Lights, Vessels, & Personal Growth

Hashem's will (רצון) in Creation was to bestow unlimited good to his creations. He chose to do so by means of self-constriction (צמצום). The Keilim (כלים, vessels) are the tools (כלי אומנות) by which the artisan actualizes that which he has formed in his mind. They also empower (יכולת) the artisan to take his will from thoughts into reality. The will of Hashem thereby expresses its light (or will) through the means of limiting vessels, which demonstrate His ability in the creation of worlds.

The concept of the "Breaking of the Vessels" is that through the process of constriction great distance was placed between man and Hashem. This left room for man to exercise Free Will and in doing so to improve himself (ירידה שהיא צורך עלייה).

A person will frequently view the ups and downs of life as a sign that his efforts are going for naught and therefore give up. An understanding person will view it as an opportunity to fix the vessels anew and return to his growth.

From One to Ten

In Pirkei Avos it explains that Hashem could have created the world with one utterance. He chose, however, to create it with ten utterances in order to reward those who fulfill His will and punish those who don't.

Why are reward and punishment connected to the number of utterances at Creation?

Hashem in his Oneness is all good - חסד. The infinite goodness represented by One would have created a world in which there was no choice but to do good. Good would be the only thing that existed. It was only by the means of ten utterances, the creation of multiplicity, that there became room for something other than goodness in the world. And only in a world where there are options to do good or otherwise, is there room for reward and punishment.

Tzimtzum

"When it was God's will to create the world He constricted Himself (Tzimtzum)."

The primary manifestation of Godliness in Creation is within Man. The process of Tzimtzum is that which empowers man to be a participant in the revelation of Godliness. Since "one who eats that which he has not earned is ashamed to look at the face of his benefactor" it is necessary to create a forum of free will in which man can earn reward.

This is accomplished by the creation of an empty space that is, so to speak, not controlled by God, and allowing man to fill that space with good.