A Covenant, Klal Yisroel & The Mixed Multitude

by Elisheva

A Covenant, Klal Yisroel & The Mixed Multitude

A piece of paper full of thoughts. A covenant, a land, and a people: a complicated story and a journey full of obstacles.

HaShem took us out of Mitzrayim, led by Moshe in challenging times. The many times Pharaoh changed his mind and hardened his heart. It took ten plagues for Pharaoh to relent, to let the Jewish people finally go. After they collected the gold, packed up, the dough not even risen, with the bones of Yosef with them, they left.

Yet again, Pharaoh had a change of heart. With his army, he chased after the Jewish people. HaShem, however, had a different plan: He told Moshe to guide the nation through Yam Suf (Red Sea). While closed in by mountains on either side, a sea in front of them, and a quickly approaching Pharaoh, they were trembling, wanting to turn around and go back to all they had ever known. It only took one man, Nachshon ben Aminadav; with bitachon and courage, he stepped into the sea and the rest followed him. With the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea, the mixed multitude travelling alongside the Jewish people is where it all began.

At the foot of Har Sinai, HaShem mentioned the mixed multitude, a group of corrupted and damaged souls, not fully converted. Moshe refused to send them away, wanting to give them a chance.

While Moshe was away at Har Sinai, the people began to feel restless. It was a small group among the Jewish people who came up with this great idea to build their own god. The gold collected, a problem created, which was the start of many troubles and chaos to come for the Jewish people.

The gold was melted; the Golden Calf was born. The sin of Aharon, the complaining of the Jewish people, or was it the mixed multitude? It was not only Moshe’s anger that made him smash the two Luchos or Aseres HaDibros (Ten Utterances); it was the fury of HaShem.

The greatest sin against the Torah was committed, and HaShem wanted to destroy the Jewish people. Moshe pleaded with HaShem not to destroy His people, and once again Moshe went up Har Sinai to receive a new set of Luchos.

The journey, for some reason, took longer than just a few months; it ultimately took 40 years, full of complaints, challenges, and obstacles. At the end of the 40-year journey, they finally stood outside the walls of Canaan, the promised land. The sin of the spies, taking by force the land, something that was prohibited by HaShem. In Moshe’s farewell speech, he told the Jewish people the prohibition, warning them not to get too comfortable, as they would be exiled from the land into all four corners of the world, in the lands of other nations.

After Matan Torah, leaving for the promised land, with the promise “We will do and we will hear,” the 40-year journey in the wilderness wasn’t a smooth path, and many times a certain group complained and created problems.

The West & Eretz Yisroel

Edom (Esav), the western world; Israel (Yaakov) and the mixed multitude today. In every generation since being taken out of Mitzrayim, this group caused huge problems. In our time today, what does this mean, and who are the descendants of this mixed multitude?

The Erev Rav, Hebrew for mixed multitude, first time appeared in the Torah in Parsha Bo.

“The children of Israel journeyed on foot from Ramses to Succos, approximately 6000.000 male adults, aside of the children. A mixed multitude also left with them, as did flocks, herds, and a lot of cattle.” ~ Shemos 12:37

Who is the Erev Rav? The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, at the beginning of Parsha Shelach, says that they were the spies, and sent by Pharaoh to intimidate and weaken the fleeing Jewish people, even though he was told by Moshe that they would leave Mitzrayim for only three days.

The Talmud states (Eruvin 18b) that there is a connection between the damaged souls and Adam HaRishon, created from his teshuvah. Only the Erev Rav came into existence some 2000 years later. The journey through history gives the answer.

All of the Shedim and Ruchin that were created in the 130 years that Adam was separated from Chava: these were elevated and holy souls from the level of Da’as. According to Arizal, the Erev Rav is in gematria to the word Da’as — Etz Chaim, Shaar 32, Perek 2. These souls were mixed together with the Klipos, which are the impure spiritual force. As a result of this, it would require many reincarnations to refine them.

This is why the Jewish people didn’t come into being until the time of Yaakov. There have been many reincarnations from generation upon generation in refining this process. The rectification didn’t begin until Yaakov; he was the Chosen who rectified Adam HaRishon. This was the moment when the sons began their tikun, throughout the Mitzrayim golus.

“Could any other god come and take a nation out from within a nation?” ~ Devarim 4:34

It says “a nation out from within a nation”; it didn’t say a people within a nation, because all of this happened within the midst of the Klipos in Mitzrayim, and they were a nation.

The beginning of their reincarnation was in the generation of the flood.

“HaShem regretted that He created man on the land.” ~ Bereshis 6:7

Next was the reincarnation of the generation of the Dispersion, who were evil, just like their fathers were. Bereshis 11:5 says that HaShem went down to the city and the power that the son of man built. The son of man literally means Adam HaRishon; they were his sons.

The third reincarnation were the people of Sodom.

“The people of Sodom were evil and sinned greatly against HaShem.” ~ Bereshis 13:13

The fact that they were evil was a result of damaged seed of Adam. After these three reincarnations over three generations, they returned a fourth time in Mitzrayim, in the midst of Klal Yisroel, born into a generation of golus. That was when their tikun began.

