Decoding the Universe - Part 21
"The Great Kabbalistic Debate"
With Rabbi Ari Sollish
(Recorded live at the Intown Jewish Academy on April 7, 2019)
The Kabbalists generally agree on all things spiritual. With one major exception: the tzimtzum.
The doctrine of the tzimtzum was revealed by the great Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria in the 16th century. It revolutionized the way people understood the origins of existence. And it sparked a fierce debate.
"Before Creation, G-d's supernal and undefined light was the only existence... When it arose in His undefined will to create... He condensed Himself... and an empty space emerged."
These are the words in the Arizal's Eitz Chaim that first introduced the notion of tzimtzum, and ultimately pitted Kabbalist against Kabbalist.
In this session of Kabbalah & Coffee we explore the tzimtzum and the great mystical debate.
