Likutei Moharan 22:7/ליקוטי מוהר"ן כ״ב:ז׳

17. An echo is: Know! when the sound of holiness is aroused, then, through it, the sound of the Other Side is aroused. This is because as a result of the transgressions, destroying forces are created. “And they cry out: ‘Give us sustenance! <Give us life!>’” (Tikkuney Zohar #6, p. 22a). When the sound of holiness does not strengthen and arouse itself, they are quiescent. But as soon as the sound of holiness is aroused, they immediately become aroused and begin to cry out and petition against it. This is the echo: it stems from the sound of holiness.

2{“Though our transgressions bear witness again st us, God, do it for the sake of Your name” (Jeremiah 14:7) . } This corresponds to, “Though our transgressions bear witness against us”—bearing witness implies nothing other than crying out (Rashi, Deuteronomy 26:5). That is, the transgressions cry out in us—within us, literally—because the sound of holiness has been aroused.

3As it is written of the woman of Tzarfat (1 Kings 17:18), “Have you come to me to recall my transgression?” That is, as long as Eliyahu was not there and the holiness not so overpowering, her transgressions were quiescent. But, because Eliyahu’s holiness had been aroused there, her transgressions were remembered and aroused to cry out and accuse her.

4And this is, “Though our transgressions bear witness against us.” The transgressions cry out within us. And even when we cry out [with] some sound of holiness, we do not merit hearing the sound of holiness itself—so that we might use it to break the brazenness of the body—but only the echo, the sound of our sins which are aroused against the sound of holiness. They cry out within us. [Therefore] “God, do it for the sake of Your name.” You Yourself should do it for the sake of Your name, and take pity on us for Your sake alone.

5However, when one is not in the category of flesh of the sage, he [the tzaddik] being the concept of the etzem, then he doesn’t hear the sound itself. Rather, [he hears] the echo—namely, the sound of the transgressions which are aroused by this sound.

6{The Talmud teaches: “Someone sounds the shofar inside a pit, [what is the law for one st anding outside]? If he heard the sound of the shofar, he fulfilled his obligation; but if he heard the sound of the echo, he did not fulfill his obligation” (Rosh HaShanah 27b) . } And this is, “Someone sounds the shofar inside a pit.” It corresponds to (Psalms 88:7), “You placed me in the lowest of pits.” He sighs and trumpets <about the past>. “Those standing outside”—[this alludes to] those not in the category of flesh. “If he heard the sound of the shofar— yaTZA (he fulfilled his obligation).” That is, he is able la’TZAit (to depart) from his evil. “But if he heard the sound of the echo—he did not yaTZA,” as explained.

7Thus, if one is not in the category of flesh, he does not hear the sound of his own sigh. For the body is so very distant from the essence/soul that it is not in the category of flesh, and can therefore not hear the sound of his sighing. Likewise, the sound of the sage’s sigh; if one is not in the category of flesh of the sage, he doesn’t hear its sound, but only an echo, as explained.