Ma`rifat Adyan

This article provides a comparative analysis of the views of Mani and Isaac Luria on the problem of evil. Mani, the founder of Manichaeism in the 3rd century CE, viewed the world as the arena for the confrontation between the forces of light and darkness, considering evil to be a consequence of the dominance of darkness over light. In this system, liberation depends on the active participation of humans in strengthening the luminous forces and resisting darkness. In contrast, Isaac Luria, one of the most important Kabbalistic thinkers of the 16th century, proposed the theory of "Shevirat HaKelim" (the Breaking of the Vessels) and "Tikkun" (Restoration). Based on this view, cosmic disorder and instability result from an initial catastrophe, and humanity's mission is to reconstruct and repair the world through ethical acts and spiritual rituals. This research, while examining the fundamental commonalities and distinctions between the two approaches, demonstrates that each provides a coherent effort to explain the reason for the existence of evil and offers strategies to confront it. Their differences reflect their distinct historical, cultural, and social contexts. The results of the study indicate that the teachings of these two systems can inspire novel approaches for an ethical and spiritual confrontation with contemporary challenges at the individual, social, and environmental levels.