The proposition has three parts: Part 1: In bringing about the creation as a work outside of Himself... This tells us where the Tzimtzum took place – to what it applied. Part 2:...the Eyn Sof, blessed be He, willfully... This tells us what the Tzimtzum was. Part 3:...and adopted a path of limited action... This tells us how the Tzimtzum took place.
Part 1: In bringing about the creation as a work outside of Himself.... The Supreme Will, which is Eyn Sof, blessed be He, includes different kinds of powers having no end or limit. But we are not talking about His aspect of limitlessness, with which we have no connection. Rather, we are talking about that particular power among His innumerable powers that is the cause of us. The power that causes us is His power to bring about a work “outside” Himself – in the sense of creating and governing apparently separate, independent realms and beings. This He did in accordance with His quality of goodness, for the nature of goodness is to bestow goodness upon others. If so, we are talking only about His acts and works, not about His own intrinsic essence.