Likutei Moharan 6:11/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ו׳:י״א

111. And now! come see and understand how, in a fantastically awesome manner, all the above kavanot are hinted at and concealed in the above Torah lesson. For there it is explained that a person who wants to repent must have two types of expertise: at running and at returning. This is the aspect of ascending and descending, corresponding to “If I ascend to heaven, You are there”—the expertise of running; “and if I make my bed in Hell, here You are”—the expertise of returning. See above, where this is explained.

2The simple meaning of all this is that the person who wants to walk the pathways of repentance must summon up his fortitude and constantly strengthen himself in the ways of God—whether in a state of spiritual ascent or descent, corresponding to “If I ascend to heaven… and if I make my bed in Hell.” In other words, even if he is experiencing an ascent and a high spiritual level, he must not remain there nor be satisfied with this. Rather, he must be extremely expert at this, knowing and believing that he must go further and further. This is the expertise of running, an aspect of ascent, which corresponds to “If I ascend to heaven….”

3The opposite is also true. Even if, God forbid, he falls to wherever he falls—even into the deepest Hell—he must still never give himself over to despair, but constantly seek and search for God. No matter where he is, he must strengthen himself with all means available. For God is to be found even in the deepest Hell, and there too it is possible to attach oneself to Him. This corresponds to “and if I make my bed in Hell, here You are,” the expertise of returning. For it is impossible to walk the pathways of repentance unless one possesses both these types of expertise.

4Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, was very precise in referring to this concept by the term baky. For it is indeed a very, very great expertise when a person merits knowing how to exert himself and toil continuously in the service of God, hoping all the while to reach a higher spiritual level, and yet not allowing anything to bring him down. Even if he is as he is, God forbid, he still does not get discouraged at all, as he fulfills, “and if I make my bed in Hell, here You are.”