Question:
1: I have heard in the name of the Rav that a sign of someone who is of the “Erev Rav” is, when someone is a moiser (a Jew who tells on Jews to the authorities). What is the definition of this? Does this mean that any Jew who tells on another Jew to the authorities is of the “Erev Rav”?
2: I have also heard that a “baal machlokes” (an instigator of strife) is of the “Erev Rav”. Is this only if the person does intentionally creates a machlokes? Or is it true even if he unintentionally causes machlokes?
3: Even if a Jew does bear signs of “Erev Rav” (i.e. he is clearly defined as a moiser or baal machlokes, etc.), does this mean that he is actually a member of the souls of the “Erev Rav”? Or does it mean that he merely has a “spark” of “Erev Rav” in his soul?
4: The Rav has said that the tikkun (soul remedy) for one who has a spark of “Erev Rav” in his soul is, is to be ready to give up his soul in order to sanctify Hashem’s name. In this way, one fulfills the mitzvah of “erasing Amalek” in his own soul. My understanding of this is that when one is willing to die to for Hashem and give up his soul, he attains a bittul (self-nullification) to Hashem and he becomes integrated with havayah (the true reality), where everything can be repaired. It seems from all of this that even absolute evil can ultimately attain a tikkun: through using the power of mesirus nefesh (giving up the soul). If so, why is it said that there is no tikkun for Amalek and “Erev Rav”, if even absolute evil can ultimately be rectified?
5: It is written in sefer Shomer Emunim that most of the souls in our generation are reincarnations of “Erev Rav”, and therefore, ever person needs to suspect that maybe he is from the “Erev Rav”, and that is why every person needs to work a lot on emunah, so that he can repair his soul. Is this the actual perspective which each person needs to have? Most people would probably become depressed from such a view towards themselves. Does it mean that every person needs to suspect that he might have a spark of “Erev Rav” in his soul? Or does one need to suspect that he may actually be an “Erev Rav” soul?
Answer:
1: Only if one does so on a consistent basis.
2: Only if he does so intentionally, and on a consistent basis - when it’s the very nature of his soul to do so.
3: It can mean that he has a “spark”, or several “sparks”, of “Erev Rav”, in his soul. It is a very subtle matter to know which parts of one’s soul are “Erev Rav”, being that every Jew contains some “Erev Rav” in his soul and the “Erev Rav” part of one’s soul is “nullified by the majority” of the rest of his soul. In order to be an actual “Erev Rav” soul, one’s soul would have to be mostly “Erev Rav”.
4: Their tikkun is when they are destroyed. They cannot achieve a tikkun while they exist. Their tikkun is only when they become nullified. This is the depth of the mitzvah to erase Amalek: erasing them is what rectifies them. Amalek/Erev Rav is rooted in the “empty void” of Creation - the absence of existence.
5: One needs to suspect that he may have some “sparks” of “Erev Rav” in his soul. Because there are certainly sparks of Erev Rav in every person’s soul, as you said.
Categories
