The Routledge Dictionary of Judaism
Jewish mystic and ascetic, born in Safed in the Land of Israel, formed his own theoretical system of mystical doctrine, deriving from experiences of direct communication from “other worlds.” His principal problem was how God, who is all in all, could create the world, there being no space outside of God for such a creation. His answer was that God first of all contracted or withdrew “from himself into himself,” and in doing so made possible existence outside of the Divine.
A second doctrine concerned the light of creation; the primordial light of creation spilled over, so the sparks of divine light fell into lower spheres of being. This is called “the breaking of the vessels.” The task then is to restore these fallen sparks and souls to their proper place, and the healing of the cosmic order is called tiqqun, repair or restoration. Restoration is accomplished through human actions, which have spiritual significance in restoring the divine sparks to their proper place.
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