The fifth Emanation. Gevurah is the power to draw the boundary of our identities. Demanding both fear and respect, she comes with the inherent possibility of violence. Without enmity, we carve away that which becomes a part of us from that which must remain separate.

Gevurah’s position at the center of the Pillar of Severity defines its core trait. The push against Chesed is met with a pull of equal and opposite resistance. Without a balance of the two forces, we would have no means of maintaining healthy relationships. We must have the judgment to drive away that which harms us so we have room to embrace that which enriches us.