A HOLLOW SPACE

In reference to Michael Harris’s book review of “Zim Zum” by Gordon Lish (View, Sept. 20), I am writing to inform you that zim zum is a Hebrew word taken from the Jewish mystical tradition, which means contraction. It refers to the fact that, in the beginning, before God created the world, all was God. In order for matter to come into existence and for the earth to be created, God needed to contract and provide a hollow space in which creation took place. It is interesting, I think, to consider the question of “Zim Zum” as it relates to artistic creation, in that it raises an important question of how much or how little the presence of the artist is seen in the work.

RABBI JEFFREY A. MARX SHA’AREI AM SYNAGOGUE SANTA MONICA