Tsimtsum

Tsimtsum, as we learn in the first chapter of Eits Chaim, is how the world came into being.

"In the beginning of everything, all of existence was  unitary light called Ein Sof. There was no vacated or "empty" space. ... He contracted Himself from the midpoint of His light - to the sides and surroundings and empty space resulted between them".

Here, Tsimtsum is defined as withdrawal. God had, so to speak, withdraw so that a space for independent creatures could come into being.  Whether this withdrawal was actual, potential, or located solely within human perception is a question that we will not currently discuss. I would just caution that Tsimtsum can be conceived of in terms of human perception or in terms of philosophic concepts or as Hashgacha vis Ramchal. It is clear, however, that Tsimtsum is defined here as withdrawal. It cannot be otherwise, for at this first step in Creation (or rather Emanation), nothing could have changed if not for  a withdrawal.

However, it is incorrect to think of Tsimtusm as a one time event. In truth, tsimtsum is a basic mechanism of all stations of emanation. At every step of descent, the light must be lessened, for, coming from a higher level, it by definition is something that the lower level cannot perceive.

"All contractions lead to a decrease of the light so that the lower levels can receive it (Eits Chaim, Nekuddim, CH.2)."

What we have here is quite different, not a concept of withdrawal that creates "space", but a filtering, a lessening of light, so that it can "fit" and interact on a lower level of existence. It is concealed enough so that it does not overwhelm or swallow the lower level.

It follows then that the same word "Tsimtsum" describes two very different phenomena. One is an actual withdrawal, to open up a "space", and the other is merely a diminishing of light, so us not to overwhelm.

The disadvantage of this approach is that it commingles terminology, using the same word to describe two very different things. However, this is common in the Oral Torah as a whole - the meaning is paramount, not the wording.

This understanding is made explicit in the following letter of the Last Lubavitcher Rebbe (from  http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/letters-rebbe-1/91.htm:)

"As is well known, the manner in which the creation [began] is that, "at the outset, there was a sublime and simple light which filled all existence.... When it arose in His simple will to create the worlds, He contracted this light. There remained a space and an empty cavity. And afterwords, He extended one vector ..." as stated and explained in Torah Or, in the maamar entitled Pasach Eliyahu, and in Likkutei Torah, in the maamar entitled Lehavin MasheKasuv BiOtzaros Chayim, and other sources.

There is a difference between this contraction (tzimtzum) and the subsequent tzimtzumim. For this [first] tzimtzum is characterized by withdrawal and not [merely] limitation. This makes it possible for the vector (kav) to be drawn down afterwords, i.e., light to be enclothed in vessels. This allows for the worlds to exist. "

However, even within Chabad there is another view. Basing himself on another unique principle of Chabad, that tsimtsum took place only in terms of human perception but not in the Ein Sof Himself ( Ohr, not Maor or Atsmus), Rabbi Yossi Ives explains Tsimtsum in the recently published Seder Hishtalshelus (London 2004). (For more on this see, http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/letters-rebbe-1/04.htm). In it on pp.35-45 he argues that all of tsimtsum is of the second type, that of concealment of light, never a withdrawal. There are others who hold this view, for example Maor V'Shemesh in the beginning of Genesis and Ramchal (KLCH, 24). It is made explicit in Nefesh Hachaim 3:7.

Finally, there is an opinion that all tsimtsumim are withdrawals. There is radical corollary to this; since withdrawal leaves an empty space, there must be innumerable empty spaces in the fabric of emanation. The concentric spheres must not touch, for if they do, light from the higher level will flow in and overwhelm the light from a lower level. R. Arye Kaplan, basing himself on LIkkuttei Moharan 64:3 and a citation from Etiz Chaim (which, however, talks specifically of the initial tsimtsum), writes in Inner Space, p. 125:

"Immediately light extended from all directions and created a round concentric sphere that filled the entire vacated space... and the concentric sphere vacated... The process of constriction and expansion continued until the Kav reached the center point and the entire Vacated Space was filled with luminous universes, one within the other.. We might conjecture, however, that in between each of these concentric spheres there is a kind of no man's land, where God is completely hidden, and where one who does not know how to look would say that God is not there".

See also TRSVav by Rebbe Rashab, beginning of Vayecholu Hashemaim.

To restate, there are 3 views on Tsimtsum:

1.It is all concealment from human perception or, alternatively, diminishing of the brightness of Divine light as it falls from level to level - never a withdrawal.

2.It is always a withdrawal; consequently the world is full of dark spaces where God cannot be found.

3.The initial Tsimtsum was a withdrawal; all the subsequent ones were concealment.

There is much more to say on this topic but.. it is time to withdraw... and conceal.

Comments

[Shlomo]

R' Soloveitchik's view (in Halachic Man perhaps?): Tzimtzum creates a realm temporarily free of holiness, which makes possible the human task of filling that realm with holiness.

[jacob]

Tzimtzum can be compared to a teacher who wishes to communicate a complex difficult topic to a simple student. He must therefore identify the aspects of the topic that the student can relate to. Before he can do so he must temporarily "withdraw" his own perspective on the entire topic. only then can he identify the narrower aspects that relate to the student. The initial "withdrawal" is a shift in focus whereby the teacher creates an area of his consciousness in which he ignores his own knowledge. thus it cannot be seen as a true withdrawal inasmuch as the higher perception of the teacher is latent and readily available to him even within the created lower zone of consciousness.

Similairly the Tzitzun Horishon (original tzimtzum) is a "withdrawal" that only affects the perception within the lower zone(the vacuum) but cannot truly be said to affect the light itself.

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