This provides us with a wonderful explanation for an important concept that is taught repeatedly in the Zohar hakadosh. The neshamos of Yisrael stem from the right, from midas hachesed; whereas the the nations of the world stem from the left, from midas hadin. Here is one of the passages teaching this lesson (Shemini 37a):
"שנינו שיש ימין ויש שמאל, רחמים ודין, ישראל לימין ועובדי עבודה זרה לשמאל, ישראל אף על גב שהם רשעים ונכנעים לפני הקב"ה, הם בימין ולא נדבקים לשמאל ולא מתערבים עמו לעולמים, ומשום כך כתוב (תהלים ס-ז) הושיעה ימינך וענני. שכאשר מתעלה הימין, ישראל שנדבקים עמו יתעלו ויתעטרו בו. אז נכנע השמאל, וכל אותם שבאים מצדו. זהו שכתוב (שמות טו-ו) ימינך ה' תרעץ אויב".
There is a right and a left— “rachamim” and “din.” Yisrael are to the right; those who worship avodah-zarah are to the left. Jews, even if they are wicked and do not obey HKB”H, are on the right and are not attached to the left and are not associated with it ever . . . Thus, when the right ascends, Yisrael, who are associated with it, ascend and benefit. Then, the left submits along with all those associated with it . . .
Let us explain this in a manner consistent with our current discussion. Yisrael’s purpose in the world is to promote and extend chesed in the world, as it is written (Tehillim 89, 3): "כי אמרתי עולם חסד יבנה"—for I said, “The world is built on chesed.” Furthermore, the entire Torah is chesed, as it is written (Mishlei 31, 26): "פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת חסד על לשונה"—she opened her mouth with wisdom, and the Torah of chesed was on her tongue. In fact, we find an even bigger chiddush; the very performance of mitzvos is a form of chesed that pleases our Father in Heaven. In the words of the Zohar hakadosh in Raiya Mehemna (Mishpatim 222b): "איזהו חסיד המתחסד עם קונו"—who is a chassid? Someone who performs chesed for his Maker. Hence, the root of the neshamos of Yisrael, who were created to receive the Torah, is from midas hachesed, from the right.
Conversely, the root of the souls of the nations of the world is from midas hadin, from the left. For, their entire beings, life-source, and existence is solely to extend “dinim”—strict justice—in the world, in keeping with the notion of G-d’s whipping strap— to arouse Yisrael to perform teshuvah. Then, after Yisrael perform teshuvah, the goyim themselves experience a colossal downfall prompted by midas hadin. This is precisely what happened to Pharaoh and Haman after they served as catalysts for Yisrael’s teshuvah, in keeping with passuk (ibid. 7, 16): "בור כרה ויחפרהו ויפול בשחת יפעל"—he dug a pit and deepened it, and he fell into the pit that he made.
