Q&A: On the Creation of Evil
On the Creation of Evil
Question
There is a point that is unclear to me in Da’at Tevunot: what came first? Was it the divine will to actually repair evil and return it to good, and for that purpose the service of those below was created? Or did God want there to be service for those below, and for that purpose He actually created evil so that it would be repaired and that would be our task?
Answer
No evil comes down from above. Therefore, it seems to me that He created the possibility of evil (that is, our ability to choose, and consequently the possibility of creating evil or good. If there is no possibility of choosing evil, then there is no choice, and then choosing good is not truly good either), and not evil itself. Our choice creates evil, and therefore we are the ones who must repair it.