Tzimtzum

Tzimtzum is a central concept in Lurianic Kabbalah, a doctrine within Judaism that seeks to explain the nature of creation. It describes the initial act of God's self-limitation, where the infinite light of the Godhead, known as Ohr Ein Sof, is contracted to create a vacant space. This contraction allows for the existence of the Four Worlds, or finite realms, which are the domains of creation.

The concept of tzimtzum gives rise to a fundamental paradox in Kabbalistic thought, where God's presence and absence coexist within the created universe. The nature of this paradox and the mechanism of tzimtzum itself are subject to various interpretations, reflecting the complexity and depth of Lurianic Kabbalah. Through the concept of tzimtzum, Jewish mystics have sought to understand the relationship between the infinite and the finite, and the role of God in the creation and sustenance of the universe.