(1) ה' spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Command Aaron and his sons thus: This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it. (3) The priest shall dress in linen raiment, with linen breeches next to his body; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. (4) He shall then take off his vestments and put on other vestments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a pure place. (5) The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out: every morning the priest shall feed wood to it, lay out the burnt offering on it, and turn into smoke the fat parts of the offerings of well-being. (6) A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out.
(1) אש תמיד, “a perpetual fire;” it will be kept burning even on the Sabbath, even if for some reason it became ritually impure. (2) לא תכבה, “where it will not go out.” Even while the Israelites were journeying through the desert, G-d’s honour demanded that precautions be taken that this flame be kept going. According to Rabbi Yehudah in the Sifra. they used a kind of metal dome fixed above it to insure that it was kept going. [Seeing that the clouds of glory kept the people protected from rain, sandstorms and other inclemency of weather, this does not sound so exceptional. Ed.]
רַבֵּנוּ הַזָּקֵן סִפֵּר: מֵהַתּוֹרוֹת שֶׁאָמַר מוֹרִי לְפָנַי בִּיחִידוּת, הָיְתָה תּוֹרָה עַל הַפָּסוּק אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא תִכְבֶּה, דַּהֲגַם שֶׁהָאֵשׁ יוֹרֵד מִלְמַעְלָה בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָּא, מִצְוָה לְהָבִיא מִן הַהֶדְיוֹט, כִּי בְּאִתְעַרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא אִתְעַרוּתָא דִלְעֵילָא, כִּי רוּחַ אַיְיתֵי רוּחַ וְאַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ, רוּחַ מִלְּמַטָּה אַיְיתֵי רוּחַ מִלְעֵילָּא, וְאַמְשִׁיךְ רוּחַ מִלְעֵילָּא וּלְעֵילָּא. ...
וְהַהַקְרָבָה עַצְמָהּ אֵינָהּ מַסְפֶּקֶת, וּצְרִיכִים לְהַבְעִיר אֵשׁ עַל הַקָּרְבָּן אֲשֶׁר מִכֶּם, וְאֵשׁ זֶה לֹא תִכְבֶּה, שֶׁהִיא מְכַבָּה אֶת הַ"לֹא".
אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת אָמַר מוֹרִי לְפָנַי עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים, כְּדֵי לְחָקְקָהּ בְּעֶשֶׂר כֹּחוֹת נַפְשִׁי. וַיֹּאמֶר לִי, אַתָּה תַּלְמִידִי הִנְּךָ נִצְרָךְ לְהָאֵשׁ תָּמִיד, לְפִי שֶׁעָלֶיךָ הוּטַל לְכַבּוֹת לֹא גָּדוֹל. אַתָּה תְכַבֶּה אֶת הַלֹּא וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַהֲפוֹך אֶת הַלֹּא לְהֵן.
The Alter Rebbe [Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, 1745-1812] once related:
“One of the teachings that my master [the Maggid of Mezritch, c.1710-1772] imparted to me privately was an exposition of the verse, ‘A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; not to go out.’
Despite the fact that God's fire would descend from above [to consume the sacrifices], there is nonetheless an obligation to kindle ordinary fire on the altar. The kindling from below arouses a kindling from above; a spirit from below calls forth a spirit from above, which is drawn down from the highest realms. ...
Merely bringing the sacrificial offering is insufficient. One must also light a fire for the offering that comes from within oneself; this fire may not be extinguished. Rather, this fire extinguishes the 'No'.
My master delivered this teaching to me ten times in order to engrave it in the ten faculties of my soul. He told me: ‘You, my student, will need a perpetual fire, in order to extinguish a great No. But when you extinguish the No, the Lord of Blessing will transform the No into a Yes.’"
יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי עָשָׂה מַעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו בְּכַוָּנָה וְרָצוֹן אֶחָד. כִּי דֶּרֶךְ כָּל אָדָם. שֶׁבְּהַתְחָלָה מִתְעוֹרֵר לַטּוֹב. אח"כ נִשְׁכַּח מִמֶּנּוּ. וְצָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ הִתְעוֹרְרוּת בְּאֹפֶן אַחֵר תָּמִיד. וְהָאֱמֶת כִּי הַהִתְפַּעֲלוּת הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא הַמֻּבְחָר לַזֹּאת נֶאֱמַר עַל אַהֲרֹן שֶׁלֹּא שִׁנָּה וּמִמֵּילָא בָּא לוֹ תָּמִיד הַשָּׂגוֹת חֲדָשׁוֹת כמ"ש אִם שִׁמּוּעַ בַּיָּשָׁן תִּשְׁמַע בֶּחָדָשׁ:
We need to explain that he did this Mitzva all the days of his life with one intention and purpose
It is usual that at the beginning one is excited but afterwards the excitement wanes.
Need to find fresי motivation to do something on a regular basis
We have to find a way to hold on to the The initial enthusiasm from when we first do something
https://www.rabbishefagold.com/fire-on-altar-aish-tamid/
Inside our hearts is a flame that must be kept burning. That fire is our passion for Life, our yearning for God, our curiosity about the mysteries, our sparkle of humor, our enthusiasm for the Work.
We keep that fire burning by engaging in spiritual practice, by surrounding ourselves with beauty, by giving and receiving love and support, and by fully connecting with what (and whom) we love.
It is crucial to bring attention to that flame on the altar of the heart – to feed that fire and to guard it with loving vigilance.
Perhaps that is what is missing from our conversation about being an inclusive Jewish community. We talk about including everyone, regardless of the path from whence they came. While there are those whose path is solely a cultural path, with others we must remember to invite God into the conversation. In that way, we make sure that the Divine light in that conversation–of inclusion–never abates.
-- Rabbi Kerry Olitzky
A fire shall continuously burn on the altar; it shall not go out. (Lev. 6:6)
What is this fire we are asked to tend, always?
It is fire that comes from the flames of the burning bush,
Fire that spoke to each of us by name
And asked:
Where are you on your path?
What is your life about?
It is fire that comes from the flames of Sinai
Fire that said to us—All is One.
Live in ways that honor the Oneness.
Live in ways that honor All.
The fire on the altar is a fire of transformation causing all it touches to become holy. (Lev. 6:20)
This fire is ours to tend.
Let us be kind and gentle with ourselves and others.
Let us practice gratitude
And find reason and opportunity to say thank you again and again.
Let us be true to where we are in the moment
And with care, release the impulse to control what will be.
Each of us on our own paths,
All of us together on this journey.
Let us make holy our words and actions.
May the fires we tend light the way.