Editing The First Tzimtzum (section)

==== The Necessity for Tzimtzum Not According to its Simple Meaning ====
The Alter Rebbe completely rejected the understanding that the Tzimtzum is to be taken literally, as he wrote in Tanya: "From here, one can understand the error of some who think themselves wise—may Hashem forgive them, who erred and were mistaken in their study of the writings of the Arizal—and understood the concept of Tzimtzum mentioned there literally, that the Holy One, blessed be He, removed Himself and His Essence, Heaven forbid, from this world and only supervises from above with particular providence over all creatures, both in the heavens above and on the earth below." He elaborates that this view is refuted both from the perspective of logic and from the perspective of Kabbalah:

'''From the perspective of logic''', since in the Maor (Source of Light) which is Infinite itself, the concept of Tzimtzum, Heaven forbid, and concealment are not applicable, because "it is impossible to speak of Tzimtzum in its literal sense, which is a physical attribute, regarding the Holy One, blessed be He." On the contrary, "the Maor is revealed, and therefore even children know that there is a G-d who exists, etc., even though they have no comprehension of how or what."

'''From the perspective of Kabbalah''', as it is explicitly stated in several places in the Zohar: As written in the Tikunim, "There is no place devoid of Him, neither in the upper worlds nor in the lower worlds," and in Ra'aya Mehemna, "He grasps everything and no one can grasp Him... He surrounds all worlds... and none can leave His domain, He fills all worlds... He connects and unites kind to kind, above and below, and there is no closeness among the four elements except through the Holy One, blessed be He, when He is among them."

This chapter is incomplete. Please contribute to ChabadPedia and complete it. There may be more details on the discussion page. Reason: '''The necessity for Tzimtzum not according to its simple meaning from the perspective of "I, Havayah, have not changed" (Likutei Torah, Vayikra)'''.