A student's notes and summary of Rav Pinson's class on Monday Rosh Chodesh Shevat (January 30, 2006) Life in the Subjective World: The Idea of Darkness The human concept of evil presupposes a Divine preference for goodness; this assumption, however, is erroneous, as evil is an expression of darkness, which coexisted with light before the subjective concept of good and bad had been born. Conceptually, light and dark can be understood as existing outside the realm of judgment, that is, objectively, whereas their respective manifestations on earth (i.e., kindness vs. cruelty) are nearly impossible to see through anything but a subjective lens. Though what we experience as light looks/feels/seems better on every level than its opposite-darkness, light is not inherently better. How can this be? Aren't we commanded to follow the path of light? Yes. Embodying light and bringing it into the world is indeed necessary for the growth and elevation of our souls. It is the only way we as humans are able to emulate our Creator, but the Creators choice of light as the path of righteousness was not a conscious, deliberate one. The fact that light and its human expression in the world is required for earthly tikkun is a result of a spontaneous decision on the Creator's part. Naturally, light became the subjective good, and darkness, the subjective bad/evil, as we have internalized the Ultimate's choice on every level. It informs our every decision, colors our every thought and emotion. Whether we choose to act from a place of light or dark, we understand our actions in terms of good and bad. But, in fact, on the Divine plane, no such judgment exists. Light is simply what was chosen for us. There is no way to know what the world would look like if indeed a choice was made in darkness as our necessary path. Perhaps not much different, because of course we can see that kindness and compassion are not everyone's idea of the right way, of good. But there is only one way toward our Source from earth, and that is the way of light. Simply because that is what was chosen for us. Before Adam and Eve's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, there was only Divine objectivity. Until their pre-ethical choice to eat of the tree, subjectivity did not exist. There was freedom of choice, but the choices were only between one aspect of creation and another. Between a "truth" and a "falsehood." As Adam and Eve internalized the fruit on a deeper level, they brought subjectivity into Divine consciousness as well as their own. And it is with this subjectivity that we complement the Creator's objectivity and create wholeness. Adam and Eve are not culpable. They were pure reflections of divinity that made a uniformed choice and were subsequently thrust into the world of subjectivity, of opposites, as a natural consequence of that choice. They saw black and white, light and dark, yes and no, but had no corresponding evaluations to go with them. They had no reason to anticipate a painful, punitive consequence to an action that had no negative association in their minds. Death was merely just another aspect. But of course, Hashem's response to their choice was not meant to be punitive, per se; without good and bad there can be no cause for punishment. Our concept of negative consequences comes, in retrospect, from a dualistic world-view. We know this world in terms of pain and pleasure, beauty and ugliness, creation and destruction, sickness and health, life and death. For most of us, objectivity is more of a concept than a lived reality, still it persists as our ideal of perfection. So, if not punishment, then what? Doesn't the very word "expulsion" suggest a harsh and angry reaction to some misdeed? Yes, and no. Yes, life out here in the world of subjectivity is one painful struggle, but without the struggle, what would be the point of our existence? It is our constant striving to reconcile the opposing internal and external forces in the universe that fuels our evolution as a species. If we remained in Eden, without the tension that comes from perceived duality, we would remain static, unevolved, and ultimately an unengaged participant in the unfolding of creation. But, who cares? Who cares if there is a point when there is so much pain and suffering in the world? I'd rather have peace and harmony and skip the evolution. But alas, that choice was eliminated when we (humans) ate from the tree. That one action forever altered our relationship with G-d and with life itself. This is exactly what G-d intended for us. For it is only in the context of this new and infinitely more complex relationship that we can elevate ourselves.