And the answer, according to Kabbalah, might surprise you.
Baal HaSulam, in his profound "Preface to the Zohar," gives us a clue. He suggests that form and similitude – the very essence of how things appear – originate specifically from the fourth level, the Sefira of Malkhut.
Now, what does that mean? Let's unpack it a little. In Kabbalistic thought, the Sefirot are the ten emanations of God's light, each representing a different aspect of the divine. They're often visualized as a tree, the Tree of Life. Malkhut, often translated as "Kingdom," is the very last Sefira, the one closest to our physical world.
Baal HaSulam emphasizes that the "vessels" – the containers that receive and hold the divine light – are drawn from Malkhut, specifically from the place of the recipients. But, crucially, they don't come from the first nine Sefirot: Keter, Ḥokhma, Bina, and Tiferet. As explained further in the Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 58, these four Sefirot essentially encompass all nine above Malkhut.
Here's where it gets even more interesting. In the world of Tikkun – of rectification and repair – there's a fascinating blend of judgment and mercy. Think of it as a cosmic balancing act. God elevates Malkhut, which embodies judgment, and brings it into Bina, representing mercy. This ascent of Malkhut to Bina is known as the "second constriction," a concept also found in the Petiḥa LeḤokhmat HaKabbala, section 58.
Why is this important? Because this process allows Malkhut's vessels to be rectified, making them capable of receiving the supernal light. It’s like refining a raw material to make it a suitable container. Afterward, the vessels of Malkhut become rooted in Bina, as Baal HaSulam tells us.
This is why the Zohar, that foundational text of Kabbalah, initially places the root of the images – the vessels – in Malkhut, and then later in Beria, the world of creation. It's all because of that powerful combination performed to rectify the world.
Our Sages understood this deeply. As we find in Bereshit Rabba 12:15, "The Holy One, blessed be He, initially created the world with the attribute of judgment; [when] He saw that the world could not exist, He combined with it the attribute of mercy."
So, what does all this mean for us? Perhaps it suggests that the forms we perceive around us are not simply fixed and immutable. They are the result of a dynamic interplay between judgment and mercy, a constant process of refinement and rectification. And maybe, just maybe, by understanding this cosmic dance, we can play a more conscious role in shaping the world around us.