QUESTION
What should a person do if he suspects that he may have a parent who shows signs of being from the Erev Rav (or at least who seems to have a very big “Erev Rav” part to their character) or if he just sees that his parent(s) has a lot of evil in them? And what about in a case if he knows that his parent had a rough childhood or was born with a very a lack of balance in their personality or if they went through certain unpleasant experiences that shaped them into who they are today?
Does the mitzvah of kibud av v’aim dictate that (1) One is obligated not to see evil in his parents at all and he should only think about their qualities (as it is brought in halachah to do, that one should view his parents as being the Gedolei HaDor when it comes to a special quality they have), and therefore one should not suspect that his parent may be from the Erev Rav and he must honor them, both in deed and in his heart by thinking good about them.
(2), Or, should one hate the evil that he sees in his parent and he should suspect that he doesn’t know how to identify “Erev Rav” in another’s personality and therefore he should not think about this at all.
ANSWER
One should suspect that he doesn’t know how to identify “Erev Rav” characteristics in another’s soul, and therefore he should not be thinking such kinds of thoughts at all, either about his parents or about others. The only exception would be people who are well-known reshaim who are known for their wickedness.
QUESTION
If someone is regularly a “moser”, he tells on his Jews to the government to get them in trouble, is he possibly from the Erev Rav?
ANSWER
Similar to the above answer [don’t think about others around you if they are from the Erev Rav]. Only a person who is known to be a moser, who regularly tells on other Jews to the government, is from the Erev Rav.
QUESTION
One of the groups of Erev Rav, as decribed by the Gra, are baalei mammon, those who who try to control Klal Yisrael through their money. Are there rules by which we can know if these wealthy people who have power are from the Erev Rav, chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
Same answer as before [don’t be busy thinking about which wealthy supporters are Erev Rav or not, and only people who are known to regularly abuse their positions of power and money are Erev Rav].
QUESTION
Should a person not think about the Erev Rav topic at all because this kind of thinking can make it impossible for him to love every Jew, because instead of judging others favorably and not seeing faults in others, he is instead hating other Jews and he is suspicious that another Jew might be from the Erev Rav, chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
Yes! But we do need to separate ourselves from all evil, from all of the evil deeds, evil middos, and non-Torah perspectives and opinions out there, and we need to stay away from those who are involved with this [evil behavior, evil character, and non-Torah outlook on life].
We need to become connected only with good people, and we should draw close others who are distant from the Torah only if doing so will not be very dangerous to your own ruchniyus.
QUESTION
Is it possible that Hashem is making a separation now between the true tzibbur of Klal Yisrael – who are choosing not to own smartphones and Internet – with those who are choosing to own this device in their lives and using it publicly without any shame? Are they separating themselves from the true tzibbur that is Klal Yisrael, and instead joining with the side of the Erev Rav, chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
Yes. But some are doing this simply because they lack clarity. Before Mashiach comes, they will be awakened and then they will have true bechirah (free will) of what they will choose – if they will choose to separate from all of it, or if they will choose the opposite chas v’shalom.
QUESTION
The pursuit of luxury has skyrocketed in the last few years. Is this one of the 5 groups of the Erev Rav who are identified as “those who pursue pleasure”, who live mainly for physical pleasure, with the Torah being secondary to them and with their pleasure and comfort being their main goal in life? Some people were bnei Torah to begin with but they later went out to work and later chose a lifestyle of running after pleasure and luxury, or because they were influenced by their surroundings, or because they truly wanted it all along. They tasted the taste of Torah but they stopped desiring to grow in their ruchniyus. Others never had a Torah lifestyle to begin with and therefore it wouldn’t make sense to ask them to be more into ruchniyus if they spent all of their lives until now in gashmiyus and without accepting the burden of Torah on them, they never had a Torah way of living to begin with. So maybe they can be given the benefit of the doubt that their enormous pursuit of pleasure doesn’t mean they are from the Erev Rav, it’s just that their hearts are so stuffed and blocked for all of their lives, because they weren’t successful in their learning or when they were in yeshiva, etc. What is the proper way to view this entire situation?
ANSWER
It is all the “spirit of the Erev Rav” sweeping through the world. The word “erev” means “sweet”, because the false view of the Erev Rav that is dominant in the final generations is a false kind of “sweetness” which is the antithesis to the true sweetness, the sweetness of the words of Torah in our mouths. That is the root of all the increase of chasing after all pleasures and taavos (all the physical desires of life) in the generation today. Understand that very, very well.
QUESTION
1) If there are any Jews who don’t withstand the final test, which is to separate from the 50th level of tumah which is the Internet – and because of this they are not zocheh to the Geulah because they have become turned into the “Erev Rav”, having been from the Erev Rav all along – does that mean that they become turned into the Erev Rav? Or does it mean that there are parts of their soul which are Erev Rav and it is those parts of themselves which will disappear when Mashiach comes?
