How do the three columns relate to Kabbalistic symbolism in Freemasonry?

The ten Sephiroth of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life are arranged in three vertical columns designated as the Middle Pillar, the Pillar of Mercy on the right, and the Pillar of Justice on the left 2. In Kabbalistic doctrine, these pillars represent divine attributes wherein Divine Mercy tempers Divine Justice 2.

Masonic scholars draw upon this structure when interpreting the Craft's columns and porchway pillars. Albert C. Mackey notes that while writers such as C. W. King sought to map the right and left Kabbalistic pillars directly to the temple pillars Jachin and Boaz, King transposed their attributes; Mackey argues that the Sephirah of Firmness aligns symbolically with Boaz (Strength), whereas Splendor corresponds to Jachin (Establishment) 2.

Arthur Edward Waite contends that Kabbalistic texts, such as The Garden of Pomegranates and The Gates of Light, provide the true foundation for the Masonic symbolism of the pillars Jachin and Boaz 1. In Waite's view, Holy Scripture contains very little to justify selecting these architectural pillars as symbols of a spiritualized art of building, making the Kabbalistic tradition the necessary source for understanding the strength and establishment attributed to them 1.