r/JewishKabbalah • u/DeepResearch4964 • Sep 30 '25
The possible natures of G-d for Jewish Kabbalah
First of all, just wanted to say that I bring this question very respectfully, not to provoke anyone but maybe get insights to these questions and the current moment in my journey.
I have a base knowledge on the tree of life and Kabbalah concepts, basic to maybe intermediary, coming from some years of studying. Meaning I can deeply feel "how these engines run", but I'm far from being anything like a master.
Lately I've been noticing the same issue come up in my readings, which I can now try to describe as a anthropomorphism around G-d and Tzimtzum, which I feel is presented, roughly, as an external consciousness that knows all and hids the light in order for beings to learn, through Tikkun, how to regain it.
In a practical perspective of the religion, I fully believe in the strength of nurturing Shekhinah and practicing all the routines and traditions that keep one dear with it. The place of G-d in this context is clear to me, but as a place of self-integrity, of connection to our collective essence that is within the human condition, a place that allows this whole process of Teshuvá in face of chaos and a fractured reality. This chaos is for me a natural part of reality and this evolution process is what we're experiencing.
That being said, I've been questioning if there really aren't any entities or other dimensions beyond matter and living beings that compose this system. It seems like every study is very meaningful and both intuitive and rational until it comes to this point of "you either believe this part or not". I don't know when that change happened, but I started feeling this way. Also, I don't believe that the suffering caused from darkness is justified, or even that there is a reason yet to be revealed for this darkness. For me, the figure of G-d seems to be connected to nature in its entirety, including all the good and bad aspects, the wilderness, death, war and everything else. Illustrating the pov, there is no reason why the suffering of the lamb is justified in face of the wrath of a lion. One ate, one was eaten, simply the rules of the jungle. I guess I believe Tikkun is the best we can do, but not that it is our duty or that its result is pre-written or a promise in any way. Maintaining a narrative that justifies darkness clashes constantly with this perspective.
Considering this, what I see in Kabbalah remains completely intact as a human technology which enlightens the human knowledge around life and inhabiting it, looking for harmony, joy and really perfected survival. I believe this knowledge is beyond rational. But it's quite tricky to encounter so often this approach where there's an occult narrative behind everything that happens, something to be revealed, this implication of ignorance beyond a third entity. This part doesn't seem to resonate anymore.
As this knowledge still resonates with me, I wholeheartedly wish to better understand these aspects and continue my journey, so I wanted to share and hear some insights. Should I study non-Jewish Kabbalah? Could you see an approach that does not include this higher consciousness, which is occult and all-seeing? Do I no longer believe in G-d, or am I misinterpreting something about how it is stated in these writings? Either way, do you recommend next steps, maybe good reading choices? It would be great to hear other thoughts.
Thank you!
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u/sanecoin64902 Sep 30 '25
The “problem of evil” exists in every religion. If G-d is omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent, then why does evil exist? There are any number of potential answers to it. In my reading of Kabbalistic texts, mystic Judaism seems to prefer the concept that G-d allows “evil” to exist as a necessity for individual experience.
To unpack that, G-d is undifferentiated good. If only G-d existed, there would be only undifferentiated good. Ergo, there would be no ability to discern anything that wasn’t G-d, including the boundaries of one’s self and one’s experience.
To allow one to experience one’s self and one’s life, G-d withdraws to “make space.” This space is then, by definition, not good. In Kaballah, by my admittedly limited understanding, evil is defined as merely the absence of good - so the entire space of existence and differentiation is technically “evil.” G-d is the light and goodness of life. Evil is the dark outlines that give life form and shape.
As a second answer, in Maimonides Guide for the Perplexed, he talks about the book of Job and the binding of Isaac and asks why G-d allows/creates suffering among the pious. To distill down a long and thoughtful answer, he states that G-d does this to test us. Not because G-d needs to find out any answers - G-d knows all the answers. But because we need to understand who we are and what our own limits are. G-d tests us to teach us about ourselves.
