Is God Here or Not? Unpacking the Tzimtzum

In this episode of "Truths: Jewish Wisdom for Today," Rabbi Dr. Levi Brackman explains mystical concepts from Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. Specifically, he delves deeper into the concept of "tzimtzum" - the notion in Kabbalah that God contracted His infinite light to allow space for the world to be created. The episode begins with a recap of the critical points covered in the previous episode, including how the Divine light of Ein Sof contracted through an act of divine will to make space for the world"s formation. After this contraction, called tzimtzum, God reinserted divine light through a "line" called the Kav, which gave rise to the Sefirot - the attributes through which God interacts with the world. The episode delves into the discussion over whether tzimtzum was meant literally or figuratively. If taken literally, it would mean there are spaces utterly devoid of God"s presence. However, many kabbalists believe the contraction was an illusion or concealment, with God"s essence still fully present everywhere, even if creation does not perceive it. Two perspectives are outlined - whether the contraction happened literally (kipshuto) or not literally (lo kipshuto). The Tanya, an early Chabad work of Kabbalah, argues the tzimtzum was not entirely literal, as it is impossible for anywhere to be devoid of God"s essence or presence. To explain what the contraction could mean, the episode provides two analogies. The first involves concentrated orange juice - removing water to reach an essence in concentrated form. Similarly, in tzimtzum, aspects of God"s infinite light were concealed, but God"s essence remains unchanged. The second analogy sees tzimtzum as a teacher simplifying complex Kabbalistic concepts when explaining them to students by focusing on the audience"s level of understanding. The episode concludes with a poetic explanation of tzimtzum using words, letters, and language as metaphors. The infinite divine light can be seen as the "intelligence" behind the words. The contraction removed the light, leaving the "letters" (vessels/worlds) behind. When the light returns to animate the vessels, meaning and purpose are restored to creation. In summary, this episode journeyed more profoundly into the expansive concept of tzimtzum - conveying mystical ideas in an intellectually accessible manner for a general audience interested in Kabbalah. Through these layered explanations, Rabbi Brackman aims to provide some coherent meaning to this abstruse, paradoxical concept from Jewish mystical thought. Support the show Levi Brackman is a rabbi, Ph.D. in psychology, best-selling author of Jewish Wisdom for Business Success, and founder of Invown, a platform for real estate fundraising and investing.