Every now and then I get a taste of Zimzum. A sense of a contraction and a making of space for me and others.
I’ve always been puzzled about how the voluntary creating of space for another person has a deep effect on the other, especially those who have experienced trauma.
A welcoming of the lost, broken and hurt can so often create feelings of puzzlement in them. Openness triggers curiosity and then possibly some hope or maybe fear.
“Is this real?’
‘Can this be true?’
‘Where’s the catch?’
‘When will it be taken away from me?’
If you’ve been homeless, the warmth and welcome of a secure place can bring relief, and an all-consuming desire for more.
More of this being loved, held and known.
To those who have been abused, where an invader has crossed over one’s sovereignty and stolen from you, then the experience of the ‘welcoming in of their warts and all self’ can cut across all the old messaging adopted of being worthless.
I think it’s the taste of zimzum that is experienced.
A little taste of Zimzum
So what is Zimzum?
In the sixteenth century there was a leading rabbi and Jewish mystic by the name of Isaac Luria who postulated a doctrine about God.
Christoph Schulte writes this.
The Hebrew word zimzum can mean “contraction,” “retraction,” “demarcation,” “restraint,” and “concentration.”
The term zimzum originates in the Kabbalah and refers to God’s contraction of himself before the creation of the world, and for the purpose of creating the world.
To put it another way, the omnipresent God, who exists beyond time and space before creation, withdraws a part of his infinite presence into himself.
With this divine gesture, God restricts himself in zimzum, clearing the empty space that is necessary for creation.
The emanation and the creation of the world are then able to occur in the center of God following this act of zimzum.
In this process, God limits his omnipotence so that a finite world can exist within finite contours.
Without zimzum, there would be no creation. Christoph Schulte
I like that last sentence.
Without zimzum, there would be no creation.
It’s a making space for the other.
A vulnerable space.
God had to create space
Another explanation comes from Rob Bell
Zimzum (originally tzimtzum) is a Hebrew word used in the Rabbinic tradition to talk about the creation of the world—not in a scientific way but more like something somewhere between poetry and metaphysical speculation.
Followers of this tradition began with the assumption that before there was anything, there was only God.
The divine, they believed, was all that was.
For something to exist other than God, then, God had to create space that wasn’t God.
A bit esoteric, but stay with me.
Their contention was that for something to exist that wasn’t God, God had to contract or withdraw from a certain space so that something else, something other than God, could exist and thrive in that space.
And the word they used for this divine contraction is zimzum.
God zimzums, so that everything we know to be everything can exist and thrive. Rob Bell and Kristen Bell. The ZimZum of Love: A New Way of Understanding Marriage
Leaving the path
I like to find a biblical narrative, particularly from Jesus, to describe concepts.
Oil and wine
In the story of the dehumanised man (aka The Good Samaritan) the Samaritan retracts himself away from the path and opens space in his life for the needs of the traumatised and dehumanised man.
But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Luke 10:25-37
Robes and rings
In the story of the loving father (aka Prodigal Son) the father creates space and throws open wide welcoming zimzum arms to a returning wayward son.
But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:10-24
When Jesus washes the dusty feet of his disciples, there is a taste of zimzum.
It challenges the human belief that love must be earned. That grace is based on our behavior and getting things right.
And there is vulnerability
How often have you shown love to others, created a space for them, and they have taken advantage of this kindness?
Have they robbed something of you?
Possibly the Zimzum has been misconstrued.
You turn the other cheek, and then they punch you in the gut.
So you close up.
Your boundaries go from thin to thick.
But God continues to Zimzum. God does perfectly what we cannot.
We continue to offer a droplet taste of Zimzum to others.
We do what we can do and open a little vulnerable space to a few others, and the angels sing.
Some Quotes to consider
- On the cross, the dancing circle of self-giving and mutually indwelling divine persons opens up for the enemy;
in the agony of the passion, the movement stops for a brief moment and a fissure appears so that sinful humanity can join in.
We, the others – we the enemies – are embraced by the divine persons who love us with the same love with which they love each other and therefore make space for us within their own eternal embrace. Miroslav Volv - ‘An embrace involves always a double movement of opening and closing.
I open my arms to create space in myself for the other.
The open arms are a sign of discontent at being myself only and of desire to include the other.
They are an invitation to the others to come in and feel at home with me, to belong to me.In an embrace I also close my arms around the others – not tightly, so as to crush and assimilate them forcefully into myself, for that would not be an embrace but a concealed power-act of exclusion; but gently, so as to tell them that I do not want to be without them in their otherness.
I want them in their openness.
I want them to remain independent and true to their genuine selves, to maintain their identity and as such become part of me so that they can enrich me with what they have and I do not’. Judith M Gundry-Volf, Miroslav Volf.
Quotes
- So long as we imagine that it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about; He is looking for us. And so we can afford to recognize that very often we are not looking for God; far from it, we are in full flight from him, in high rebellion against him. And He knows that and has taken it into account. He has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought finally to escape him, we run straight into his arms. So we do not have to erect a false piety for ourselves, to give us the hope of salvation. Our hope is in his determination to save us, and he will not give in. Simon Tugwell
- Think how it all began. After creating angels, the sun, moon, and earth and all the animals, birds, and fish, after sending rebellious angels away where they organized themselves into a powerful enemy, the Eternal Community called a meeting and said:“Let’s create creatures with the capacity to fully enjoy us. We’re absolutely happy with ourselves, of course, because who we are and how we relate is incomparably wonderful. But so far, we’ve created no one who can share deeply in the unique joys of an intimate relationship with us where we hold nothing back. Let’s create personal beings like us to whom we can reveal the very depths of our glorious nature.” Larry Crabb Connecting
- When there was only God, the Eternal Community was having fun. Their purpose in creating people was to invite us to the party. As C. S. Lewis put it, the serious business of heaven is joy. Larry Crabb Connecting
Quotes
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TZIM TZUM. Jewish (Mystic Kabbilistic tradition – Isaac Luria 1954) theological term for Gods voluntary self-restriction of His power and omnipotence, in order to enable human sovereignty, freedom and the ability to self-determinate. His chosen willingness to ‘not intervene’ to achieve a higher purpose. Allows both terrible suffering as well as the maturation of the children of God to occur. In layman’s terms, it is God ‘sitting on His hands’ when needed to intervene. Similar ‘Kenosis’ in Christian Theology, or Mums feelings on her ‘baby’s’ first day at school. People who reject God are usually rejecting the ‘Superman’ concept, commonly taught in church today. Tragically, in their disappointment, they usually cease to search any further. David Riddell
Questions to answer
- Who at some time made space for you?
- When have you made space, restrained or contracted in, so that someone else could exist or be present?
- Which of the quotes above speaks to you a new understanding of what God is like?
Formation exercise
- Zimzum is a concept that is difficult to understand, let alone explain. After reading this post, how would you explain it to someone else? Write about it, create a piece of art that might capture something of a taste of Zimzum.
Further reading
Barry Pearman
Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash
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