Gevurah

Left Hand - Judgment

The fifth Emanation. The hand that separates. The rule of law that brings order to the world.

Gevurah assesses what is just, helping us overcome our adversaries both without and within. Hers is the power to cleave apart a unified whole and leave its component pieces. It is a trait that commands as much fear as respect because with it comes an inherent violence. She does this without enmity - it is an act that must be committed to create balance.

Gevurah's position at the center of its pillar defines that pillar's trait of severity. Her push against Chesed, on the opposite side of the Tree, is met with equal and opposite resistance. Without both of them in equal measure, we have no means of maintaining healthy relationships. We must have judgment to discern what is healthy for us, so that we can bring into our lives and embrace it.

Found in: Law, bravery, punishment