EC Neurology

In the space between the caregiver and the patient is a matrix depending upon your worldview of emptiness, presence (I-Thou) or divine presence. A theoretical framework for the possibility of the divine within our interactions with patients requires a basic understanding of the theological and philosophical issues.

This paper explores the complex relationship between theism, pantheism, and panentheism within Jewish mystical thought, with particular focus on the kabbalistic concept of tzimtzum (divine contraction or concealment). By examining the philosophical positions of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, the Rebbe Rashab (Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch), and the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto), and Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav.

This study investigates how these thinkers engaged with questions of divine immanence and transcendence, particularly in relation to Baruch Spinoza's controversial pantheistic philosophy.

The paper demonstrates how different interpretations of tzimtzum serve as the cornerstone for distinct approaches to reconciling divine unity with the apparent separateness of creation and explores the implications of these perspectives for understanding secularism, religious experience, and the nature of redemption.

 Keywords: Divine Presence; Concealment; Therapeutic Space

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