The kings of Edom, Genesis 36, symbolize the failure of God; the comforting thought that even God is not without faults. The Kabbalah interprets the mentioning of the kings of Edom as a hidden clue to the existence of God's previous creative experiments. Experiments that failed because there was not yet a balance between the male element and the female element. Because of that imperfection, these primordial worlds have been destroyed or the are hidden for another time, expressed by the method of covering up and splashing layers of paint. Only when male justice is rightly balanced by female compassion - symbolized by the fascinating Mehetabe'el Queen of Edom, the spouse of the last king of Edom - does stable, viable creation has become possible.