On the contrary, “the Luminary” is revealed even more than before the Tzimtzum.
There are three levels in understanding this statement, that “on the contrary, the Luminary is revealed” through the Tzimtzum:
1- A basic level of understanding this is that the Tzimtzum did not affect the Luminary, Hashem’s Essence. This is because He transcends the category of Light, He is not a “Light” and therefore cannot be hidden. He is not an idea or concept that can be too lofty to be grasped. He is the “True Existence” of anything that can come into being, and nothing could possibly exist unless He is already there, bringing it into existence. According to this, the emphasis is on the fact that Hashem’s Essence is not affected by the Tzimtzum, and, in fact, He is found everywhere just as before. (See the Rebbe Rashab’s notes on this statement in Notes on Pasach Eliyahu, p. 54 of the new edition (p. 52 previous edition, p. 73 of first edition.) This understanding of the statement is similar to the Alter Rebbe’s explanation in Shaar HaYichud Vehamenua, that the concept of Tzimtzum does not apply to Hashem’s Essence.
2- A deeper level of understanding: Hashem is more “found” after the Tzimtzum than before. This is because the Light “distracts” from Essence. (See Hemshech Beshaa Shehikdimu chap. 349, Parshas Lech Lecha 5775 page 717.) In many places (see beginning of Sefer Hamaamarim Yiddish) there in analogy for this concept: When a person wants to test water to see if it is too hot, he does not use his head, which is very sensitive, but rather his feet. This is because the power to jump into hot water regardless of the what will happen comes from a deep part of the person, the essence, that can tolerate anything. However, because the head (and other body parts) have their own function and sensitivity that dervies from lower aspects of the soul, they are not “tuned in” to the essence. Only the foot that has no other revealed soul powers “distracting it” can “tune in” to the essence. This is also why the power of self-sacrifice, mesirus nefesh, is found specifically in the simple people and in the lowest generation, and not as much in the the grea intellectual scholars. The wisdom and understanding they perceive “distracts” them from the core-level essential connection of a Jew to Hashem, which is expressed in Mesirus Nefesh.
3- A deeper level of understanding: Its not just that the Tzimtzum caused us to be less “distracted” from His Essence because He hid His Light. More than that, the awareness and connection to His Essence is specifically found in the physical world, in people who overcome their ego for Hashem. The reason: The source of the notion of ego, that something exists by itself, seemingly independent of anything else, as though its existence is from itself, is derived from the Essence of Hashem, the absolute True Existence, whose being is from Himself, and has no outside source at all. In all the spiritual levels, everything has a source. All the souls and angels recognize their spiritual source. Emotion shows on intellect that is its source, conscious intellect shows on subconscious intellect, etc. Only physical creatures in this world, people, have a notion of existing without a source. Even though this is illogical, because something cannot create itself, nonetheless, this notion exists as a (backwards reflections and) derivative of the fact that Hashem’s Essence has no source. When a person overcomes the foolishness of his ego, and chooses to serve Hashem, he trasnforms the ego itself to reveal its source in Hashem’s Essence. Similary, every physical object that seems to not have a source, by transforming it into something holy through using it for a mitzvah, we reveal its source, its special connection, to Hashem’s Very Essence, that has no source. In that sense, the “Luminary,” Hashem Himself is found specifically after the Tzimtzum, in the physical world, in physical people serving Hashem. (See Basi Legani 5729 chap. 7-9 and in the footnotes there.)
Children's Intuitive Knowledge of Hashem
This is why even young children know that Hashem exists, even though they have no intellectual grasp or understanding how He exists or what His existence entails. This is because there is no revelation of intellectual light within these young children. Nevertheless, “the Luminary” itself exists below just as it is Above.
This concept, that the Tzimtzum only applies to the Light, but not to the source of the Light, is one of the fundamental novelties of Chassidus. (In the time of the Alter Rebbe there were certain other Torah scholars that believed that Tzimtzum could apply on some level to Hashem as well, and this opinion was shown to be erroneous, as explained in Tanya, Shaar HaYichud Vehaemuna, mentioned above.)
The Alter Rebbe’s proof brings this out: If Hashem was a “Light,” a revelation, and idea or concept, then some people would know about Him and some people not. Smarter people would be more aware of that concept, and those of lesser intelligence would be less aware. However, all people are equally aware of the fact that Hashem exists. This is because Hashem in not a Light, not an Infinite Light, or any kind of Light or spiritual level or revelation. Rather, Hashem is just Himself, and He is also the source of all revelations. Since He is not a Light, no Tzimtzum can affect Him at all, He cannot be hidden or concealed in any way whatsoever.
