Jewish mystical tradition, specifically in texts like Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, offers a fascinating, if challenging, explanation. It all starts with… kings.
Not earthly kings, mind you, but Primordial Kings. These kings, according to some Kabbalistic traditions, ruled before our current world order. But they were flawed. Their vessels, so to speak, couldn't contain the intense divine light, and they shattered. This shattering, this cosmic catastrophe, had profound consequences.
Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah suggests that God, in a way, allowed evil to gain a foothold. Why? To counter "all the powers that depend on the Likeness of Man." Think of these powers as aspects of the Sefirot, the ten emanations through which God reveals Himself and creates the world. The text states that the levels of evil precisely mirror these powers, creating a sort of… cosmic tension.
So, before the "powers of the Sefirot were completed," God's unity, His ultimate goodness, wasn't fully revealed. Evil held sway, and indeed, grew stronger. It's a dark picture, isn't it?
But here's where things get interesting. After the emergence of these Primordial Kings and the establishment of the powers of evil, something shifted. The will – God’s will – to rectify everything began to surface. To fix the shattered vessels, to bring balance back to the cosmos "through the power of His rule."
This is where the concept of a corresponding evil to every power in the Sefirot becomes crucial. For every attribute of goodness, there seems to be an equal and opposite force of negativity. The Sitra Achra, "the Other Side," mirrors the divine realm. It’s a tough concept, but it underlines the battle between good and evil that plays out on multiple levels.
And this battle continues even now. Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah says that "the Other Side holds sway on all its levels, which correspond directly to the levels of the Sefirot." In other words, evil’s influence is pervasive, deeply intertwined with the very fabric of existence.
But don't despair! The text offers a glimmer of hope. It states that "the will is already set to be revealed at the end of these levels." That is, the will to unity. This signifies that the day of redemption – the ultimate triumph of good over evil – is coming.
What does this all mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the seeds of redemption are already sown. That even when evil seems to have the upper hand, God's plan for unity and goodness is unfolding. Maybe, it’s a call to recognize our own role in that unfolding – in tipping the balance, in revealing the unity that is waiting to be revealed.