Hassidout sur Ézéchiel 1:4

This is akin to the foreskin which covers the brit milah, which conceals the light.⁵⁰¹In other words, just as the foreskin covers the glans, so God’s revelation is concealed by this particular force of evil. The root of the Serpent includes the three klipot (husks, forces of evil) seen in the prophet Yehezkel’s vision of the Chariot, the storm wind (ruah sa’arah), the great cloud (anan), and the burning fire (eish mitlakahat). The final letters of these three kelipot (anaN, ruaH, eiSH) spell the word snake (nahash). This is because every kelipah that contains a great power of concealment touches the source of the Serpent.

The mystery of Chashmal mentioned in Ezekiel 1:4, the rabbis (Chagigah 13b) interpreted it as creatures that are sometimes silent (Chashot) and sometimes chattering (memalelot). From the language of Chash mal, learn that you must be silent until you strike out and cut up (mal) the evil forces, then speak up and cleave to the divine, to sweeten these harsh judgements at their root. This is the secret of prayer, as explained by my teacher the Baal Shem Tov, in the name of his teacher.