Nefesh HaChayim, An Introduction by the Author's Son

And while most of what he stated in his teachings was among the most profound, based on the Zohar and the writings of the Ariza”l (as those who understood were able to glean), he, out of his humble righteousness, clothed them, simplified them30Heb.: hil-be-shahm v’hifsheetahm—Reb Itzele employs a play on words here: Hil-be-shahm means “he clothed them”, while hifsheetahm has two possible meanings. In the context of clothes it means “unclothed them”. But the word could also be understood as being derived from the root word pa-shoot (simple), with hifsheetahm meaning “he simplified them”. and hid them—avoiding expounding the concealed parts of Torah in public31Heb.: l’vahl yahgdeel d’va-rav k’doe-reish ba-nistarote—It is prohibited to expound the secrets of the Torah in public.—so as to:• sweeten them like honey and milk under his tongue, and like perfume under their garments,• not expound them in public to the masses and to the crowds who hadn’t filled their bellies with Talmud32The R’MA in Yoreh Dei-ah 246:4, citing the RaMBa”M (in Sefer Ha-ma-da, at the end of chapter 4 of Hilkhote Y’sodei Ha-Torah) states that one should not study the recondite parts of Torah until one’s belly is filled with knowledge of what is prohibited and what is permitted, and the laws pertaining to the mitzvote (i.e., Talmud and poskim). Reb Itzele may be referring here to the Chassidim whose study halls Rav Chayyim said held books of Mussar and didn’t even have a full set of Talmud.,• to [motivate them to] purify their behaviors with proper attitudes of awe/fear of God-H’ so that they shouldn’t be caused to fail by the vanities of the world of falsehood.