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    God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms
    God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms
    God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms
    Ebook64 pages42 minutes

    God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms

    By Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez

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    About this ebook

    In this wide-ranging essay, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yépez explore the profound implications of the kabbalistic idea of Tzimtzum, the 'contraction' of God that allows for Creation, through different paradigms of Jewish belief over the centuries, and look at its function in Judaism and Jewish practice today.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlbion-Andalus Books
    Release dateSep 1, 2014
    ISBN9781310839375
    God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: An Essay on the 'Contraction' of God in Different Jewish Paradigms
    Author

    Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

    Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi, the inspiration of the Jewish Renewal movement, is widely recognized as one of the most important Jewish spiritual teachers of our time. Professor emeritus at Temple University, he has contributed to Jewish Mysticism and the Spiritual Life: Classical Texts, Contemporary Reflections, and is the author of Jewish with Feeling: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Practice, Davening: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Prayer, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit: Reb Zalman's Guide to Recapturing the Intimacy & Ecstasy in Your Relationship with God, (all Jewish Lights); From Age-ing to Sage-ing; and Wrapped in a Holy Flame, among other books.

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      Book preview

      God Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown - Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

      God Hidden,

      Whereabouts Unknown

      An Essay on the ‘Contraction’ of God

      in Different Jewish Paradigms

      Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

      & Netanel Miles-Yépez

      Published by Albion-Andalus Books at Smashwords

      "The old shall be renewed,

      and the new shall be made holy."

      — Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook

      Copyright © 2013 Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yépez

      First edition. All rights reserved.

      This ebook may not be re-sold or given away. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, except for brief passages in connection with a critical review, without permission in writing from the publisher:

      Albion-Andalus Inc.

      P. O. Box 19852

      Boulder, CO 80308

      www.albionandalus.com

      Design and composition by Albion-Andalus Inc.

      Cover design by Albion-Andalus Inc.

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      ISBN-13: 978-1310839375

      Table of Contents

      Author's Note

      Part I: Paradigm Shift & The Divine Contraction

      Tzimtzum

      Epochs & Reality-Maps

      Aries—Deistic Tzimtzum

      Pisces—Theistic Tzimtzum

      From Infinity to Finitude

      Aquarius — Pantheistic Tzimtzum

      Part II: A Meditation on Tzimtzum

      Deism, Theism, Pantheism, & The Problem of Evil

      Scaling-Down the Light & Its Imprisonment

      The Death and Resurrection of the Sparks

      Tzimtzum as a Function in Jewish Renewal

      Appendix: The Origin and Meaning of the Word, Tzimtzum

      Notes

      Works Cited

      Author Biographies

      The tzimtzum was a result of God’s love.

      — The Maggid of Mezritch

      Authors’ Note

      This essay is based on lecture entitled, "Tzimtzum," originally given to B’nai Or Religious Fellowship students by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi on January 8th, 1985. It was later picked up in 1999 by Netanel Miles-Yépez and developed into a longer essay, exploring various philosophical aspects of the subject. It was first published in a slightly revised form as a two-part article in Spectrum: A Journal of Renewal Spirituality (Vol. 2, Nos. 1 & 2) in 2006, and revised again for this present publication. Both authors wish to thank Leigh Ann Dillinger for proof-reading the manuscript.

      Z.S-S. & N.M-Y.

      PART I

      Paradigm Shift &

      The Divine Contraction

      Tzimtzum

      Tzimtzum, or ‘contraction,' is the first movement in the holy kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria’s stunningly profound myth of Creation. Indeed, it is Luria (called Ha’Ari, ‘the lion’) who, steeped in the mystical teachings of the Zohar, actually restores a truly mythological perspective to Judaism, teaching us the following:

      Know this . . .

      Before Emanations

      And Creations,

      A Simple Light

      Filled all of

      Existence.

      All was Full

      With Simplicity,

      With Infinite Light.

      No beginning,

      No end;

      All was One

      Uniform Light.

      Now, the Will

      To create Worlds

      And Emanations

      Emerged.

      Now, the Infinite

      Contracted Self

      In the Center

      Of Its Light

      Withdrawing

      From that Center

      To the sides

      Surrounding,

      Leaving an

      Empty Space,

      A Void.¹

      That is to say, tzimtzum was and is a self-contraction of the Light of Divinity, moving away from a point at its ‘center,’ making a space in which Creation might have a limited autonomy in the midst of God’s overwhelming presence.

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