Maharal On The Four Kingdoms Part 2 (The Answer of Why There Are Four Kingdoms That Take Away From The Glory Of G-D)

In this last post (http://markset565.blogspot.com/2011/03/maharal-on-four-kingdoms-part-1.html) I discussed the opening question of the Maharal. Namely, "Why was the world created with the need to have the four kingdoms." In this post we will (begin to) discuss the reasons that the Maharal gives for the four kingdoms.

Maharal:
There [is a good]  explanation of this idea, that it is proper for the four kingdoms to be alluded to in the beginning of creation. These four kingdoms, that rule in this world, [exist] because it is impossible that the world, G-D's creation, be a creation without imperfection, rather we find with it a deficiency. This deficit is the four kingdoms because these four kingdoms reduce the honor of G-D in His world.

E-man:
I feel it is necessary to stop in the middle of this idea of the Maharal in order to explain an idea found all over the Maharal. In Rav Hartman's notes on the Maharal, he points out that this idea, anything created must have a deficiency, is explained in other books of the Maharal. (Netzach Yisroel and Chiddushei Aggados to Sanhedrin) There are two reasons why a created being must contain a deficiency when compared to G-D: 1) Since the creation is created by the hand of G-D, it is impossible that the creation be equal and similar to the creator. It must be that there is a lower level connection [of the created] to the creator. 2) Since the creation is created, before it was materialized  into existence there was a lack in its existence. Therefore, even after it is created, this deficit stays with it. (Basically, something that is created is inherently imperfect due to the fact that it needed to be created in the first place.)

Maharal:
From the fact that the world was created by G-D, it is proper that everything be under His command, since G-D created everything. Therefore, it is proper that everything was created to honor Him (lit. for his honor). However, once we see (understand) that the creation is from Him, it is impossible that [the creation] exist without imperfection.

E-man:
The Maharal can seem a little repetitive at times, but I think it is still important. He is explaining every aspect of this idea. One might think that any creation of G-D should reflect honor for G-D. However, since there is this imperfection in the creation, this idea is not immediately possible. If the world reflected honor for G-D immediately, there would be no lack and if there was no lack in the creation, it would be equal to G-D, which is impossible.

Maharal:
This deficit is not from G-D, because lacking and imperfection does not come from the action of the actor at all.

E-man:
Rav Hartman comes to explain this idea in a very clear way. The action (of creation) comes from G-D, but the imperfection of the creation does not come from G-D. For example, when a garment is missing a button one can ask, "Who made this garment?" However, one can't ask "Who made this lacking button." For those who love the Rambam, this idea is found there as well (The Guide for the Perplexed 3:10): "Therefore they say, without any qualification, nonexistence does not require any agent, an agent is required when something is produced."  

Maharal:
However, the imperfection is from the deficit of the world, since it is the created. From this (the created) stems forth the imperfection, which is the four kingdoms ruling in the world and taking away from the honor of G-D.

E-man:
Again, Rav Hartman points out that one imperfection leads to a second imperfection. This means that the idea of the world containing the imperfection of the four kingdoms leads to the further imperfection of the diminishment of G-D's honor in this world.

Maharal:
It is proper that this idea (that the imperfection in the world does not come from G-D) is alluded to in the beginning of the creation [of the world]. The idea behind creation is that it is proper that everything should be under the domain of G-D, like it says (in Tractate Yoma 38a), "Everything that G-D created, He created for His honor as it says in Yishaya (Isaiah 43: 7):

ז  כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי, וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו:  יְצַרְתִּיו, אַף-עֲשִׂיתִיו.	7 Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.'

[This verse] means to say that since G-D created everything, it is certain that [He] created everything for His glory (honor). For, it is impossible that something comes from one thing and (that which comes from the one thing) is opposed to it (the original one thing) because, if this were so, then we would see this thing (the created being) opposed to itself. This idea (that something would be opposed to itself) is not feasible, rather everything is created for His honor. If this is true, how do we find the four kingdoms nullifying G-D's honor? It must be that there is an imperfection in the creation (the world) itself, that this deficit does not come from the actions of G-D, rather it is an inherent cause [in the creation].

E-man:
The Maharal is explaining to us why the four kingdoms must exist and why it must have been part of the plan of creation. However, the Maharal tells us something very interesting about the four kingdoms. Yes, the four kingdoms were part of the original plan of creation, but the deficit in creation they represent does not come from G-D. He proves this in a very clever way. If G-D creates something, it must be created for His honor. However, we see the four kingdoms take away from the honor of G-D. How could G-D have created the four kingdoms if everything He created was for His honor? It must be that G-D did not directly create the four kingdoms, rather since the world is a creation, it must contain inherent deficits. Why? The mere fact that the creation is a creation means it can not be perfect for the reasons we stated above.

The Maharal is able to explain why the four kings are part of the original plan of creation while also denying G-D's association with this imperfection laced into the fabric of creation. Personally, I think this maneuvering is pure genius if one can understand it. In essence, the Maharal associates the deficit in the world, manifested by the existence of the four kingdoms, with darkness (or the general lack of something). Just like the absence of light is not a creation or the missing button is not a creation, so too the existence of the four kingdoms is not a creation. Once this is understood it is impossible to say G-D created the four kingdoms, rather He created the world which automatically has to be imperfect. That imperfection was manifested as the four kingdoms. This, then, leads to the further imperfection of G-D's honor being nullified by these four kingdoms.

I hope that was clear enough. There are many more explanations that Rav Hartman brings down, either by himself or from other books written by the Maharal, but I can not provide an exhaustive list. Any questions that you might have, feel free to ask and I will try my best to answer.

Next time we discuss this, the Maharal talks about why there are specifically four kingdoms and not three or five.

Read the next part here.