Likutei Moharan 17:2/ליקוטי מוהר"ן י״ז:ב׳

12 . But [there are times] when a person’s fear and love are obscured, corresponding to (Isaiah 50:3), “I will clothe the heavens with blackness, and a sackcloth I will make their garment.” “ShAMaYiM (heavens)” corresponds to AiSh and MaYiM, namely, fear and love. They are clothed in blackness and are obscured and covered <as> in a sackcloth. In other words, <the light of> the fear and the love have become obscured from him. This is because the light of the tzaddik has become obscured from him, and it is from him [the tzaddik] that we receive fear and love, as explained.

2For there are times when the tzaddik’s light is obscured from a person and he does not merit understanding or seeing his [the tzaddik’s] great light. And even if he is by the tzaddik, he cannot taste, understand or see the tzaddik’s great light, <through which> he can achieve the ultimate good. We find this in the case of Efron (Genesis 23:11-15). The site of the Makhpelah Cave is the gate of Gan Eden through which all souls ascend, and its light is very great. Even so, for him [Efron] it was a place of blackness and obscurity. This is why he very happily sold it to Avraham, as is taught (Zohar I, 128a).

3This is likewise the case when the light of the tzaddik is obscured [from a person]. This [light] radiates in all the worlds, especially in this world. Even so, for him it does not shine at all. Quite the reverse, for him it is dark. This [comes] as a result of shameful deeds and foolishness. Through evil actions the intellect is obscured with foolishness, namely, faulty ideas and extraneous knowledge. As is written (Jeremiah 4:22), “They are wise to do evil, but they don’t know how to do good.” Because of their evil actions they are incapable of using their intellect “to do good,” but only evil. And, as a result of their [obscuring] the intellect with foolishness, they cannot see or understand the light of the tzaddik.