Kav and Chut

The concept of Kav and Chut represents the beginning of the chain of spiritual descent (Hishtalshelut) through Divine illumination that broke through the Tzimtzum (Divine contraction).

The Kav is a drawing down of the Infinite Light (Ohr Ein Sof) from Hashem's essence, from the inner dimension of Atik to Zeir Anpin and Nukva, through the Tzimtzum by means of the Sefirot (Chochma-Bina-Daat, Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferet, and Netzach-Hod-Yesod) as it passes through the worlds: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (which is our world). There it continues to illuminate the elemental foundations: fire, wind, water, and earth (which is the lowest level). Here, the light of the Kav becomes reflected light (Ohr Chozer), which gives the earth the ability to produce something from nothing. Similarly, through Mitzvot, which connect the physical and spiritual, a person draws down spiritual illumination to bring pleasure to the Creator.

Origin

In the book Otzrot Chaim at its beginning, it briefly describes the order of Hishtalshelut at the beginning of creation. After explaining the concept of Tzimtzum, it continues:

"And when He contracted Himself, then through another side of this circular void, He drew light through one straight, thin line like a pipe—light extending from the Ein Sof into this void, filling it. But a vacant space remained between the light within this void and the light of the Ein Sof surrounding this void as mentioned, which contracted to its sides. And the end of this line below also does not touch the light of the Ein Sof itself, for if it did, the matter would return to what it was, and this light within the void would reconnect with the light of the Ein Sof as it was at first." — Otzrot Chaim, at its beginning.

The Concept of Kav and Chut

The concept of Kav and Chut, which extends after the Tzimtzum, is an illumination from the final aspect of the Infinite Light, which is the aspect of Malchut of Malchut of Ohr Ein Sof. From this illumination extends the Hishtalshelut of all worlds through many contractions.

An analogy for the extension of the Kav and Chut is the shape of the letter Vav, which extends in a narrowing fashion. From the Yud of the supernal Tehiru (primordial ether), a line and thread extends in the aspect of Vav.

The concept of extending the Kav and Chut is the extension of the "fills all worlds" (Memalei Kol Almin), in contrast to the first circle, which is above the aspect of Hishtalshelut, which is a general encompassing light (Makif Klali) for all of Hishtalshelut without any aspect of higher and lower at all.

The extension of the Kav does not nullify the concept of Tzimtzum, but only corrects certain details that were created through it, and gives the ability and possibility to nullify the concept of Tzimtzum through the work of Torah and Mitzvot. This concept is also understood from the analogy: "through Tzimtzum, a circular empty space was created, and He drew into it one thin line," for it is obvious even in the analogy that a line cannot fill a circular space.

Its Root in Tzimtzum in the Aspect of a Square

In Chassidut, it is explained that there are two types of Tzimtzum. The known Tzimtzum from which begins the creation of the worlds and which is mentioned in Etz Chaim, and called there the "First Tzimtzum," and the Tzimtzum in the aspect of a square, which is a hidden root for the worlds, and called briefly in Etz Chaim by the term "empty space." Due to the high concealment of this Tzimtzum, Rabbi Chaim Vital did not want to engage in it, fearing that the concept might be misunderstood in physical terms, but in Chassidut, especially in the teachings of the Maggid of Mezritch and in Chabad Chassidut, they extensively engaged with this realm.

The Rebbe explains that while the Tzimtzum in Etz Chaim was in the aspect of a circle and in the aspect of a point, alluding to complete concealment closed like a point without form, we find that there is another stage of a line that indicates the beginning of measurement in length and width and revelation. Nevertheless, the line is not complete revelation but only the root of revelation, meaning the line is the beginning of the reality of revelation. The line is the power of extension from above to below, but there is still no actual extension from above to below within it.

The root of this line is from the Infinite Light before the Tzimtzum, in which there was an aspect of Tzimtzum in the aspect of a square, meaning that even before there was a complete Tzimtzum in which the Infinite Light was concealed, the Ein Sof, in His essence, assessed, as it were, the divine pleasure that would be revealed in the worlds. According to this pleasure, the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared the Tzimtzum as it was to be in a way that the Infinite Light would later be revealed through the work of the tzaddikim as a result of the illumination of all the Partzufim in the world of Atzilut.

This power both limits and reveals at once: on one hand, it contains the revelation of all the work of the tzaddikim after the Tzimtzum, since this Tzimtzum is, as it were, in His essence, in a place where there is still no concealment. Nevertheless, it is the root of concealment and Tzimtzum, which Tzimtzum comes to revelation through the Reshimu, which is like an extension from the Infinite Light before the Tzimtzum. It limits the length and width of the worlds, meaning that the light in the worlds will be appropriately measured so that the Infinite Light can be revealed in the worlds and the lights will not exceed the vessels. In contrast, the line in the Reshimu is the power of revelation that unifies everything as the Infinite Light was before the Tzimtzum. The difference between this Tzimtzum and the second Tzimtzum in Etz Chaim is that in this Tzimtzum, the revelation is actual and the concealment is only potential, unlike the second Tzimtzum, whose main actual existence is concealment.

While after the Kav the ten Sefirot are realities of lights separate from each other (even if in the world of Akudim they are in the aspect of light in one vessel), before the Kav—in this Tzimtzum in the aspect of a square—the ten Sefirot are in the aspect of being hidden and completely unified.

The Extension of the Kav and Chut

The void is in the aspect of concealment of light, and the Kav and Chut is in the aspect of revelation. But the illumination of the Kav and Chut is a contracted illumination and is therefore called only by the name Kav and Chut. Therefore, in the multiplicity of Hishtalshelut, concealment and hiding occur below. The illumination of the Kav extends to Malchut of Atzilut and ends there, but afterward extends and breaks through the Parsa (the barrier separating Atzilut from Beriah).

The Manner of Its Extension

Several places in Chassidut explain that the extension of the Kav is in a manner of limitlessness, which corresponds to the approach that the lights are simple and its extension is from the limitlessness before the Tzimtzum. And several places explain that the extension of the Kav is in a manner of limitation, which corresponds to the approach that the lights are formed and its extension is from the ten hidden Sefirot in the supernal Tehiru, which is the power of limitation in the Infinite Light.

In the Future Era

In the future era, within the aspect of the Kav and Chut will be revealed from the aspect of the first circle that surrounds the entire void in one equality.