The cycle of going and returning

(13) Such then was the appearance of the creatures. With them was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire, suggestive of torches, kept moving about among the creatures; the fire had a radiance, and lightning issued from the fire. (14) Dashing to and fro [among] the creatures was something that looked like flares.^-d

(1) would run and return, like the appearance of the sparks Our Sages explained (Chag. 13b): They would run and return like the flame of a furnace, which constantly shoots out of the mouth of the furnace and hastens back to enter. So, when they would thrust their heads out from under the expanse that was extended above them as is delineated in the chapter they would recoil because of the Shechinah, which is above the expanse, and they hasten to pull their heads [down].

(1) 4. Now, when a person wants to walk the pathways of repentance, he must be baky (expert) in Halakhah. This demands that he have two types of expertise: baky b’ratzo (expert at “running”) and baky b’shov (expert at “returning”). As stated <in the Zohar (III, 292a)>: “Deserving is he who enters and exits.” This corresponds to (Psalms 139:8), “If I ascend to heaven, You are there”—an aspect of ascending, of being expert at running; “and if I make my bed in Hell, here You are”—an aspect of descending, of being expert at returning.

(2) This is (Song of Songs 6:3), “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” “I am my beloved’s” is the aspect of ascending; “and my beloved is mine” is the aspect of descending. {This is the hidden meaning of the meditations of Elul,} and this is the essence of God's glory.