What Are the Qlippot?
The Qlippot (קליפות, singular: Qlippah) are the "husks" or "shells" in Kabbalah—the inverse, shadow, or corrupted aspects of the holy Sefirot. They represent the forces of evil, impurity, and spiritual darkness that obscure divine light.
"And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." — Genesis 1:2 (describing the state before creation where Qlippot dwell)
While the Sefirot (Tree of Life) represent divine emanations of light, goodness, and order, the Qlippot (Tree of Death/Knowledge) represent their opposites—chaos, evil, and spiritual shells that block access to the divine.
Key Concepts
- Inverse Emanations: Each Qlippah opposes and inverts a specific Sefirah
- Divine Sparks Trapped: The 288 Sparks fell into the Qlippot during Shevirat HaKelim
- Not Dualistic: In Jewish thought, evil has no independent existence—it's the absence or distortion of good
- Serves a Purpose: Even Qlippot ultimately serve God's plan by creating the possibility of free will
- Can Be Transformed: Through spiritual work, energy trapped in Qlippot can be liberated and elevated
Origin of the Qlippot
The Breaking of the Vessels (Shevirat HaKelim)
According to Lurianic Kabbalah, the Qlippot emerged from the primordial catastrophe:
- Divine Light Poured Forth: God emanated intense divine light into vessels (Sefirot)
- Vessels Couldn't Contain It: The lower vessels weren't strong enough to hold such intense light
- The Vessels Shattered: They broke, scattering divine sparks into lower realms
- Husks Formed: The broken shards became Qlippot—shells without inner light
- Sparks Trapped: 288 holy sparks fell into these husks, giving them pseudo-life
The Qlippot are like burned-out coal—they once held divine light, but when the vessels broke, the light departed, leaving only charred husks that hunger for the light they lost.
Purpose of Evil
Why would God allow Qlippot to exist?
- Free Will: Without evil as an option, there would be no free choice for good
- Testing Ground: The world of Qlippot tests and refines souls
- Elevation Opportunity: Raising sparks from Qlippot is the spiritual work of humanity
- Dynamic Tension: The interplay of light and shadow creates the dynamism of existence
- Ultimate Redemption: Even Qlippot will be redeemed in the messianic age
The Ten Qlippot
Each of the 10 Sefirot has an inverse Qlippah that represents its corruption or excess:
Relationship to the 288 Sparks
The 288 Sparks are divine lights that fell into the realm of Qlippot during the Breaking of Vessels. Each Spark:
- Has a holy form (its true nature in the Sefirot)
- Has a shadow form (its corruption in the Qlippot)
- Can manifest either quality depending on how it's accessed
- Must be elevated from Qlippot back to holiness through spiritual practice
Example: A Spark of Gevurah
Holy Expression (Sefirah): Righteous strength, healthy boundaries, discipline in service of growth
Qlippotic Expression (Golachab): Cruelty, sadism, violence for its own sake, destructive rage
Spiritual Work: Transform anger into boundary-setting, channel strength toward protection, use discipline compassionately
The Rulers of the Qlippot
Each Qlippah is governed by demonic forces—fallen angels and evil spirits. These are not independent gods but rather the corrupt shells of what could have been holy:
Satan & Moloch
Rule: Thaumiel (opposing Keter)
The dual-headed adversary representing division of divine unity
Lilith
Rules: Gamaliel (opposing Yesod)
Queen of demons, corrupts the foundation and sacred union
See the Angels & Demons page for complete hierarchy and descriptions.
Working with Qlippotic Energy
⚠️ Caution
Traditional Kabbalah strongly warns against directly engaging with Qlippot. This material is presented for:
- Understanding the nature of evil and shadow
- Recognizing Qlippotic influences to avoid them
- Game design and fictional character development
- Academic study of Kabbalistic cosmology
Not recommended: Invoking or channeling Qlippotic forces directly. This is considered spiritually dangerous.
Safe Approaches
- Shadow Work: Recognize Qlippotic patterns within yourself (pride, cruelty, lust) and transform them
- Elevation of Sparks: When you encounter evil, extract the trapped divine spark and elevate it
- Strengthening Light: Focus on building holy attributes (Sefirot), which naturally diminishes Qlippot
- Protection: Use divine names, prayers, and mitzvot as shields against Qlippotic influence
The Ultimate Fate of Qlippot
"And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26
In the Messianic Age, according to Kabbalistic teaching:
- All 288 Sparks will be elevated from the Qlippot
- The husks will have no more divine energy to sustain them
- Qlippot will either:
- Evil will have no power or independent existence
- The Tree of Knowledge (duality) merges with Tree of Life (unity)
This is the completion of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)—the ultimate goal of all spiritual work.
Sources & Further Reading
- Zohar - Multiple references to Qlippot as "husks" covering divine light
- Etz Chaim (Tree of Life) by Isaac Luria - Detailed cosmology of Qlippot
- Pardes Rimonim by Moses Cordovero - On the nature of evil
- Sefer HaBahir - Early references to shells and husks
- Sha'ar HaGilgulim (Gate of Reincarnations) - Souls and Qlippot
- Modern: "Kabbalah and the Power of Dreaming" by Catherine Shainberg
- Modern: "The Gift of Kabbalah" by Tamar Frankiel - Accessible overview