285. Of THE MIXED MULTITUDE it is written: "Now the serpent was craftier than any beast of the field" (Beresheet 3:1). Here, "craftier" means to do evil more than all the other animals, which are the other idolatrous nations. THE MEMBERS OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE are the children of the primordial Serpent that seduced Eve BY THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, so the mixed multitude is indeed the impurity that the Serpent injected into Eve. From this impurity, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE MIXED MULTITUDE, Cain came forth and slew Abel the shepherd, of whom it is written: "For that he also is (Heb. beshagam) flesh" (Beresheet 6:3). Beshagam is Abel and is definitely Moses, BECAUSE THEIR NUMERICAL VALUES ARE EQUAL TO EACH OTHER AND, AS IS KNOWN, MOSES IS THE REINCARNATED SOUL OF ABEL. And he was the firstborn of Adam.

286. In spite of all this, because Moses wanted to cover the nakedness of his father, he took the daughter of Jethro TO BE HIS WIFE. Of JETHRO, it is written: "And the children of the Kenite, Moses's father-in-law..." (Shoftim 1:16). This has already been explained. Why was Jethro called Kenite? Because he detached himself from Cain, as it is written: "Now Chever the Kenite...had severed himself from Cain..." (Shoftim 4:11). After HE SEPARATED THE MIXED MULTITUDE FROM THE SOUL OF CAIN, he sought to bring them to repent, in order to cover the nakedness of his father, ADAM. Because the Holy One, blessed be He, attaches a good thought to an action, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Beware of them, of that evil stock. BUT ALL THE SAME I SHALL COUPLE YOUR GOOD THOUGHT - OF WANTING TO CAUSE THEM TO REPENT - WITH ACTION.' THE MIXED MULTITUDE IS THE FORCE OF SEPARATION LYING IN THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, WHICH BROUGHT the sin upon Adam. AND THE MULTITUDE ARE THE FORCES OF SEPARATION from whom the Holy One, blessed be He, warned him: "But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it" (Beresheet 2:17). These also brought the sin upon Moses and Yisrael.

287. Because OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE, Yisrael were driven from their land and sent into exile, as it is written: "So He drove out the man (Adam)" (Beresheet 3:24), in which the man is certainly AN ALLUSION TO Yisrael. Moses was also driven from his place. WHY? BECAUSE HE DID NOT PROTECT HIMSELF FROM THEM AS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WARNED HIM. INSTEAD, HE TRIED TO BRING THEM CLOSE TO HOLINESS. He therefore was not worthy of entering the land of Yisrael: HE WAS BURIED OUTSIDE OF IT. Because of them, he disobeyed the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and sinned in striking the rock. Even though he told him: "And speak to the rock" (Bemidbar 20:8), MOSES STRUCK IT INSTEAD. This was brought about BY THE MIXED MULTITUDE. In spite of all this, the Holy One, blessed be He, attaches a good thought to an action and knew that Moses would not have welcomed THE MIXED MULTITUDE TO offer them the sign of the covenant, but solely to cover the nakedness of his father. Thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "And will make of you a greater nation and mightier than they" (Bemidbar 14:12). As for THE MIXED MULTITUDE, he said, "Whosoever has sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book" (Shemot 32:33). They are the seed of Amalek, of whom it is written: "You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Devarim 25:19). And they ALSO BROUGHT THE SIN OF THE CALF UPON YISRAEL, causing two tablets of the Torah to shatter.

288. Immediately, IT IS WRITTEN: "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Beresheet 3:7), as The Children of Yisrael knew in the exile of Egypt that they were NAKED without the Torah. It is written of them AT THE LAST EXILE: "Yet you were naked and bare" (Yechezkel 16:7), BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL RECEIVED GARMENTS FOR THEIR SOULS FROM THE TORAH AND ITS PRECEPTS. THEREFORE, WHILE THEY WERE IN EXILE IN EGYPT, AND DURING THE LAST EXILE, THEIR SOULS WERE PERFORCE NAKED WITHOUT THE TORAH. Because of this, Job said twice, OF THE TWO EXILES, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there" (Iyov 1:21). THE FIRST TIME HE SAID "NAKED" ALLUDED TO THE EXILE IN EGYPT, WHEREAS THE SECOND TIME ALLUDED TO THE LAST EXILE. So the name Moses changed for the mixed multitude into desolation (Heb. shamah) and an object of scorn. AND THIS IS RELATED TO WHAT IYOV SAID, "And naked shall I return there (Heb. shamah)," alluding to the fact that he, MOSES, shall change INTO desolation among THE MIXED MULTITUDE in the last exile. And he shall walk among them and "return there." This is why JOB said, "Hashem gave, and Hashem has take away; blessed be the name of Hashem" (Ibid.), MEANING, "HASHEM GAVE" THE TORAH AND HE "HAS TAKEN AWAY" IN THE LAST EXILE FROM YISRAEL. "BLESSED BE THE NAME OF HASHEM."

289. When the two tablets of the Torah were broken and the Oral Torah WAS CONCEALED, it was written OF YISRAEL: "And they sewed fig leaves together" (Beresheet 3:7), MEANING THAT they were covered by many layers of Klipot of the mixed multitude. This was because they were naked WITHOUT THE TORAH. THEREFORE, THEY WERE COVERED in order not to reveal their nakedness, WHICH IS THE PLACE ONTO WHICH THE KLIPOT CLING. Their covering is the fringes of the Tzitzit and the straps of the Tefilin, about which it is said, "did Hashem make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Ibid. 21). But of the Tzitzit, IT IS WRITTEN: "And they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves loincloths." THE PHRASE: "And made themselves loincloths" is comparable to "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior" (Tehilim 45:4), WHICH IS AN ALLUSION TO the reading of Sh'ma, BECAUSE THIS PRAYER IS LIKE A SWORD AGAINST THE KLIPOT, WHICH IS GIRDED AT THE HIP. Of the reading of Sh'ma, it is written: "The high praises of El are in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Tehilim 149:6). Therefore, it is said OF THIS PRAYER, "And made themselves loincloths."