Divine Error and Human Rectification: Tzimtzum as Theological Rupture and Therapeutic Possibility

Abstract This article examines the radical theological implications of tzimtzum (divine contraction) as interpreted by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Ramash) in light of earlier heretical kabbalistic traditions, particularly the controversial work "Va-avo ha-Yom el ha-Ayin" attributed to Jonathan Eybeschutz. Drawing on the analytical frameworks developed by Elliot Wolfson, Shaul Magid, and Moshe Idel, this study argues that Ramash's conception of tzimtzum as containing "an aspect counter to divine will" represents a continuation of antinomian mystical traditions that challenge conventional theodicy by positing divine incompleteness requiring human rectification. The article demonstrates how this theological innovation positions humanity not as recipients of divine salvation but as agents of divine redemption, fundamentally inverting traditional hierarchies of sacred and profane.