Based on this, what does it mean that “the Luminary” is revealed, if He is not a revelation? He is not revealed in the intellectual sense of understanding how He exists, or what He is. He is only revealed in the basic fact that He does exist. Every person has an intuitive sense of the fact that there is a Creator, even if they have no intellectual explanation for Him at all. This is because His Essential Being is “felt” at the essential level of the soul, at the core-being of every creature, at a level higher than explanation.
This is true in a very profound way in Jewish people, who have an inherent connection to Hashem on a level that transcends intellect. But even non-jews have some intuitive awareness of this most basic truth of existence, that there is a Creator, even though we cannot understand Him.
The Nature of Tzimtzum: Empty Space and Potential
Therefore, this Tzimtzum is called “An empty space and void,” meaning that it is empty and devoid of Light, and contains no Light or revelation, whatsoever. Rather, the Light remains entirely in a potential state, within “the Luminary.”
As will be emphasized further in the maamar, the effect of the Tzimtzum is only in terms of our perception. It created a space where we do not perceive the Light. It did not actually cancel out the Light, it just hid it from us, so that from our perspective, it seems as though the Light was retracted back into its source, since we do not see it. In that sense, the Tzimtzum created a “space” that looks empty from the Light. This is needed so that the worlds do not become overwhelmed by the intensity of the Infinite Light.
Analogy of the Soul and the Body
This is analogous to the soul. When it enters the body, the revealed energy through which the soul animates the body is perceptible. However, prior to entering the body, even though the soul already contains the necessary energy to animate the body upon becoming invested in it, nonetheless, this energy and ability still only exists in a potential state, but do not actually animate the body, as long as the soul has not yet entered the body to animate it, thereby revealing this potential ability from its hidden state and actualizing it.
Analogy of Wisdom and Vision
Similarly, regarding the wisdom of a wise man: When his wisdom is shared with others, or even with himself, when he is consciously involved in it (his own wisdom), then it is revealed, since his wisdom is seen and revealed, either to others or to himself. However, when he is not involved in utilizing his wisdom consciously, then his wisdom only exists in his soul in potential. Meaning, that he has the ability to understand if he will apply his intellect to understanding, but this ability is not realized from its potential state unless he actually applies himself to understanding some matter.
Similarly, regarding the ability to see with the eyes. Even if one closes his eyes, his ability to see remains perfectly intact. Nevertheless, this power of vision is not revealed so that the eye can actually see unless one opens his eyes. The same is true for the ability to walk that is invested in the foot, and with all other senses and abilities in each of the limbs of the body.
The Tzimtzum of Hashem’s Infinite Light
Similarly, this can be understood regarding the Tzimtzum of Hashem’s Infinite Light Above: The Light and revelation are retracted and concealed so that they remain only in a potential state within the Luminary, but are not actualized and revealed in the world. This is known as an “Empty space and void,” with respect to the Light, since there is no revealed Light apparent.
Now, it is not a truly “empty space,” Heaven forbid, since the Luminary fills the entire void and is present despite the lack of revelation. This is because the Luminary cannot possibly undergo a tzimtzum or concealment, and the Light remains only in potential.
As mentioned above, not only is there no Tzimtzum at all regarding Hashem Himself, “the Luminary,” even in the Infinte Light of Hashem it is not an actual “removal” or cancelation of the Light. The Light exists just as strongly as it did before the Tzimtzum. All that happened is that it became hidden from our perspective. This is described as reverting to a potential state. The power of sight in the eye is just as strong when the eyelids are closed, it is just not noticeable. The wisdom in the mind of the sage is just as strong when he is temporarily involved in something else, it didn’t disappear. It just isn’t noticeable.
Similarly, Hashem’s Infinite Light is actually still here, in the place where we exist. It did not actually leave or go somewhere else. It just became unnoticeable, invisible, to us. That is most people don’t even know that the Infinite Light exists in the first place, since it became invisible to us.
Hashem’s Essential Being Remains
However, regarding Hashem Himself even that type of Tzimtzum did not take place. Hashem’s Essential Being is found and experienced here and now exactly as before. That is why everyone knows deep down that Hashem exists.
Nevertheless, since the Arizal used the analogy of light to describe the revelation and life-force that extends from the Infinite One that brings into being the Ten Sefiros (Chochma, Bina, etc.), likening it to the radiance and rays that travel from the sun in order to shine upon the world and its inhabitants, therefore, he (the Arizal) called the Tzimtzum, which describes how the light retracted and become included in its source within the luminary, as an “empty place,” in reference to the concealment of light and revelation, indicating that the place is empty and devoid of our perception of Hashem’s revelation.
