Qliphoth (Kabbalah)
|
|
Qliphoth or klippot (singular: qliphah) refer to the representation of evil forces in the mystical teachings of Judaism (such as in the Kabballah.) The term klippot means peels in Hebrew. They are the "[empty] husks" of "[holy] sparks" (nitzotzot) that were cast down after Adam and Eve defied God's command not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden as told in the Book of Genesis.
Qliphoth may also manifest themselves in any form, ranging from hurricanes to car wrecks to demons and other fantastic creatures.
The qliphoth in Kabbalah are thought of as the opposites to the sephiroth (singular sephirah). The ten sephiroth are thought to be ten divine "enumerations" or "emanations" of God into the universe. It is thought that the qliphoth are the ten (or eleven) manifestations of darkness, into which God's divine light cannot reach. The qliphoth are the personifications of an "anti-God" condition.
The subject of the qliphoth's function, is associated with the question of "If God is omnipotent, why does He allow evil?" God is thought to shine with his pure, divine light into a darkness, and to have ten rays of light emanating from him: The sephiroth. The sephiroth are ten different aspects of God, and they appear to kabbalah scholars as ten different "entities". Where God's "rays of light" enlighten the darkness around him, different worlds are created. The closer one comes to God, more and more of his divine light enlighten the environment and less and less evil is present. The qliphoth represent the darkness and "chaos" that existed before God created light. They also represent evil, because they are thought to be the antithesis of God.
- Thaumiel (Governed by Satan and Moloch)
- Ghagiel (Governed by Beelzebuth)
- Sathariel (Governed by Lucifuge)
- Gamichicoth (Governed by Astaroth)
- Golachab (Governed by Asmodeus)
- Thagirion (Governed by Belfegor)
- Arab-Zaraq (Governed by Baal)
- Samael (Governed by Adramelech)
- Gamaliel (Governed by Lilith)
- Nahemoth (Governed by Naamah)
In addition to this, there are also "The Seven Infernal Habitations" or Seven Hells, Twelve Qliphotic Order of Demons, Three powers before Satan and twenty-two demons corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.