Editing Kabbalah (section)

=== Tzimtzum, Shevirah and Tikkun ===
{{Main|Lurianic Kabbalah}}
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 11324 The city wore white.jpg|thumb|16th-century graves of [[Safed]], [[Galilee]]. The messianic focus of its mystical renaissance culminated in Lurianic thought.]]
''[[Tzimtzum]]'' (Constriction/Concentration) is the primordial cosmic act whereby God "contracted" His infinite light, leaving a "void" into which the light of existence was poured. This allowed the emergence of independent existence that would not become nullified by the pristine Infinite Light, reconciling the unity of the ''Ein Sof'' with the plurality of creation. This changed the first creative act into one of withdrawal/exile, the antithesis of the ultimate Divine Will. In contrast, a new emanation after the Tzimtzum shone into the vacuum to begin creation, but led to an initial instability called ''[[Tohu and Tikun|Tohu]]'' (Chaos), leading to a new crisis of ''Shevirah'' (Shattering) of the sephirot vessels. The shards of the broken vessels fell down into the lower realms, animated by remnants of their divine light, causing primordial exile within the Divine Persona before the creation of man. Exile and enclothement of higher divinity within lower realms throughout existence requires man to complete the ''[[Tikkun olam]]'' (Rectification) process. Rectification Above corresponds to the reorganization of the independent sephirot into relating ''Partzufim'' (Divine Personas), previously referred to obliquely in the Zohar. From the catastrophe stems the possibility of self-aware Creation, and also the ''Kelipot'' (Impure Shells) of previous Medieval kabbalah. The metaphorical [[Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah|anthropomorphism]] of the partzufim accentuates the sexual unifications of the redemption process, while [[Gilgul]] reincarnation emerges from the scheme. Uniquely, Lurianism gave formerly private mysticism the urgency of Messianic social involvement.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

According to interpretations of Luria, the catastrophe stemmed from the "unwillingness" of the residue imprint after the Tzimtzum to relate to the new vitality that began creation. The process was arranged to shed and harmonise the Divine Infinity with the latent potential of evil.{{sfnp|Dan|2007|p={{page needed|date=July 2024}}}} The creation of [[Adam]] would have redeemed existence, but his sin caused new shevirah of Divine vitality, requiring the Giving of the Torah to begin Messianic rectification. Historical and individual history becomes the narrative of reclaiming exiled Divine sparks.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}