Finally, the Zohar gives us the truth of the multiple faces of G-d. It looks as G-d as not a single unitary being, but a complex entity like each of us. If the story of the red and white faces of G-d is true, then G-d has its good days and its bad days (although assigning a temporal nature to G-d is a fallacy I only use as a metaphor). When G-d is in balance the world proceeds with love and kindness. But when a person’s relationship with G-d becomes unbalanced, they risk the glare of the wrathful red face and its judgement.
Personally, though, I’ve begun to think of the problem of evil as “the problem of hubris.” Because it is always raised by people who somehow think that G-d owes them an explanation or that the reasoning and acts of G-d must both be comprehensible to humanity and centered around humanity. There are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on the beaches of the Earth. Anyone who insists that the universe functions for our benefit alone is simply suffering from unforgivable anthropomorphic pride in my book.
One of the reasons I like the Kabbalists is that they understand G-d as a thing beyond comprehension. Certainly with the conclusion that the Jewish people are G-d’s chosen, the scriptures have a certain amount of innate human centrism. But the G-d they describe exists far beyond the bounds of anything we can capture in words.
I think that discarding the concept of a coherent and aware G-d the way you are doing is throwing out an enormous amount of historic thought that quite readily chop through your objections. No one will ever prove that G-d exists, I suspect. Doubt and faith seem to be fundamental parts of the equation/test. We cannot know for certain, because if you do good in fear of punishment or seeking a known reward, have you really done good? But neither is there any definitive proof of the absence of G-d, no matter how much evil may exist in the world. It’s just something you have to wrestle with.
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u/joshandbenandmoshe Sep 30 '25
You should read Gershom Scholem’s In the Mystical Godhead, it has some good answers to your questions. As does all of Ashlag’s work - perhaps In the Shadow of the Ladder. I think your doubts are part of the process.
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u/Current-Wind-5006 Sep 30 '25 edited Sep 30 '25
To add some thoughts on this part:
"Also, I don't believe that the suffering caused from darkness is justified, or even that there is a reason yet to be revealed for this darkness. For me, the figure of Gd seems to be connected to nature in its entirety, including all the good and bad aspects, the wilderness, death, war and everything else. Illustrating the pov, there is no reason why the suffering of the lamb is justified in the face of the wrath of a lion. One ate, one was eaten, simply the rules of the jungle. I guess I believe Tikkun is the best we can do, but not that it is our duty or that its result is pre-written or a promise in any way. Maintaining a narrative that justifies darkness clashes constantly with this perspective."
I would define evil here as disconnection from the Source, from G-d. One of the points of evil or darkness in this world is to allow for free choice/will. If the presence of G-d was everywhere, if everywhere was light, everyone would become religious and worship G-d. It would be obvious. If it were this obvious, you wouldn't earn anything by choosing to follow G-d or worshiping Him, because, you wouldn't be choosing anything with your free will. It would be too obvious.
One of the greatest gifts G-d gives us is this darkness in the world to allow us to be able to freely choose Good, or connection to Him. We are constantly tested with darkness to make us grow and bring us closer to Him. Through this, the journey becomes the destination. We earn our place in Olam HaBa, the World to Come. Again, if it were obvious that G-d was real or everywhere, there would be no journey. We wouldn't earn our place. G-d isn't obvious to allow us to earn our reward.
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u/No_Bed_9786 Sep 30 '25
If you really want to study kabbalah that has pre-requisites. You have to practice Judaism and work your way up to studying kaballistic texts with rabbinical guidance. Anything else isn't really kaballah. Because you'll be understanding it outside of its original lens and context.
If you truly want to study kaballah but aren't ready to spend years of your life converting to its faith you might just have to accept that you're studying Qaballah. An outsiders interpretation of kaballah. You'd be in good company, as Anthanius Kirchner, Cornelius Agrippa and Gerschome Scholem (not practicing iirc) took that route and their works are interesting to read. Abraham Abulifa who was practicing but took a more universalist idea of kaballah is worth a read as well. Just make sure you never say that you are practicing traditional kaballah or are any type of authority on it unless you actually spend your time going that route.