In beauty (tiferet) we place an interpretation from Rebbe Naftali of Ropshitz. One of the defining characteristics of the sefirah of beauty is that it has one concealed third (its Chabad) and two revealed thirds (its Chagat and Nehi). The idea here is that there are two types of tzadikim: a concealed tzaddik who has a desire to be revealed (this is the “eighth of an eighth of pride” within him) and revealed tzaddikim. While living in Egypt, Joseph, sitting on the royal throne shows no outward sign whatsoever of being a Jew. He appears to be an Egyptian, yet his attachment to God surpasses, by an immeasurable degree, that of his brothers. Joseph represents the tzaddik whose Divine service of God is entirely concealed, whereas Judah represents the tzaddik whose service is entirely revealed to all.
Joseph serves God exclusively in concealment, through the cleaving of his thoughts, while his adherence to mitzvot is completely imperceptible to someone who is not aware of who he is. He might appear to be a simple water-drawer.
With respect to the sefirah of beauty, Torah corresponds to its middle third (Chagat) and the mitzvot and prayers correspond to its lower third (Nehi). The imperceptible Divine service of the concealed tzaddik corresponds to its upper third (Chabad).
At the beginning of Keter Shem Tov, it is written that the Divine service of beauty is to bring God a sense of satisfaction, as it were, nachas that His will was done, “Israel with whom I beautify Myself”; if your intention is for God to take pride in you, that is the service of Tiferet. There are those for whom this manifests without any outward sign, to the extent that others might think, like in Joseph’s case, that he was an Egyptian. This is why there are many stories of Eliyahu HaNavi appearing as a non-Jew.
Judah thus recognizes the existence of the extraordinary concealed tzaddik and draws near to him. This concept applies to our own Divine service as well. Torah and mitzvot are essential, but there is also a hidden dimension of service, a major principle embodied by the true concealed tzaddik, who should also exist within each of us. If we do not yearn for it, we become self-important, coarse, and disconnected.