This concealment is a lack of expression, to the extent that it cannot be given any name at all, not Chochma-Wisdom, and not even “Wise, but not in the sense of a wisdom that can be known [to others],” (in fact, it cannot be felt or experienced at all, not even as an abstract potential),
The Rebbe Rashab explains: When Hashem “retracted” the expression of His Infinite Light to become included back into the Luminary, it became reunited with its source in Hashem so powerfully, that it lost any sense of being a possibility to be the source of creation in any way.
To explain this: When a person holds up a candle in the middle of the day facing the sun, the light of the flame is unnoticeable. However, the flame still exists, and if one were to put something in the flame of candle it would still get burned, since the fire exists, even though it isn’t noticeable. However, the light of the sun that we see, when it was still inside the sun, it did not exist as light at all. If you could somehow go inside the sun, you would not find light, only fire. Inside the body of the sun is only the “possibility” for light, no actual light, not even “unnoticeable light.” Similarly, when the Infinite Light was retracted into the Luminary of the Infinite Hashem, it only exists as a “possibility” for Light, not “potential Light,” not “unnoticeable Light.”
This “possibility for Light” found in the Luminary can only be perceived after it is drawn down in a “Kav-Singular Ray of Light” that undergoes numerous descents from one level to the next, through the various levels of Adam Kadmon, Akudim, Nikudim and Brudim, etc.
The Kav: Limited Revelation After Tzimtzum
The maamar does not mention here (although it will mention it later) a concept that is important to note: The Light that was retracted back into the Luminary through the Tzimtzum had to go through another process before it becomes acccesible to worlds. This process is called “חזר והאיר-it had to return to be revealed” but this time in only a “קוו קצר וקטן -a tiny thread,” a hairsbreadth, of the original Light. This “Kav” (also known as Kav VeChut-Line and String of Light), this singular ray of Light, had to penetrate through the Tzimtzum to come into the “void and empty space” of concealment on the Light, so that there should be some revelation in the place of concealment.
The Rebbe Rashab (see Sefer Hamaamrim 5661, p. 166) explains this process with an analogy: A teacher has a deep idea in his head, but it is too deep for the student to grasp. In order to be able to give over to the student some grasp of that concept, he must do two things:
First, he must remove from his mind his deep way of understanding the concept that is way above the level of the student. He needs to create an “empty space” devoid of the intensity of that revelation. If his original way of thinking is shining in his head, there is no possibility of finding a way to explain it to the student.
After he moved his deep understanding into the back of his mind, he can sort out and find some aspect of that idea that is relevant to the student, that is possible for the student to understand. He brings out from his deep understanding in the back of his mind a “Kav,” a singular ray of light, the essential point of an idea that he can develop into an explanation that his student will grasp. When he finds that essential point of an idea, he needs to “flesh it out” and develop it, stage after stage, until it is ready to be given over to the student.
This is the idea of the Tzimtzum: The Infinite Light is too powerful for worlds to handle, even the “World” of Atzilus. In order to give over His revelation to “Worlds,” He first had to retract His Infinite Light into the “back of His mind,” as it were, and create an “empty space,” as it were, to be able to reveal a limited Light. If the Infinite Light is shining, there is no “room” for the limited Light to be revealed. Then He picks out, from the Infinite Light, a limited Light that is possible for the worlds to handle, and shines it into the “empty space” He made for limited worlds to be revealed. This limited Light is called “the Kav.”
Once this “Kav” is revealed in the “empty space,” it can serve as the source of the various levels which bring about the existence of Atzilus. This is similar to how the teacher has to develop and flesh out the essential idea he picked out for this student, until it is ready to be given over to the student.
Specifically, this Kav brings into being three levels that precede Atzilus:
- Adam Kadmon, the “beginning of man,” the beginning of the concept of 10 Sefiros, which are called “Adam Helyon-the Man Above,” since it is the source of the ten aspects of the soul of man.
- Akudim, the next stage of the idea of Ten Sefiros, as they begin to take form as a source for “actual” Sefiros.
- Nekudim/Tohu, the first “World” of “actual” Sefiros. This “World” of the Sefiros of Tohu had the “Sheviras HeKeilim-shattering of the Keilim,” and after it was “repaired” it became the World of the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus.
The Source of the Keilim and Sefiros
These levels are referred to as “the eyes” of Adam Kadmon, which are the source of the Keilim of the levels of Akudim, and Nekudim, which makes possible for there to come into existence the level of Chochma of Atzilus, that is “Wise,
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