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I would like to ask a short question about Shemot 12:38, at the time of the Exodus there was a mixed multitude which went up with the Israelities.

How far did this mixed multitude went along? Did they ( or at least some of them) traveled along all the way untill the settlement in the land?

And besides the physical aspect, did some of them (or their children) convert along the way?

msh210
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Levi
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2 Answers2

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According to Rashi and others here (and Shemos 37:2), the "mixed multitude" were already converted, and fully part of the Jewish nation.

According to Ibn Ezra and others here (same link), they were simply Egyptians who got "mixed in" with the Jewish nation leaving, but did not convert (or get the Torah, based on Ramban here), and were not counted with them (here).

Abarbanel to Shemos 12:43 suggests that there were some who were just added on, some who converted.

According to all opinions and they can be identified as the Asafsuf later on in Bamidbar 11:4, and likely many of them (if not all of them) died during this event 11:33. Pretty much any negative event that takes place in the desert (including the sin of the Golden Calf), there are opinions saying that it was the mixed multitude, and according to those opinions, any plagues that happened then would have also "killed them out".

Rashi (to Yehoshua 5:9) brings a Drash from Rav Yehuda (Moshe?) Hadarshan which implies that they entered the land of Israel, and according to Rashi and Abarbanel, it would seem simple that the sincere converts dis.

רבות מחשבות
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  • Would you mind to see if you could reply to this question as well? : https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/90858/erev-rav-the-people-of-the-children-of-israel – Levi Apr 01 '18 at 07:51
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Rashi to B'midbar 11.1 comments that the mixed multitude were in the extremety of the camp and a fire broke out to consume them when they sought a pretext for turning away from HaShem:

"The people were looking to complain, and it was evil in the ears of the Lord. The Lord heard and His anger flared, and a fire from the Lord burned among them, consuming the extremes of the camp."

the extremes of the camp: Heb. בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה. Those untouchable because of their baseness-these were the mixed multitude (See Exod. 12:36). R. Simeon ben Menassia says, The most distinguished (קְצִינִים) among them and the prominent ones. — [Sifrei Beha’alothecha 1:42:1]

Yochanan Mauritz Hummasti
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