Likutei Moharan 63:3/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ס״ג:ג׳

13. Likewise with regard to God, there must be the aspect of revealing and concealing etc. For [the tzaddik] must draw closer and cleave to God, as though God, as it were, reveals Himself and draws closer to him. Yet the closer he comes to God, the more he must distance himself—i.e., the closer he comes, [the more] he must know that he is very far from God.

2If he thinks and imagines in his mind that he has already gotten close to God and has attained Godly knowledge, this is a sign that he knows nothing. For if he would know a bit about God, he would know that he is very distant from Him. This is because the closer a person comes to God and the more he knows, [the more] he knows that he is very distant and that he knows nothing at all.

3This is something that words cannot express or explain, because the Creator’s greatness has no measure <or limit>. It is the aspect of “peace for both far and near” (Isaiah 57:19), the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing [a handbreadth]—since the closer he comes, the more he distances himself, as explained above.

4And this is the aspect of “with two it would fly.” “Would fly” as it is rendered into Aramaic: “would serve”—i.e., the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing [a handbreadth] of his serving and worshiping God, as explained above.

5And “with two it would conceal its face”—this is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing a handbreadth with regard to himself. This is because “face” connotes anger, as it is written (Exodus 33:14), “My face (presence) will pass.” “Face” likewise connotes favor and the Holy One’s providence, as it is written (Numbers 6:25), “May God make His face shine upon you.”

6At times, the tzaddik accepts suffering upon himself for the sake of the world. It is like an exchange; he exchanges the influx of bounty and providence with God. Not wanting this particular influx of bounty and providence, he conceals the face of this providence and accepts suffering upon himself, for he prefers an influx of spiritual bounty and providence. And that influx of bounty which goes elsewhere is dispersed in the world. This is the aspect of revealing a handbreadth and concealing [a handbreadth]—at times he reveals the face of favor and providence, and conceals the face of anger, while other times he conceals the face of favor and providence, as explained above.