Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

The main point of creation was that God wanted to create man, who would then have the task of attaching himself to God, thus to enjoy His true good. This is accomplished through the fact that man has two ways before him, one being good and the other evil; and man has the power to choose whichever he desires. When through his own free will and knowledge he chooses good and rejects evil, then this true everlasting good is given him.
All other things were created only because the Highest Wisdom deemed them necessary in order for the universe to be complete, so that man could exist in the state mentioned above, where he could serve God and thus attain true good. Of course, we do not know why every single thing in the world was necessary. But what we do know from our Sages is that the main element in all creation is man, and that all other things were created only for his sake, and furthermore, that the main purpose in man’s creation was for him to attain the true good. However, the Highest Wisdom perceived that in order for man to attain this true good he must first be tested and pass his test. For this reason God created a world where he could be tested.
This is the physical world, a place where both good and evil exist, and where man can reject evil and choose good.
The ultimate nature of good and evil is respectively the holiness and corruption (Tum’ah) that God placed in the world. Holiness is a state of closeness to God, while corruption is that which is distant from Him. Holiness is the Influence that God grants to one who is fit for it, and is a bestowal that abides with him. Corruption, on the other hand, is a state of separation, where God draws away, and a state of hiding, wherein God conceals Himself.
The truth, however, is that God created spiritual Forces especially for this purpose. It is from these Forces that darkness and pollution (zuhamah) emanate. Wherever such pollution exists, holiness draws away and God’s Light hides itself. These Forces are known as the Forces of Corruption.
God gave man the ability to motivate the highest Roots through his deeds. Man’s deeds can therefore draw sustenance from God’s holiness and the Light of His good. On the other hand, they can also transmit pollution and corruption.
God specified certain deeds through which holiness is transmitted, and commanded us to keep them. These include all the commandments that we are required to obey. On the other hand, He also specified certain deeds that bring about pollution, and commanded us to abstain from them. These include all things that are forbidden.
There is only one true good, however, and that is attachment to God. We have already explained that the commandments are the means which transmit the emanation of God’s holiness and the Light of His good. These commandments are therefore the means through which true good can be achieved. The individual who sanctifies himself to a great degree with the emanation of God’s holiness becomes fitting to be attached to Him and enjoy His true good. On the other hand, the person who corrupts himself with the pollution that we have mentioned becomes unfit to attach himself to God, and is therefore cast away from Him.
There are, however, many levels with regard to the emanation of both the holiness and the pollution that we have discussed. This is likewise true of the good that is attained through good deeds, as well as the state of being cast away from God as the result of evil deeds. These levels are responsible for the differences that will exist between various individuals with regard to true excellence, as we shall explain shortly.
It is also necessary to realize that just as man was given the power to have both holiness and pollution transmitted to himself, so was he given the ability to have holiness or pollution transmitted to all creation through his deeds. Therefore all creation can be either rectified or damaged spiritually because of man. This is counted as a merit for the righteous who benefit creation, and a liability for the wicked who damage it, as will be discussed later.
The manner in which man’s deeds transmit these influences is through the above-mentioned power of parallelism that exists between the entities below in the physical world and the highest Forces. Whenever something physical is moved, a certain motivation reaches its counterpart Force on high. That Force then brings about the transmission of a particular influence.
If a particular deed involves the fulfillment of a divine commandment, then this will strengthen its counterpart Force, and as a result an influence of holiness will be transmitted from God, following the nature of this particular motivation. If, on the other hand, that particular deed is among those which must be avoided, it will cause a blemish in its counterpart Force on high, according to the particular nature of that misdeed. This in turn causes God’s Light to conceal itself and retract. In its place, one of the Forces of Corruption is motivated, exactly opposite to the influence that has been concealed. This transmits pollution according to the particular motivation in question.
Repentance removes the blemish in precisely the same manner. Power to act is taken away from the particular Force of Corruption that parallels the sin, and therefore the influence of holiness is brought back and appropriately transmitted.

Concluding Reflection

While every human being possesses a natural sense that distinguishes between right and wrong, this instinct alone is not sufficient to determine what is truly good or truly evil. Even animals possess a basic instinct for survival and avoidance of harm, and human beings naturally have a higher moral awareness than animals. Yet this natural level of understanding is only the beginning. It does not reach the depth that is required for a people who are commanded to live according to the will of God.
For the Jewish people, the definition of good and evil must be learned through the Torah—both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah—and through the guidance of teachers who transmit its tradition. Only through study, discussion, and clarification from recognized Torah authorities can one understand the precise nature of actions that bring holiness into the world and those that introduce spiritual corruption.
Very often what appears good according to ordinary human judgment may in fact be spiritually destructive, while something that appears difficult, restrictive, or even harsh may actually lead to holiness and true good. The determination cannot be made through secular reasoning or common sense alone. It must be seen through the eyes of Torah.
Seeing through the eyes of Torah means learning continuously and seeking guidance from the chain of tradition preserved by the sages of Israel. It is not based on the opinion of a single individual but on the collective wisdom transmitted through generations.
For this reason the Jewish people were meant to be a light to the nations. When the nations truly seek to understand what is genuinely good and what is genuinely evil, they look to the wisdom of the Torah and to the sages who preserve and interpret it. Through this guidance the deeper reality of good and evil becomes clear, often revealing that what appears good may in truth be harmful, while what appears difficult may in fact be the path to true good.