The Dialectical Divine: Tzimtzum and the Parabolic Theology of Human Suffering a Synthesis of Classical Mysticism, and Contemporary Therapeutic Spirituality

This paper examines the theological origins of evil and human suffering through the lens of the kabbalistic doctrine of tzimtzum (divine contraction), drawing upon Elliot Wolfson’s dialectical analysis of Jewish mysticism, Jonathan Eybeschutz’s radical theology of divine unconsciousness, and Julian Ungar-Sargon’s contemporary applications to therapeutic spirituality. We argue that suffering emerges not from divine absence but from the very structure of divine presence-in-concealment, including what Eybeschutz terms the “thoughtless” aspect of the Ein Sof that gives rise to evil through divine sleep. This framework creates spaces where healing and transformation become possible through the recognition of God’s hidden presence within darkness itself, providing theological foundation for therapeutic approaches that integrate rather than eliminate shadow material.