ANSWER
The parts of their souls which are not “Erev Rav” will become joined with the Klal Yisrael, and the parts of their soul which are Erev Rav will be destroyed together with the Erev Rav. The part of them which chose to connect to the Erev Rav – which is their “Ruach” point of their soul – will also become part of the Erev Rav and be destroyed together with Erev Rav.
QUESTION
2) Those who chas v’shalom don’t withstand the final test and won’t be by the Geulah – will they die in the events preceding Mashiach or will they disappear and become nothing when Mashiach comes? Will they just disappear when Mashiach comes?
ANSWER
Some of them in the first option [they will die in the events preceding Mashiach] and others in the other way [they will disappear when Mashiach comes]. [As explained in answer to #1, this only concerns the Erev Rav parts of their soul].
QUESTION
3) Can the Erev Rav do teshuvah?
ANSWER
Most of the Erev Rav cannot be returned to teshuvah, but a few can. Through mesirus nefesh, one can separate the Erev Rav parts from his own soul.
QUESTION
1) One person had a strong reaction to the Rav’s words concerning those who remain connected to 50th Gate of Impurity who become part of the Erev Rav, who become “retroactively” never part of the Jewish people. The person said, “Chas v’shalom to say such a thing.” He was angry at this statement of the Rav, and while I understand that it’s a sensitive topic, what should we do, just be silent about this and not publish the Rav’s words about it, the bitter truth which must be heard, which the Rav is revealing to us in his ahavas Yisrael to us? Should we not try to help others merit the Geulah...?
ANSWER
The perspective of yediah (the higher knowledge above bechirah/free will) is that everything becomes revealed “retroactively”. That is the light in the end of days, where we are getting to closer to the era of Mashiach which will be “days in which I have no desire”, no more bechirah (free will) because there will instead be yediah, the knowledge above free will, in which everything becomes revealed “retroactively”. But from the viewpoint of bechirah, something can only be revealed “from now and onward”.
QUESTION
Is there a source for the words of the Rav that those who remain connected to evil and fall into the Erev Rav become “retroactively” never part of the Jewish people? I suspect that this is not the Rav’s novelty but something which is already revealed in our sefarim hakedoshim, can the Rav please elaborate on this since there were those who were perplexed at this entire concept (perhaps because their hearts didn’t want to accept the truth)?
ANSWER
Refer to answer to question #1. It is because in the future, there will be yediah, which reveals what everything really was “retroactively” [it becomes revealed in the future that those who choose good were really good all along and they were from Klal Yisrael, whereas those who chose to remain connected with evil are revealed in the future as being from the Erev Rav, meaning that it becomes shown retroactively how they had never been part of the Jewish people]. This is the final sorting process, in which we are transitioning from the plane of bechirah (free will) to the plane above bechirah, to “the days in which there are no desire” [the future, the level of yediah].
QUESTION
Is the Erev Rav aspect in the soul (or the “spark of Erev Rav” in the soul) found at the point where there is total evil, which is below the animal soul, or is it found within kelipas noga within the animal soul that is mixed with good and evil?
ANSWER
The Erev Rav aspect of the soul mixes everything within it: The Nefesh Elokus, the kelipas noga, and the three impure kelipos, containing all of them at once within it. There are 5 types of Erev Rav and the acronym for them is Nega Ra (evil affliction): Nefilim, Giborim, Anakim, Refaim, Amalekim (Amalekites). They are called Nega (affliction), the opposite of oneg (holy and good pleasure), and Ra, the opposite of good. Noga is the opposite of Nega.
QUESTION
What are the characteristics of the Erev Rav in the soul and what are the characteristics of the evil that’s found in the soul?
ANSWER
Erev Rav in the soul is a mixture of all every characteristic, while ra (evil) in the soul varies depending on what kind of evil it is.
QUESTION
In the future after the Geulah, and in Olam HaBa, when the Erev Rav parts of our souls will be destroyed and only our “Jewish” parts will remain, does that mean that in the future those who were more purified will “exist” on a greater level, whereas those who were dominated by the Erev Rav parts of the soul (who didn’t separate themselves from the 50th level of impurity) will not be “existing” as much, because there is very little “Jewishness” in their soul?
ANSWER
Yes!
QUESTION
Will the Erev Rav – the Israeli government – first disappear before the war of Gog and Magog?
ANSWER
We are already found within the war of Gog and Magog! This is the war with the Erev Rav.
QUESTION
What did the Rav mean in the response that the “Erev Rav includes the souls of Amalek and Yisrael together”? If Erev Rav is the worst of Amalek (or the other way around, that the Amalekites are the worst kind of Erev Rav), and the souls of Yisrael within the Erev Rav are not really part of Klal Yisrael but goyim who are part of the Erev Rav/Amalek, then what does it mean that the Erev Rav includes souls of Yisrael and Amalek?
