Before Creation, the Creator performed tzimtzum.

In the mystical process of tzimtzum, Hashem,
my G-d, contracted, shrank, and withdrew
into No Space, in preparation
for the Creation.

In the divine process of tzimtzum, Hashem,
my G-d, made life possible, setting
the holy stage for existence.

In the metaphysical process of tzimtzum,
Hashem, my G-d, concealed Himself
in No Space, allowing space
for the creation of
the universe.

The Creator performed
the original Tzimtzum,
in preparation for
the Creation.

Hashem, my G-d, created an empty space
for the universe, and there,
His reshimu (residue)
remained.

Thus, there was the Void where
Hashem’s reshimu hid. And
this sacred empty space
was surrounded by
the Creator.

–

Hashem allowed a small ray of light
to pass through the divine veil.

But this holy light, called kav, was
fierce and blinding. Through the
mystical process of
minor tzimtzum,

the dazzling light contracted
and became a tiny stream.
And Hashem blessed
the Void He created
with the holy
beam of
light.

From this holy light,
the universe
was born.

The Creator sent the holy light
into the empty space, the
dark Void He created.

And this sacred light was also
the original man named
Adam Kedmon,

a holy container of all
Hashem’s beautiful
traits.

From this divine light-
primordial man-
emerged the
sacred

emanations, the
sefirot of
Hashem.

–

And the sefirot, the Creator’s divine
attributes, sailed through the Void
and merged, and in an ineffable

metamorphosis,
the universe
was born.

Divine light flowed into the Void
and the universe was coming
into being.

The emanations of Hashem,
primordial waves of light,
penetrated the empty
space, and came
together, and
the universe
was coming
into being.

Divine emanations, the sefirot
of Hashem, merged and
united and were
separate too,
contained in
holy shells
called
kelipot.

The pure light of each emanation
or sefira was poured into a
sacred shell.

Thus, the sefirot flowed through the
kelipot into the Void.

But the omnipotent light of Hashem,
too powerful for the holy vessels,
shattered the sacred shells
in an accident called the
shevirat ha-kelim,
“the breaking of
the vessels.”

Divine sparks, netzutzot, sailed across
the Void, and they were scattered
and hidden in the new universe.

With the shattering of the kelipot,
Hashem created the world.

In the broken universe, human beings
exist to perform tikkun olam,
repair of the world.

Hashem blessed mankind with the
mission of mending the
splintered universe.

Hashem blessed humanity with the
gift of redemption, allowing
humans to help the Creator
heal the fragmented
universe

by finding and freeing the holy
sparks hidden in the kelipot
of the physical world.

Humans are empowered to
release the sacred sparks
trapped in material
husks.

And they are responsible
for restoring the
scattered sparks
to the Creator.

Enlightened by prayer
and acts of love,
humans can
redeem and
raise the
holy

–

sparks that fell
during the
shevirat
ha-kelim.

Aware of and connected
to the holiness of all
G-d’s creations,
humans can
unify and
reunite

the divine sparks
with Hashem.

In the end, humans can
help the Creator heal
the shattered
universe

and perhaps,
Creation
too.