Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah and Tanya

Both texts affirm tzimtzum and the descent of divine vitality into lower realms. Text 1 (Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah) emphasizes the mechanism of connection—a 'line' (קו) descending from Ein Sof to fill the void, creating a 'pipe' (צינור) linking transcendent and immanent. Text 2 (Tanya) emphasizes the functional result: after successive tzimtzumim, divine vitality becomes diminished enough (חיות מועט בּמאד) to clothe even inanimate matter, and explicitly identifies this as the 'memaleh' (filling) aspect, contrasting it with 'sovev' (encompassing). Text 1 focuses on the structure of divine descent; Text 2 focuses on how tzimtzum enables divine immanence within materiality while preserving transcendence (sovev-kol-almin). These are complementary rather than contradictory, but with distinct conceptual emphasis.