Editing The Baal Shem Tov (section)

==== Elevating Evil to Good ====
According to the Baal Shem Tov's teachings, there is no true existence of evil in the world at all. Although there is indeed an existence of evil that conceals good through illusion and concealment, even the existence of evil is essentially Hashem's will. The Baal Shem Tov brings the mashal of a king who sends a wicked person to tempt his son, but even the wicked person's true desire is that the son should not listen to him.

Additionally, the life-force of evil is actually a holy spark, which is the vitality of overcoming the sin - which is actually the reason for the existence of the sin or klipah - so that it can be overcome and subdued.

The Baal Shem Tov further says that even darkness serves good, because light's advantage is from darkness - the advantage of light is recognized through darkness, just as a wise person is recognized in contrast to a fool, a tzaddik's virtue is recognized in contrast to a rasha, pleasure is recognized through affliction and suffering, and knowledge is known through forgetfulness.

Therefore, even darkness and evil have elevation and benefit, since darkness becomes like a "throne" for good, and since it becomes a throne for good it has a connection and vitality from good, like a person's hand reaching upward is itself there.

However, one should not mistakenly think that darkness is also good, because there is a partition that separates and divides between light and darkness. The virtue of darkness is specifically in recognizing that it is darkness, and in its serving as a throne for light, but one should not err and think it is good.