We often talk about the Sefirot, the ten emanations of God's light, the building blocks of creation. They’re these divine attributes, like wisdom, understanding, kindness, and justice. But can we really compare them to the forces of darkness, the "deficiencies" as they're sometimes called? According to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, absolutely not.

Think of it this way: The Sefirot are like branches extending from the very source of everything, the Eyn Sof, the Infinite One, blessed be He. They are fundamentally connected to divine goodness. The "deficiencies," on the other hand, are something different entirely. They were – and this is a crucial point – "newly brought into being."

Why?

Well, that's where things get interesting. These deficiencies weren’t part of the original divine plan in the same way as the Sefirot. They were created, paradoxically, to serve as the "root of the Other Side," the realm of negativity and evil. But not as an end in itself. Instead, it was “in order to reveal His perfection through their repair.” The idea is that by overcoming and transforming these deficiencies, we can ultimately reveal God's completeness.

So, we can only compare branches to branches – the "Holy Side," which springs from that primordial root, to the "Other Side," which springs from these intentionally created deficiencies.

This is why Israel is often considered the "true firstborn." Because their root, their essence, is in that primordial good. They – and by extension, the ethical path they represent – preceded evil in the grand scheme of things. The Holy Side, the side of holiness and goodness, always comes first. It’s a fundamental principle we see echoed throughout Kabbalistic thought. The good must always precede the bad.

It's a challenging concept, isn't it? That evil wasn't just "there" but was, in a sense, deliberately introduced. But perhaps it's a way of understanding that even darkness has a purpose, a role to play in the unfolding drama of creation. And ultimately, it points to the profound responsibility we have to choose good, to repair the world, and to bring light into the darkness.

What does it mean for you? How does this idea resonate with your own experiences of good and evil in the world? It's something to ponder, isn't it?