What are the three impure klippot?

Question

Kabbalah and Chassidus discuss the "three impure klippot" and Klippos Noga.

What is the difference between each of these three klippos?

Answer 1

A comment from the Lubavitcher Rebbe to Tanya Chapter 6, quoted in Tanya Chassidus Mevu'eres pg. 249 footnote 33 (my own translation):

To date I have not found in Chassidic discourses an explanation of the difference between the three Klipos Hatemeyos themselves, besides for the general explanation in Likkutey Torah in the explanation of "Eleh Ma'aseh" (92a). At first thought I could say that they correspond to the Three Foundations fire, wind and water (since "cloud" is water)* - as it is known that the Foundation of dust is included in the other three (see Sefer Hapardes Shaar Hamachri'im Chapter 3).

* Tanya there connected the Three Klipos Hatemeyos with the verse in Yechezkiel (1:4): וארה והנה רוח סערה באה מן הצפון ענן גדול ואש מתלקחת גו ("I looked and behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually.") The Lubavitcher Rebbe therefore connects the Three Klipos with the Three elements - "a storm wind", "a great cloud" (water) and "fire flashing".

Answer 2

*שלוש קליפות טמאות ששמן הוא רוח סערה , ענן ,אש מתלקחת *

The names of these shells are:

1. windstorm
2. cloud
3. wild fire

source: http://www.aspaklaria.info/100_QOF/%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%94.htm

Answer 3

They are three different levels of prohibition. I don't recall exactly what my melamed taught, but essentially it's this:

As is known from Tanya, the 4th klippah is Nogah.

Treif meat is forbidden to eat, but the Torah allows us to give them to dogs and goyim and I believe we're allowed to cook it. This would be indicative of the third klippah.

There are actually three discrete prohibitions regarding milk-and-meat combinations: (1) not to cook them together; (2) not to eat such a mixture; (3) not to benefit from such a mixture. However, a Jew can have such in his possession, though this usually happens inadvertently. This would indicative of the second klippah.

But on Pesach, one cannot own, cook, benefit, or eat chametz. This is clearly the first klippah.

However, even this seemingly opaque husk has a degree of permissibility. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 442:4) rules: “Regarding a food item which has Chametz mixed into it but is completely inedible for human beings, although it is permissible to retain it in one’s possession, one may not eat it until after Pesach.” The Poskim explain that it is likewise permissible to benefit from this Chametz mixture (Mishnah Berurah 442:22 and Chazon Ish Orach Chaim 116:8). The Rambam (Hilchot Chametz U’Matzah 4:8) and other Rishonim that the Bet Yosef quotes (in the beginning of the aforementioned chapter) rule accordingly.

This is not surprising as the Gemara (Ketubot 110b and elsewhere) teaches “Shinui Veset Techilat Choli,” changing one’s routine triggers illness. The difficulty animals experience when their eating routine is changed in reflected in Rashi to Bereishit 7:24 s.v. Ach No’ach, which describes how the lion on No’ach’s Teivah bit him when the lion’s food was served late. Many animals will regurgitate frequently and suffer considerably when their food regime is altered.

This comes down to Chametz Gamur vs. Ta’arovet Chametz.

A “Chametz mixture” (Ta’arovet Chametz) refers to a food which is not actual Chametz (such as bread) but merely has a Chametz ingredient mixed into it (and this food item does not have the ability to leaven other foods), such as cheese which has some flour mixed into it. Chametz mixtures share the same law as actual Chametz, in that if one retains Chametz mixtures in his possession on Pesach, he has transgressed the prohibition of “Lo Yeira’eh Lecha Chametz”, do not let Chametz be seen or found in your possession.

There is nevertheless a basic underlying distinction between pure Chametz and Chametz mixtures: Whereas actual Chametz may not be retained in one’s possession on Pesach unless it becomes inedible for a dog, a Chametz mixture may be retained in one’s possession as long as a human being would not eat it (even if a dog would).

Chametz food which becomes inedible, such as bread which was burnt to ashes, may be retained in a Jew’s possession and used for benefit on Pesach. However, this only applies to food that even a dog wouldn’t eat (Nifsal Mei’Achilat Kelev; Pesachim 21b and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 442:2 and 445:2). E.g., tropical fish food, which both Chacham Ben Tzion Abba Sha’ul and Chacham Ovadia Yosef permit to be fed to fish even though it is assur to feed dogs due to its putridity.

Thus we see that there truly is no evil. And anyone who teitsch's klippot these as satanic are sorely mistook. Learn well.