Likutei Moharan 38:7/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ל״ח:ז׳

17. This is what the Talmudic Sage related: A cedar fell in our vicinity, and sixteen wagons went across its edge (Bekhorot 57b).

2For it is known of the tzaddik who serves God with great attachment and intellect that <sometimes>, when he falls to a lower level than that, then even though his present level is still a great level in comparison with other tzaddikim, he is nevertheless embarrassed by this level. This is because for someone of his esteem, it is a fall. It is as if he committed a <serious> transgression, and he repents for this as if he had sinned. Through this he comes to great embarrassment—i.e., the aspect of tefilin, corresponding to “Then you will understand the fear of God”—and he comes to an aspect of new awareness and recognition.

3Now, the primary light of the tefilin comes from the Tablets. As is brought: When the Jewish people said (Exodus 24:7), “We will do and we will hear,” they merited a supernal coat of armor. And from the Tablets’ light Moshe merited a radiance of the facial skin, because [the Tablets] are the mentalities themselves. For by sharpening the intellect through the Torah, the mentalities are sharpened. One gains <added perception in recognizing God> and becomes exceedingly embarrassed <before God. This is because> the Tablets are the root of the Torah. They are called yod vav: < yod> because of the Ten Commandments, < vav because the Tablets were> six handbreadths long by six handbreadths wide.

4And the tzaddik is called “a cedar in Lebanon,” <as is written (Psalms 92:13), “The tzaddik will bloom like a date palm, like a cedar in Lebanon….”>

5This is what the Talmudic Sage related in praise of the tzaddik, a tzaddik of his generation, who “fell in our vicinity.” Certainly the level of the Talmudic Sage was also great, however, vis-à-vis the tzaddik it was a fall. <This is “in our vicinity.”> “Went across” implies a revelation, as is written (Exodus 12:23), “Then God will cross through to strike Egypt.” Onkelos renders this as “will reveal Himself.” “Yod vav (16) wagons [went across] its ChuD (edge)”—in other words, through the ChiDud (sharpening) and renewal of his intellect that he received from the Torah, which is called yod vav, the KeiRuN (radiance) of the facial skin/embarrassment/ tefilin is revealed. <This is the aspect of the above mentioned KRaNot (wagons).>

6In addition, the Holy One is called “Makom of the world.” This is the explanation of “fell in our makom (vicinity).” He fell to a perception of God that was equivalent to our perception. And although our perception was also outstanding, yet commensurate with his esteem it was a fall, so that he engaged in repentance and was embarrassed by our perception.

7This is the explanation of BeRAiShYT: YaRAi BoSheT. This is because YiRAh (fear) is BuShah (embarrassment). <For in BeRAiShYT,> RASheY is there, and BaT is there. < Rashey is an aspect of> “rashey (heads) of their patriarchal houses” (Exodus 6:14). <The patriarchs are> the three colors of the eye; < bat is the> bat (pupil) of the eye. This hints to the place of the tefilin, <corresponding to> “a frontlet between your eyes” (Exodus 13:16). And so the three colors of the eye and the pupil are the four sections [of tefilin] <that we merit [through] BeRAiShYT: YaRAi BoSheT, as explained.>