Tzimtzum צמצום

Tzimtzum — in Hebrew צמצום — contraction; a term of Kabbalah. Counted across every skip (2–76,212), the Torah holds 2,656 sequences of Tzimtzum, the shortest at skip 3 (Genesis 41:46); chance alone would give about 2,662.

Found in the Torah · every skip: 2,656
Chance alone · every skip: 2,662
P (≥ found) · every skip: 0.55
Shortest skip: 3
Longest skip found: 75,002

Every skip the Torah allows for a spelling of 5 letters (2–76,212), both directions, final letters folded, the written text.
At the laboratory's default range, skips 2–5,000: 368 found · chance alone about 338 (probability of 368 or more by chance alone: 0.05).

Open in the live laboratory

In the Torah

Across every skip (2–76,212), צמצום appears 2,656 times in the Torah; chance alone would give about 2,662, so the count is in line with chance.

The shortest skip at which צמצום appears in the Torah is 3 — at Genesis 41:46, reading forward.

The longest skip at which צמצום was found in the Torah is 75,002 — at Deuteronomy 33:13, reading backward; a spelling of 5 letters fits the Torah at skips up to 76,212.

By book (where the first letter stands) · every skip

Genesis 799
Exodus 676
Leviticus 281
Numbers 428
Deuteronomy 472

Examples across the range

5 of the 2,656 sequences, chosen across the range of skips — the shortest, mid-range skips and the longest found — each with its verse and its matrix.

Under each example, every letter of the sequence is listed with the verse it stands in. A letter falls in its verse by position alone — one letter every so many letters of the text — so the verses are where the letters stand, not part of the sequence's meaning.

shortest skipGenesis 41:46בראשית מא:מוskip 3, forward
Letter by letter
1. צ ם צ ו מGenesis 41:46
  … שָׁנָה בְּעָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָיִם וַיֵּצֵא יוֹסֵף מִלִּפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַֽיַּעְבֹר בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם …
  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.—And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
skip 3, width 3 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column.
letter 62,386 of the TorahOpen at skip 3 in the laboratory →
a short skipNumbers 8:24במדבר ח:כדskip 16, forward
1. צNumbers 8:24
  זֹאת אֲשֶׁר לַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן חָמֵשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה יָבוֹא לִצְבֹא צָבָא בַּעֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵֽד
  ’This is that which pertaineth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the service in the work of the tent of meeting;
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. מ צ וNumbers 8:25
  וּמִבֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה יָשׁוּב מִצְּבָא הָעֲבֹדָה וְלֹא יַעֲבֹד עֽוֹד
  and from the age of fifty years they shall return from the service of the work, and shall serve no more;
2. מNumbers 8:26
  וְשֵׁרֵת אֶת־אֶחָיו בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶרֶת וַעֲבֹדָה לֹא יַעֲבֹד כָּכָה תַּעֲשֶׂה לַלְוִיִּם בְּמִשְׁמְרֹתָֽם
  but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, but they shall do no manner of service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.’
skip 16, width 16 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column.
letter 203,683 of the TorahOpen at skip 16 in the laboratory →
a mid-range skipLeviticus 26:5ויקרא כו:הskip 112, backward
1. צLeviticus 26:5
  וְהִשִּׂיג לָכֶם דַּיִשׁ אֶת־בָּצִיר וּבָצִיר יַשִּׂיג אֶת־זָרַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לַחְמְכֶם …
  And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread until ye have enough, and dwell in your land safely.
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. מLeviticus 26:2
  אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ אֲנִי יְהוָֽה
  Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
2. ץLeviticus 25:55
  … עֲבָדַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם
  For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
3. וLeviticus 25:52
  וְאִם־מְעַט נִשְׁאַר בַּשָּׁנִים עַד־שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל וְחִשַּׁב־לוֹ כְּפִי שָׁנָיו יָשִׁיב אֶת־גְּאֻלָּתֽוֹ
  And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.
4. מLeviticus 25:50
  … עַד שְׁנַת הַיֹּבֵל וְהָיָה כֶּסֶף מִמְכָּרוֹ בְּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים כִּימֵי שָׂכִיר יִהְיֶה …
  And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.
skip 112, width 112 — one row is 112 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads up the middle column.
letter 182,500 of the TorahOpen at skip 112 in the laboratory →
a mid-range skipNumbers 31:48במדבר לא:מחskip 1,022, forward
1. צNumbers 31:48
  וַֽיִּקְרְבוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה הַפְּקֻדִים אֲשֶׁר לְאַלְפֵי הַצָּבָא שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאֽוֹת
  And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. םNumbers 32:13
  וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנִעֵם בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה עַד־תֹּם …
  And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander to and fro in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.
2. ץNumbers 32:32
  נַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְאִתָּנוּ אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָתֵנוּ מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּֽן
  We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.’
3. וNumbers 33:13
  וַיִּסְעוּ מִדָּפְקָה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בְּאָלֽוּשׁ
  And they journeyed from Dophkah, and pitched in Alush.
4. מNumbers 33:50
  וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּעַֽרְבֹת מוֹאָב עַל־יַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ לֵאמֹֽר
  And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:
skip 1,022, width 1,022 — one row is 1,022 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads down the middle column.
letter 241,646 of the TorahOpen at skip 1,022 in the laboratory →
the longest skip foundDeuteronomy 33:13דברים לג:יגskip 75,002, backward
1. צDeuteronomy 33:13
  וּלְיוֹסֵף אָמַר מְבֹרֶכֶת יְהֹוָה אַרְצוֹ מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמַיִם מִטָּל וּמִתְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּֽחַת
  And of Joseph he said: Blessed of the LORD be his land; For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that coucheth beneath,
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. מNumbers 23:18
  וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר קוּם בָּלָק וּֽשֲׁמָע הַאֲזִינָה עָדַי בְּנוֹ צִפֹּֽר
  And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:
2. צLeviticus 9:10
  … מִן־הַחַטָּאת הִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה
  But the fat, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver of the sin-offering, he made smoke upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses.
3. וExodus 1:12
  וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ וַיָּקֻצוּ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
  But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.
4. מGenesis 3:11
  … הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל־מִמֶּנּוּ אָכָֽלְתָּ
  And He said: ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’
skip 75,002, width 75,002 — one row is 75,002 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads up the middle column.
letter 303,482 of the TorahOpen at skip 75,002 in the laboratory →

