| ב"ה אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶּה (ויקרא ו, ו) A constant fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not be extinguished. (Vayikra 6:6) Cynical is Criminal The Torah instructs us to maintain a constant fire burning on the Outer Mizbe'ach in the Temple courtyard. According to the Talmud Yerushalmi (Yoma 4:6), the Torah's emphasis that the fire must be "constant" informs us that even if the kohanim responsible for the fire are in a state of ritual impurity, which would normally disqualify them from serving in the Temple, they are still obligated to maintain the fire on the altar. The mitzvah to maintain a constant fire on the altar also applies to the spiritual "Mishkan" that the Torah bids each of us to create within ourselves. The altar represents the heart, and the fire symbolizes the passion and excitement that a Jew should feel toward everything G-dly. Just as the kohanim must maintain the fire on the altar even if they are ritually impure, we must never allow the G-dly fire burning in our souls to die, no matter how distant we feel from purity and holiness. By keeping that fire alive, we will ultimately purge ourselves of our "impurity." As the Maggid of Mezeritch explains, "'A constant fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not be extinguished': When the fire on the altar is constant, the "not" (i.e., all things negative) shall be extinguished." —Likutei Sichos vol. 1, p. 217 | |
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