Likutei Moharan, Part II 67:2/ליקוטי מוהר"ן·תנינא ס״ז:ב׳

12A. Now, this is the concept of concealment, the disappearance of the beauty and splendor of the entire world. For there is a tzaddik who is the beauty, splendor and grace of the entire world, as in “And Yosef was beautiful in appearance and beautiful to look at” (Genesis 39:6) ; the concept of “a most beautiful sight, joy of all the earth” (Psalms 48:3). This true tzaddik, who is the concept of Yosef, is the majesty and the beauty of the entire world.

2And when this beauty and splendor is revealed in the world—i.e., when this tzaddik who is the beauty and splendor of the entire world becomes renowned and important in the world—then people’s eyes are opened. Whoever is encompassed in the genuine grace of that tzaddik who is the grace and the beauty of the world—i.e., he gets closer to him and becomes included in him—his eyes are opened and he can see.

3And the main thing is that he examines himself. This is as was explained above (Lesson #66), that [a person comes to introspection] by getting close to a true tzaddik. For he is the concept of “the tzaddik is the yesod (foundation) of the world,” the simple yesod (element) from which the four elements derive, as in “Now a river issues out of Eden to water the garden and from there separates into four heads” (Genesis 2:10). “Now a river issues out of Eden” is the concept of “the tzaddik is the yesod of the world,” the simple yesod, “and from there it separates into four heads,” i.e., the four yesodot, which derive from the tzaddik. Thus, when a person gets close to him, it is right that it lead him to introspection, to see where he stands in the various facets of his character. This is because all the character traits stem from the four elements, as is known. And the four elements derive from the tzaddik.

4Therefore, when this tzaddik, who is the world’s grace and beauty, is revealed, the eyes of whoever draws close and is encompassed in this genuine grace are opened. He examines himself and sees where he stands in the various character traits, which derive from the four yesodot , which in turn derive from the tzaddik, as mentioned above. And he can also see and look at God’s greatness, and at the world, as a result of his eyes being opened by the revelation of the true tzaddik’s splendor.

5For when this tzaddik is revealed and becomes renowned in the world, it is the concept of “a name”—i.e., he becomes famous and has a name in the world. And enclothed within this name of the true tzaddik and associated with it is God’s Name, because His name is associated with our name (Yerushalmi, Taanit 2:6). It follows, that when the tzaddik’s name becomes important, God’s Name is made great. And the more significant the tzaddik’s name becomes, the greater God’s Name becomes, as it were, since His name is associated with ours.

6Now, God’s Name is the concept of “God is One and His Name is One” (Zechariah 14:9). For His Name, may it be blessed, is a simple unity. However, below, the concept of the four elements devolves from His Name. This is because “His Name is One” refers to the four letters of the Name. Therefore, below, the concept of the four elements devolves from His Name.

7What initially devolves from the four letters of the Name is the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil. After that, [His Name] devolves to become the four elements. But before that, it devolves as the aspect of “the tzaddik is the yesod of the world,” for it is from him that all the four yesodot derive.

8This is the meaning of “See, God called by name Betzalel” (Exodus 35:30). Specifically, “See”—as a result of the name “Betzalel” being revealed and important, “See,” because through this the eyes are opened and people see, as mentioned above. This is “God called by name Betzalel”—i.e., because God is in Betzalel’s name, for His name is associated with our name, and as a result “See.” For vision, too, derives from the concept of the Name, i.e., the four letters from which the three colors of the eye and the pupil derive.

9And this is the concept of ShaBbaT—Shin BaT. Shin alludes to the three colors of the eye; BaT ayin (the pupil) (Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.126b). For Shabbat is the Name of the Blessed Holy One (Zohar II, 88b). The tzaddik, too, is the concept of Shabbat, as it is written: You are the Shabbat of all the days (Zohar III, 144b). And this is “See that God has given you the Shabbat” (Exodus 16:29). Specifically, “See”—because Shabbat, which is the Holy One’s Name, is the concept of vision: three colors of the eye and the pupil, as mentioned above.

10This is why wherever the Holy Temple’s construction is mentioned, Shabbat is mentioned, as it is written, “My Shabbats you shall keep and My Sanctuary you shall revere” (Leviticus 19:30). So, too, wherever He cautioned concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, He first cautioned concerning Shabbat. This is because Shabbat illuminates the Holy Temple, for the Temple is also the concept of eyes, as it is written (Ezekiel 24:21), “the pride of your strength, your eyes’ delight” (Bava Batra 4a). Shabbat is the concept of the colors that shine in the Holy Temple. For Shabbat is the concept of vision, the three colors of the eye and the pupil that illuminate the Holy Temple, the concept of eyes.

11This is also the concept of mentalities. Initially, from the concept of God’s Name, which is comprised of four letters, the four mentalities are made. This is the concept of “And I filled him with the spirit of the Lord in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in every craft” (Exodus 31:3). “Wisdom,” “understanding,” “knowledge” and “every craft” are the concept of the four mentalities (as brought in the Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13b) . They are made from the concept of God’s Name, as it is written, “See, God called by name Betzalel…. And I filled him… in wisdom and in understanding….” Then later, the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil is made, followed by the four elements, as mentioned above.

122B. It is on this account that the tzaddikim are called “the eyes of the congregation” (Numbers 15:24; see Bava Batra 4a), because it is through them that the eyes are opened, as mentioned above.

13And so, when the true tzaddik’s splendor and beauty are revealed, and his name becomes important—this being the concept of making the Blessed One’s Name great, as it were, through which the mentalities and vision are created, and the eyes are opened—then the world has a master-of-the-house who watches over it. This is the concept of BeReIShYT—ROSh BaYiT (Tikkuney Zohar #3, p.18b). Rosh (head) alludes to the mentalities. BaYiT (house) alludes to the BeYT hamikdash (Holy Temple), whose existence depends primarily on the concept of the mentalities, the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil/Shabbat, which illuminates the Holy Temple, as mentioned above.

14Bayit is also the concept of the batim (compartments) of the tefilin, where the mentalities are housed, the concept of “And I filled him with the spirit of the Lord, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with every craft.” Specifically “And I filled”—the concept of the compartments which the mentalities fill. And thus there is a master-of-the-house, the concept of rosh bayit (head of the house), who administrates the bayit’s repairs, for it is through this that the Beit HaMikdash is repaired, as mentioned above.