How do we sensitize ourselves to receive more of HaShem's light? By relegating ourselves to the edges and making more space for HaShem in the middle, essentially performing our own personal tzimtzum. In essence we are opening ourselves up further, to be able to receive more light from HaShem transitioning from something that was once darkness (to us because of the overwhelming magnitude of HaShem's light) into a space of light.
We can learn this lesson from our own eyes. When there is little or no lighting, our eyes open as wide as possible, to gather more light. Similarly, when we are in a dark space spiritually, our souls need to open up as wide as possible to gather more of HaShem's light.
We find something very cool. That HaShem created the world through tzimtzum, to bring his light down to us, and then we return to HaShem through our own tzimtzum, making ever-greater levels of His light available to/through us.
This not only is the picture perfect image of a marriage, where both parties move themselves to the edges so that something much greater than the sum of its parts, a new house of israel, can take form in the middle; it is also the answer to a curious puzzle I raised previously. [here in a shield from death]
I was pondering why it seems that with any revellation of HaShem's being, there corresponds a fall in spiritual level, a kind of death. It seems here after this discussion, that the death that happens is the tzimtzum of the individual that brings about the revellation of HaShem. Rather than the death following the revellation of HaShem, it is possible to understand that the death actually happens first (as a form of tzimtzum) and only through the revellation of HaShem is life restored.
Even from the passuk this can be seen: לא יראני האדם וחי - man cannot see me and live. Instead we can read it like this: לא יראני - someone who is metzumtzam [לא is also א-ל the name that corresponds to din and tzimtzum] will see me. האדם - (which is gematria 50, the final gate of understanding (בינה) which is the level of אין (ayin) nothingness) become ayin [אדם also means 'red' which is the color of דין a midah which also relates to tzimtzum-- ie. האדם can mean become red--a command to undergo tzimtzum.], וחי - and live. (ie. and I will revive/revitalize you)
In short: "Only one who is metzumtzam cane see m; Undergo tzimtzum and live."
This is a Torah that came out of the seudah we had on Rosh Hodesh Av for the sake of the oneness and unity of klal yisrael.
[Note than when speaking of nothingness it isn't necesarily related to the nothingness of other meditational paths (that have nothing to do with Judaism) nothingness in this context (in which I am speaking) is davka the most supreme level of something-ness. Since we are understanding tzimtzum in a way opposite to the concept of 'constricting' or 'minimizing.' Only through tremendous growth and 'opening in order to receive' can you get to this place of tzimtzum.]
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