The concept of the Tzimtzum is famously discussed in the beginning of the Arizal's Etz Chayim. Here we see some of the sources for this idea that before the world was created, a light of sorts was hidden.
The Tzimtzum can be underststood in four ways, each corresponding to one of the four worlds.
- Divine: Atzilut. The idea here is that our conception and relationship to God is defined and limited, whereas God itself is not defined or limited. The Tzimtzum describes the leap from infinity to finity.
- Information: Briya. The idea here is that there is a complete set of information, referred to as Bina, or Gan Eden, that is accessible to the rightious. However, a portion of the information is made accessible to the world.
- Chronological: Yetzira. The idea here is that the end goal and purpose of the world is not realized until the end of time, even though this goal was conceptualized during the design of the world.
- Anthropological: Asiya. The idea here is that although we have imperfect parts of our bodies and spirits, and we start in an imperfect child-like state, the purpose of mankind is his perfection. Repentance, an enlightenment, is the pathway embedded into creation for man to realize his purpose.
Seven things were created before the world was created. They are: The Torah, Gehinnom, the Garden of Eden, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, Repentance, and the Name of the Messiah.
What does it mean to be created before the creation?
Here, we imagine that beofore the world was crated, the design, purpose, and end goal were envisioned by God. All of the items here are very positive, except for Gehinnom. What is that doing here?
ישב ר' ברכיה ודרש מאי האי דאמרינן כל יומא העולם הבא, ולא ידעינן מאי קאמרינן, העוה"ב מתרגמינן עלמא דאתי, מאי עלמא דאתי, מלמד שקודם שנברא העולם עלה במחשבה לבראות אור גדול להאיר, ונברא אור גדול שאין כל בריה יכולה לשלוט בו, צפה הקב"ה שאין יכולין לסובלו, לקח שביעית ושם להם במקומו והשאר גנזו לצדיקים לעתיר לבוא, ואמר אם יזכו בזה השביעי וישמרוה אתן להם זה לעולם אחרון והיינו עולם הבא שכבר בא מקודם ששת ימי בראשית הה"ד (תהלים ל"א כ) מה רב טובך אשר צפנת ליראיך וגו':
Rabbi Berechiah sat and expounded: What is this that we say every day, 'the World to Come,' and we do not know what we are saying? We translate 'the World to Come' as 'the world that is came.' What is 'the world that came'? It teaches that before the world was created, it arose in thought to create a great light to illuminate, and a great light was created that no creature could withstand. The Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that they could not endure it, so He took one-seventh of it and placed it for them in its place, and the rest He hid away for the righteous in the future to come. And He said, 'If they merit this seventh and guard it, I will give them this in the final world.' And this is the World to Come, which has already come before the six days of creation, as it is said (Psalms 31:20), 'How abundant is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You.
Olam Haba, the world to come, is connected with the concepts of Bina, understanding, the Garden of Eden, and repentance. While God give some blessing in this world without virtue, the majority is earned through virtue.
תָּנִינָן, כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רָצָה לִבְרוֹא הָעוֹלָם, הָיָה מַחֲרִיט הָעוֹלָם לְפָנָיו, וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹמֵד. עַד שֶׁבָּרָא הַתְּשׁוּבָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּרָא הַתְּשׁוּבָה, בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, וְהֶעֱמִידוֹ עַל עָמְדוֹ. עַל עַמּוּד א'. מַאי נִיהוּ. הוּא צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם.
We have learned: When the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to create the world, He envisioned the world before Him, but it could not stand. Then He created repentance. Once He created repentance, He created the world and made it stand firm. On what did it stand? On a single pillar. What is that? The righteous one, the foundation of the world.
Repentance itself is "bina" but it stands on Yesod, the Tzadik. If one wants to attain repentance, he must attach himself to the Tzaddik. Note that the emphasis here that there is only one Tzaddik is one of the sources of the idea that there is only one Tzaddik per generation. But it is clear that this is reffering to the abstract concept of Yesod, which is the connection between our current state and our purpose, in spirit, in time, in Torah, and in terms of Divinity. The "yesod" here is the "kav" or line of light entering the darkness in the writtings of the Arizal.
כֵיוָן שֶׁבָּרָא אֶת הַתְּשׁוּבָה, הִתְנוֹצֵץ אוֹר מִמֶּנָּה, וְהָאוֹר הַהוּא הִבְהִיק וְהֵאִיר מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ, וּבוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. רָאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְנִסְתַּכֵּל בָּרְשָׁעִים הָעֲתִידִים לָבֹא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וּגְנָזוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא לַצַּדִּיקִים.
Once He created repentance, a light sparkled from it, and that light shone and illuminated from one end of the world to the other, and by it, the world was created. The Holy One, blessed be He, saw it, and looked at the wicked who were destined to come into this world, and He hid it for the World to Come, for the righteous.
וְאִם תֹּאמַר, הוֹאִיל וְהוּא עָתִיד לְגוֹנְזוֹ, לָמָּה בְּרָאוֹ. אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹר זֶה, לֹא בְּרָאוֹ אֶלָּא לִבְרֹא בּוֹ אֶת הָעוֹלָם. וְנִסְתַּכֵּל וְרָאָה שֶׁעֲתִידִים רְשָׁעִים לָבֹא, וּגְנָזוֹ לַצַּדִּיקִים לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְעוֹד הַיּוֹם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גְּנָזוֹ, בּוֹ הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּים.
And if you say, since He was going to hide it, why did He create it? Rather, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created this light, He created it only to create the world with it. He then looked and saw that the wicked were destined to come, and He hid it for the righteous in the World to Come. Yet even today, although the Holy One, blessed be He, has hidden it, the world is sustained by it.
בּוֹ סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ. אֶלָּא אֵימָא, בְּאוֹר אַחֵר הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ. וְהוּא כְּמוֹ חוּט הַיּוֹצֵא מֵאוֹר גָּדוֹל, וְהָעוֹלָם בּוֹ מִתְקַיִּים. וְהוּא עַמּוּדוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי י׳:כ״ה) וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם.
Is it [sustained] by that light? Rather, say, by another light that emanates from it. And it is like a thread that comes out from a great light, and the world is sustained by it. And it is the pillar of the world, as it is said (Proverbs 10:25), 'But the righteous is the foundation of the world.
The Tzaddik here is not the source of light, but the conduit of it. The world is sustained by virtuous actions, by our connection with God, by intelligence, and by enlightenment of the spirit.
וּמִמֶּנּוּ הִשְׁתִּיל וְיָצָא זֶרַע דָּוִד עָלָיו הֲשָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים כ״ב:ל״א) זֶרַע יַעַבְדֶנּוּ יְסֻפַּר לַה' לַדּוֹר, הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם פט) וְכִסְאוֹ כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ נֶגְדִי. וְכָל זַרְעוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד, מִצַּדִּיק זֶה יָצָא. כְּעִנְיַן זֶה (משלי ט״ז:ד׳) כֹּל פָּעַל ה' לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ.
And from it [the light] was planted and emerged the seed of David, upon him be peace, as it is said (Psalms 22:31), 'A seed shall serve Him; it shall be told of the Lord to the next generation.' This is what is meant by (Psalms 89:37), 'And his throne shall be as the sun before Me.' And all of David's offspring came from this righteous one. Concerning this matter, it is said (Proverbs 16:4), 'The Lord has made everything for its purpose.
Below is a slightly different telling of the story