According to Arizal, the Erev Rav who left with the Jewish people were not the spies. They were called “unfinished Jews,” which meant they needed at least one more reincarnation to complete their journey into Klal Yisroel.

Moshe told HaShem that this whole process would take too long, and giving them the chance to join the Jewish people on their journey was necessary for the final redemption.

The worst part was that the final redemption was delayed, and that they were a great problem for the final redemption. Our real battle is to break the strength of the Erev Rav. To do this, we need to know who they are. The Arizal did explain that they would come back at the End of Days.

“The Erev Rav delay the redemption much more than all the nations of the world.” ~ Zohar Ra’aya Me’heimna

Who is the Erev Rav? It could be Jews trying to make peace with the whole world, or maybe Jews who change Jewish tradition. Could it also be some who consider whether the driving force is Torah or the Erev Rav.

“The generation in the footsteps of the Moshiach will have the face of a dog.” ~ Sanhedrin 97a

The Erev Rav: a group of saboteurs of Judaism, and to understand their relevance in our time.

The Golden Calf is one of the Torah’s worst betrayals. Although the people involved were just a small group, the Torah does give some important lessons.

The Jewish people often take the blame for these events, but the Torah mentions, in relation to the events, the mixed multitude, the Erev Rav.

The Erev Rav has the ability to stir up antisemitism and hatred against the Jewish people through their actions. They represent a force of evil, which we must resist and guard ourselves against, whoever wants to distort our mission, our partnership in HaShem’s plan, whether this is through idolatry in the desert or through corruption in our time.

The Erev Rav impose themselves as Jewish leaders, but ones that lead the Jews astray, and inspire us to transgress or to misinterpret the Torah. We find these people among political, social, and religious spectrums.

Rabbi Chaim Vital, a student of the Arizal, says that the Erev Rav has an “honourable position” in the Jewish religious world, and makes a point of doing mitzvos in order to gain recognition from others.

Relating to Israel under the Erev Rav and the modern Israeli leaders.

The Zohar uses the term Erev Rav, meaning the people opposing the Torah scholars in Pesachim 49a-b. These people were hostile towards the Torah, not just ignorant, but hostile!

In Ra’aya Me’heimna 124a, the Zohar associates the Erev Rav with the difficulties before the coming of the Moshiach. There is this idea that the leader of the Jewish people in the final generation will be from the Erev Rav. Are we talking here about religious or secular leaders?

And what does this mean for Israel?

In order to fight evil, we have to know who this evil is.

We have five types of Erev Rav:

1. Nefilim ~ Prideful leader, who desires honour.

2. Anakim ~ Those who mock Torah leaders.

3. Refaim ~ Those who abandon mitzvos and discourage others.

4. Giborim ~ Violent oppressors and enforcers.

5. Amalekim ~ Those who spread hatred among the Jewish people and deny HaShem.

The Zohar teaches us that before the coming of the Moshiach, the Erev Rav will rise to positions of leadership among the Jewish people, but their actions will lead the Jews away from the Torah and HaShem.

“In the End of Days, the leader of my people will come from the Erev Rav.” ~ Zohar 111, 124b

These are people who may appear Jewish in lineage or title, but whose hashkafos and influence promote secularism, division, and rebellion against the Torah.

The Vilna Gaon also voiced danger:

“One of the main tasks before the coming of the Moshiach is to separate the Erev Rav from Klal Yisroel.” ~ Kol HaTor, perek 2

Many Gedolim throughout recent history see the Erev Rav as an ideology, representatives within Klal Yisroel, who attempt to replace Torah law with secularism.

In the time of the coming of the Moshiach, many Jews will unknowingly follow the Erev Rav, because their argument would be wrapped up in nationalism, progressive beliefs, and social justice, and this would ultimately lead the Jews away from HaShem.

Their goal is to replace the Torah with secular courts and dismiss the authority of Chachmei HaTorah in favour of democracy. To seek to assimilate the Jewish identity into one of Western culture, and view the State of Israel or IDF as spiritual ideals instead of physical need.

Our response towards this is not with hatred, but with awareness. Stay loyal to the Torah, and avoid unity with ideologies that weaken Torah and mitzvos observance.

Have true achdus, not in politics or nationalism, but in bitachon and with emunah.

When it is dark, we spread light; when it is not working, we spread more light.

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Elisheva – Celebrating the Heart of Yiddishkeit

Elisheva is a passionate voice for authentic Jewish life, blending Torah wisdom, mitzvos, and the timeless beauty of Yiddishkeit. Her writing shines a light on the strength and grace of Jewish women—from the legacy of Devorah Leah, daughter of the Alter Rebbe, to today’s women who live with faith, modesty, and purpose. Through her words, Elisheva celebrates Torah study, family purity, and radiant tznius, inspiring readers to embrace the joy, depth, and enduring spirit of Jewish tradition. Contact Elisheva.