Likutei Moharan 63:2/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ס״ג:ב׳

12. The tzaddik, who is the aspect of brit, the aspect of “the tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10:25), is comprised of the aspect of the six handbreadths mentioned above. These are divided into three aspects of two each—i.e., each of the three aspects is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing a handbreadth.

2[The tzaddik] is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing a handbreadth with regard to himself, this being the aspect of “with two it would conceal its face.” Likewise, he is the aspect of revealing and concealing etc. with regard to people, this being the aspect of “with two it would conceal its legs.” And he is also the aspect of revealing and concealing with regard to God, this being the aspect of “with two it would fly.”

3Sometimes, with regard to people, he is the aspect of revealing: he reveals himself and draws closer to people. Other times he is the aspect of concealing: he is concealed and hidden from them, since he greatly distances himself from them. And not only does he distance himself and keep aloof from them, so that they cannot draw closer to him, but he also becomes the subject of questions and doubts. In time, because he has greatly distanced himself from them, their minds become twisted and confused, so that they question and wonder about him. This is the aspect of concealing a handbreadth.

4And this is the aspect of “and with two it would conceal its legs.” The feet connote attraction, as in (Exodus 11:8), “and all the people at your feet”—who follow your counsel (Rashi). That is, this attraction by which he draws people to himself is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing [a handbreadth], as explained above. Since it is impossible to receive the mind of the tzaddik from him, he must therefore conceal and cloak himself in small matters in order to be revealed, so that people can receive <counsel in the service of God> from him. This is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing a handbreadth—his concealing and cloaking himself is the aspect of revealing, since this is the means by which he reveals himself to them. Without this, it would be impossible to reveal himself to them. And at times he is literally the aspect of concealed, in that he conceals and hides himself from them, distancing himself and becoming an object of their wonderment, as explained above.