Nefesh HaChayim and Tanya

Both texts accept tzimtzum as real and operative. Nefesh HaChayim emphasizes that from Divine essence perspective, tzimtzum doesn't truly apply (לא יצדק ענין מעלה ומטה בעצמותו), but from the perspective of the 'line' (קו) and our comprehension, hierarchy is justified. Tanya emphasizes the actual descent of vitality through successive tzimtzumim (צִמְצוּמִים רַבִּים וַעֲצוּמִים), demonstrating how memalei kol almin operates through progressive concealment. Nefesh HaChayim privileges the ontological perspective; Tanya privileges the actual mechanism of creative descent. Both affirm sovev-kol-almin implicitly but Tanya makes explicit the relationship between memalei and tzimtzum.