture (erev) from Israel,” and the intention there is to intermarriage. Therefore, it seems to me that the erev rav was mixed with them from earlier times, and that they are Egyptian men who married Israelite women, and Egyptian women who married Israelite men, and they are the asafsuf. And behold the Aramaic translation for asafsuf is arvravin. And the word sounds double, like yerakrak [greenish], adamdam [reddish] and petaltol [stupid], really like the word asafsuf, and even if this idea is not needed after we found the verse in Nehemiah, it still teaches that in the Holy Tongue they use erev to teach asafsuf.

sheep and cattle - sheep and cattle of Israelites, since first it mentions the men and the children and the erev rav, and then the possessions. But according to Rav Ovadia Sforno the sheep and cattle belong to the erev rav, and the students of Yehuda Luzzato say that the animals belonged to both.

ערב רב, an expression describing a mixed assortment, as we find it in Psalms 106:35 ויתערבו בגוים, “they mixed freely with the gentiles, assimilated.”

(8) You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your kinsman. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land. (9) Children born to them may be admitted into the congregation of Ad-nai in the third generation.

"Go down because your people has sinned" - it is not written here "the people", rather "your people". Moshe said to the Holy One: "why are they my people?" The Holy One responded: "they are your people because even while they were in Egypt I told you "I will bring My people out by order" (Shemot 7:4) and I said to you not to have the mixed multitude with them, but you, who are humble and kasher, said to Me: "we always receive those who return!" and I told you I knew what was going to happen, that they were idolaters and would do the Golden Calf, but still I did what you asked, and here, they made the people sin. See what is written: "this is your god", it is not written "our god" (Exodus 32:4) - that the converts that went up with Moshe made the idol and said to Israel "this is your god", therefore the Holy One said to Moshe: "Go down, because your people sinned".

Rather, "an erev rav went up with them" (Exodus 12:38). They were one people, and one language, but all the sorcerers and the magicians of Egypt were those, as it is written "and the magicians did the same" (Exodus 7:11). They tried [at first] to stand against the Holy One’s wonders. Once they saw the miracles and wonders that Moses performed in Egypt, they turned to join Moses. The Holy One said to Moses: “Don’t accept them.” Moses said: “Master of the world, now that they have seen your power, they wish to convert. They will see your power manifest daily and they will know that there is no God but you.” And Moses accepted them.

It was said: "the engaged maiden cried for help and there was none to save her" (Deut. 22:27). This is the Shechinah, about whom I say "cries for her children" (Zohar Chadash, Midrash Rut, 100) and there is none to save her, until the middle pillar comes to the garden, because that one saves. Since about the garden it says "behold your king comes to you, righteous and savior" (Zechariah 9:9). He saves above and you are below. And because you are in His image, it is said about you: "and you, here, stay with Me" (Deut. 5:28), since all Israel returned to their tens, and you didn't, until the last redemption. And what caused it, the "erev rav." Because of them "he hurled the tablets from his hand" (Exodus 32:19). And from that moment she fell and did not separate herself from the "erev rav", about whom it is said: "and also an erev rav went up with them" (Exodus 12:38). Because of all this they did not separate from Israel. And a maidservant from her mistress, until the last redemption.