Tsimtsum - retraction

In the beginning, there was no existence except His presence; the Creator was alone, occupying all space with His light. His light, without end, borders or limit, filled everything. He was not bestowing His influence because there was no one to receive it. When He willed to create; He started to influence. His light being of such holiness and intensity, it is not possible for any being to exist in its proximity.

The “Tsimtsum" is the first act of Ein Sof (Infinite) in the creation. It is the retraction of His light from a certain space and encircling it, so as to reduce its intensity and allow created beings to exist. After this contraction, a ray of His light entered this empty space and formed the first Sephirot.

By these boundaries, He revealed the concepts of rigor and limit needed by the created beings, and gave a space for all the created to exist.



‘Hallal - vacant space

After the Tsimtsum (retraction) of His light, an empty space called ‘Hallal was left in the center of this new creation – a space without His full presence. This space is circular and contains all possibilities of existence for separated entities, given that they are now distanced from the intensity of His light.

Reshimu - imprint

When His light retracted to form this round space, a trace of it called Reshimu - imprint remained inside. This lower intensity light allowed a space of existence (Makom) for all the created worlds and beings.

The roots of all future existence and events are in the Reshimu. Nothing can come into existence without having its root in this imprint.

The combination of the Reshimu - imprint of the original light and the Kav – ray of His direct light, will be the origin of all future worlds and existence.

Kav - ray

This ray of His direct light called "Kav" emerged from Ein Sof (Infinite) and entered on one side of the vacant space, where there was still an imprint of the original light. The Kav, which represents the masculine and the imprint, the feminine, will now together give existence to the worlds and the various systems of Sephirot with which He will govern these worlds.