ANSWER
The Erev Rav is a mix of everything, and in every Erev Rav soul there is also a part which includes a soul of “Yisrael”. Therefore he can sometimes have a status of a Jew, like if he is born from a Jewish mother, within his soul there is an aspect of “Yisrael”, and therefore he has the status of a Jew, he has a Jewish body, and his soul has a part in it that’s “Yisrael”.
QUESTION
If an Erev Rav soul inside a Jewish body is still part of the Erev Rav (and not part of the Jewish people) then how it can be that halachically he is a Jew but in the inner dimension he is really Erev Rav? How can that be – how does it make sense that there is an inner reality here (the fact that he is an Erev Rav soul) which totally contradicts the halachic reality (the fact that he has the halachic status of a Jew)?
ANSWER
See answer to previous question. He has in his soul a part that is a Jewish soul.
QUESTION
In our generation, there are many contradicting aspects in all of our souls, and as the Rav explained, because most of the generation today have souls that are a combination of many souls together in one body. Does this mean also that there are souls of completely wicked people as well as souls of completely righteous people who can be inhabiting one soul? Can any of us be a combination of both a total rasha and a total tzaddik (or more)? And, would that be the reason why we can feel a pull towards the most evil things possible, yet we can also feel the pull towards d’veykus and hiskalelus in Hashem, and all the other qualities of tzaddikim?
ANSWER
Yes! And, it is also because we are in a time period (End of Days) where opposites are becoming integrated together all at once, “like a bolt of lightning”.
QUESTION
If there exists a “spark of Erev Rav” within our soul, as well as part of ourselves that are a total tzaddik, and if we choose to let the tzaddik part of ourselves dominate over the evil parts of our being, does that raise the “Erev Rav spark” within us into holiness? And if yes, does that mean that this evil part of our soul achieves a tikkun? Or do we have to look at it that we need to destroy and erase the “Erev Rav” within us (the parts of our character that are totally evil) by choosing truth, righteousness, and living a life of holiness, etc.? And would that make the “Erev Rav” parts of ourselves fall away, leaving us with only the parts of ourselves that are completely a tzaddik?
ANSWER
[The evil parts in us need to become] nullified, integrated into holiness, through the secret of revealing our soul’s deep yearning for Hashem, to be burned up and destroyed so that we can go back to Hashem – to reach the state of hiskalelus, becoming integrated with Hashem.
QUESTION
What should I do if I recognize this “Erev Rav” aspect in my soul? How do I rectify it?
ANSWER
First of all, let’s understand that if someone has a large percentage of “Erev Rav” in his soul, he won’t be that insulted from the words here.
However, there are many people who do have some “Erev Rav” aspect in their souls. This is the part of the soul upon which we have a “mitzvah to erase Amalek”. If a person recognizes that he has some trace of ‘Erev Rav’ in his soul, he should daven to Hashem that he merit to die al kiddush Hashem. If a person is truly willing to die al kiddush Hashem, that very decision to have mesirus nefesh for Hashem is like a “death” to that evil part of his soul; just as the neshamah leaving the body is considered to be ‘death’. In this way a person is left with an entirely holy soul.
The question you have asked is very important, because there are indeed many people in this generation who contained a mixture of good/Jew and evil/Erev Rav in their souls [as explained in sefer Shomer Emunim and others].
QUESTION
What is the source of what the Rav said that if a person suspects that he may have a “Erev Rav” part in his soul, he should fulfill the mitzvah of “erasing Amalek” in his own soul, specifically through being ready to die al kiddush Hashem?
ANSWER
The root of the Erev Rav is the evil that counters the holiness of the kutzo shel yud (the apex of the letter yud in the name of HaVaYaH). In the side of devastation, the root of the Erev Rav belongs to the chalal hapanuy (the vacant space which is empty from Hashem’s infinite light), but in the side of tikkun, dying al kiddush Hashem repairs it.
QUESTION
.... From what I understand, the Rav’s divrei Torah focuses on all the darkness and concealment of G-dliness that there is on our world, how the generation is so far from feeling Hashem and how bad the world has become. With all due respect to the honor of the Rav, this doesn’t sound anything like what Mashiach ben Dovid will reveal, the light that will come to the world, the G-dliness that will be revealed in the world. Will Mashiach ben Dovid ask everyone to close themselves off into an “inner silence” and be cut off from the world (as the Rav emphasized as the main way to serve Hashem in the final generation)?... Why focus on all the darkness and concealment of Hashem’s Presence? Why not instead focus on the revelation of G-dliness that will soon come to the world, when the whole world will be filled with light? I very much respect the Rav and I hope I’ve been understood. Have a gmar chasimah tova.
ANSWER
Thank you. May you rise and succeed! Everything you are saying here is true and correct after the Erev Rav will be cut off, and not before that. Before the Erev Rav is destroyed, we are currently in the peak of the 50th gate of tumah which is in control, something which wasn’t around 1 or 2 generations ago. And that results in a major difference, which necessitates a change of direction [on our avodah in this generation].
