Negative Force

There is a “second” authority called Sitra A’hra – negative force or “evil”. Even though it is the opposite of everything good, it is important to understand that the origin of “evil” is from an emanation of the superior lights, and thus, it does not really have a complete independent authority. It nourishes itself from the lower extremities of the holiness, and needs permission to act from above.

There is really only one unique and full authority, and it is the one of the Creator.

At the creation, when the ten feminine Sephirot of the aspect of the name of BaN (52) came out from the eyes of Adam Kadmon, the first three Sephirot – KHB (Keter, ‘Hokhma, Binah) – were able to stand in the three column arrangement. However, the seven lower Sephirot did not stand in this order; they were not able to retain their lights and consequently broke. This was the first imperfection or damage in the creation. It is only when there are three columns, where the one of mercy stands between the columns of kindness and rigor that the three can attach and bind together for a harmonious balance.

This imperfect arrangement is the first origin of the negative force or “evil”. This type of existence could not come to be from a perfect source; it had to originate from a defective state.

The breaking of the seven lower Sephirot caused a descent of all the worlds. The world of ‘Asiah fell even lower and from its end, the negative force emerged.

The Sephirot have their root in the holiness of the Ein Sof, B’H. The root of the negative force is in the lack or absence of the holiness. These husks obstruct the lights of the Sephirot, concealing man from his root and from the light.

In parallel (opposite) to the four worlds, this negative entity has its own four worlds, where ten groups of negative angels divide as follows:

• three groups in their world of Beriah
• six groups in their world of Yetsirah
• one group in their world of ‘Asiah.

They nourish from the extremities of the higher lights when the latter are weakened by the bad deeds of the lower beings. When this negative force receives its strength by sucking on these higher lights, its destructive angels get more powers and come to do evil in the world.

The existence of the Sitra A’hra – negative force – was willed by the Creator to give man free will. With falsehood, it almost constantly tries to seduce him, and make him stumble.

The good deeds of man have an effect on the four higher worlds, his bad deeds on the four lower worlds. It is only when man sins that the negative side can grow in strength.

When man acts negatively, he attracts a derivative of this negative force that grows inside him. This is his Yetser Hara’; it cuts him off from the higher worlds and the holiness. When he acts positively, he attracts positive energies that weaken the negative energies inside of him and give him strength to come closer to its creator.

Husks – Klipot

The husks are the individual manifestations of the negative force. They obstruct the lights of the lower Sephirot by attaching and nurturing from their extremities. They conceal man from the truth and from the light. Because of the bad deeds of the lower beings, the husks get and renew their strength to do evil in the world.

The Tikunim (rectifications) of the lower beings consist in detaching these husks from the holiness, by accomplishing the commandments and by the prayers. When men act negatively, they produce contrary energies that cause deteriorations that reach the lower worlds and create even more husks to do harm.

There are four main levels of husks, they correspond to the four lower worlds. They too comprise Sephirot and configurations as in the positive worlds, and are also built on the three column arrangement of the Sephirotic trees. But they have the aim of acting contrary to the above positive worlds by emanating negative and hurtful energies.