What are the first sources of Tzimtzum

Question

BH

What’s the first sources that speak about Tzimtzum? Someone told me that it talks about this in Sefer Yetzirah. If so, where?

Answer 1

The word "Tzimtzum" does not appear in Sefer Yetzira, as it is a word borrowed (and derived) by the later Kabbalists to explain what the Sefer Yetzira teaches in 1:1:

בשלשים ושתים נתיבות פליאות חכמה חקק יה...את עולמו

With 32 wonderful paths of wisdom Hashem engraved...His world

The word is "engraved". Why that word? The point is that His Divine Essence, the Ohr Ein Sof, was all that there was. It was out of this that Hashem "carved out" or engraved a Chalal, a Vacated Space¹. This process took place before creation, as this is the order of the words in this passage of Sefer Yetzira. The Zohar says on this (1:15a):

הורמנותא דמלכא
גליף גלופי
בטהירו עלאה בוצינא דקרדינותא

In the beginning of the desire of the King
Engraved
The Lamp of Darkness, in the Supernal Light

The later Kabbalists² referred to this process of engraving as "tzimtzum"³, a word that had been used to describe Hashem constricting Himself, so to speak, in many Midrashim in many places e.g. Vayikra Rabbah 29

מה הקדוש ברוך הוא עושה מניח סנקליטין שלו מלמעלן ויורד ומצמצם שכינתו ביניהם מלמטן

What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He leaves His court above and descends and contracts His Divine Presence among them below.

And Shir HaShirim Rabba 3:

ואם את עושה לזה של מעלה למטה אני מניח סנקליטון שלי של מעלה ויורד ומצמצם שכינתי ביניכם למטה

If you craft below that is like that which is On High, I will abandon My heavenly council and descend and restrict My Divine Presence in your midst below.

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^{1 - Note, this is not referring to geographic space, but conceptual space (see R Aryeh Kaplan's 'Sefer Yetzira - In Theory and In Practice' p.14 and the footnote there, which have contributed to this answer; see also 'The Bahir' p.xxiii, citing Shomer Emunim 2:43 and Kalach Pitchei Chochma 24). More deeply, it is referring to "living" space, i.e. room for someone else, see this shiur.
2 - Shefa Tal 6, Emek Hamelech 6b, Likutei Torah Bechukotai 46b. See Razial 11a, R' Chananel on Chagiga 13a describing the same concept as the later Kabbalists including "Vacated Space", but much much earlier, Cf. Likutei Moharan 64
3 - Zohar HaRakia by R. Yaakov Tzemach based on the Arizal, Mikdash Melech, ad loc}