Breaking Through the Husk

In the Kabbalah, the forces of darkness and evil are called “shells” and “husks”. Which means that they are not inherently bad, they’re meant simply to protect the fruit. It’s just when we humans confuse the fruit with the husk and vice-versa that we cause them to become truly evil.

With some fruits, like dates, figs, grapes and pears, the peel is just as edible as the fruit itself. Other fruits, like bananas, oranges and grapefruits, have a peel that’s easily removed. But some, like coconuts, require real effort to crack.

So too in life: There are things we do that are all good, like mitzvahs. Other things are permissible, but you can find a way to make a mitzvah out of it. Then there are major challenges that put everything you believe to the test. But when you crack the nut and break through the test, you find yourself lifted higher, way beyond where you started off. Those are the best fruits of life.