Across the Tanakh

Across every skip (2–299,260), צמצום appears 42,571 times in the whole Tanakh — 2.7% more than the 41,469 chance alone would give; the probability of 42,571 or more by chance alone is 3.6 × 10⁻⁸.

At the laboratory's default range, skips 2–5,000: 1,502 found · chance alone about 1,374 (probability of 1,502 or more by chance alone: 0.00034).

By book (where the first letter stands) · every skip

Genesis 2,902
Exodus 2,563
Leviticus 1,270
Numbers 1,811
Deuteronomy 1,924
Joshua 1,305
Judges 939
Samuel 2,246
Kings 2,568
Isaiah 3,470
Jeremiah 3,400
Ezekiel 2,806
The Twelve 2,599
Psalms 3,945
Proverbs 1,433
Job 1,397
Song of Songs 200
Ruth 130
Lamentations 302
Ecclesiastes 278
Esther 262
Daniel 854
Ezra–Nehemiah 991
Chronicles 2,976

Open the whole Tanakh in the laboratory

Outside the Torah

shortest skip outside the TorahJeremiah 44:28ירמיהו מד:כחskip 3, forward
Letter by letter
1. צ ם ץ ו מJeremiah 44:28
  וּפְלִיטֵי חֶרֶב יְשֻׁבוּן מִן־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה מְתֵי מִסְפָּר וְֽיָדְעוּ כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה …
  And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, Mine, or theirs.
skip 3, width 3 — the matrix is as wide as the skip, so the sequence reads down one column.
letter 711,979 of the TanakhOpen at skip 3 in the laboratory →
a mid-range skipEcclesiastes 9:10קהלת ט:יskip 101, forward
1. צEcclesiastes 9:10
  כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָֽדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה כִּי …
  Whatsoever thy hand attaineth to do by thy strength, that do; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. מEcclesiastes 9:11
  … לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם …
  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
2. צEcclesiastes 9:12
  … עִתּוֹ כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּֽאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יֽוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי …
  For man also knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
3. וEcclesiastes 9:14
  עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וּבָֽא־אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ …
  there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it;
4. מEcclesiastes 9:16
  וְאָמַרְתִּי אָנִי טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִגְּבוּרָה וְחָכְמַת הַמִּסְכֵּן בְּזוּיָה וּדְבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִֽים
  Then said I: ‘Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.’
skip 101, width 101 — one row is 101 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads down the middle column.
letter 1,020,350 of the TanakhOpen at skip 101 in the laboratory →
longest skip outside the Torah2 Chronicles 36:10דברי הימים ב לו:יskip 298,468, backward
1. צ2 Chronicles 36:10
  וְלִתְשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה שָׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּר וַיְבִאֵהוּ בָבֶלָה עִם־כְּלֵי חֶמְדַּת …
  And at the return of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Letter by letter: the other 4 letters
1. מPsalms 75:9
  … וְיַיִן חָמַר מָלֵא מֶסֶךְ וַיַּגֵּר מִזֶּה אַךְ־שְׁמָרֶיהָ יִמְצוּ יִשְׁתּוּ כֹּל …
  For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, with foaming wine, full of mixture, And He poureth out of the same; Surely the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall drain them, and drink them.
2. צIsaiah 26:4
  בִּטְחוּ בַֽיהוָה עֲדֵי־עַד כִּי בְּיָהּ יְהוָה צוּר עוֹלָמִֽים
  Trust ye in the LORD for ever, For the LORD is GOD, an everlasting Rock.
3. וDeuteronomy 32:4
  הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל־דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הֽוּא
  The Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice; A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He. .
4. םGenesis 2:11
  שֵׁם הָֽאֶחָד פִּישׁוֹן הוּא הַסֹּבֵב אֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ הַֽחֲוִילָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם הַזָּהָֽב
  The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
skip 298,468, width 298,468 — one row is 298,468 letters, so the 21 columns shown are the letters that stand beside the sequence in the text; it reads up the middle column.
letter 1,196,068 of the TanakhOpen at skip 298,468 in the laboratory →

The spelling

צמצום — a Hebrew word: contraction; a term of Kabbalah. Searched as צמצום, 5 letters, with a standard gematria value of 266.

It does not stand as a plain word anywhere in the Tanakh. Every word of the Tanakh in the Word Index →

Questions

Does Tzimtzum appear in the Torah codes?

Across every skip (2–76,212), צמצום appears 2,656 times in the Torah; chance alone would give about 2,662, so the count is in line with chance.

What is the shortest skip for Tzimtzum in the Torah?

Skip 3, reading forward from Genesis 41:46 — the shortest of 2,656 sequences across every skip (2–76,212), where chance alone would give about 2,662.

What is the gematria of Tzimtzum in Hebrew?

Tzimtzum is spelled צמצום — 5 letters searched, with a standard gematria value of 266.

How many times is Tzimtzum found in the whole Tanakh?

Search it yourself

The laboratory runs the same search live in your browser — every sequence, the matrix around it, and the chance figure (about 2,662 across every skip (2–76,212) here) beside the count.

Open in the live laboratory Create a free account — 7 free code searches

churban חורבןTorah · every skip: 7,782 (chance 8,106)
bomb פצצהTorah · every skip: 7,108 (chance 7,590)
Facebook פייסבוקTorah · every skip: 5 (chance 1.3)
Kol Nidre כל נדריTorah · every skip: 201,485 (chance 203,775)
Seder סדרTorah · every skip: 380,840 (chance 383,173)
Tehran טהרןTorah · every skip: 46,722 (chance 46,477)
wrath חרוןTorah · every skip: 195,158 (chance 201,571)
Afghanistan אפגניסטןTorah · every skip: 0 (chance 0.001)

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