בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה'
אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶך–הָעולָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו
וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסק בְּדִבְרֵי-תורָה.
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei torah.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us to study words of Torah.
A Summary of This Week's Parsha
(ה) וְהָאֵ֨שׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ תּֽוּקַד־בּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עֵצִ֖ים בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וְעָרַ֤ךְ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ הָֽעֹלָ֔ה וְהִקְטִ֥יר עָלֶ֖יהָ חֶלְבֵ֥י הַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃ (ו) אֵ֗שׁ תָּמִ֛יד תּוּקַ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֹ֥א תִכְבֶּֽה׃ {ס}
(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.
-What questions do you have about these verses?
-Why might the priests have recieved this instruction?
-Why the repetition of " לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה" [lo tichbeh] --"It shall not go out"?
-What do you think the "Aish tamid" (the everlasting flame/fire) might have to teach us?
(And yes, this is one of the sources--along with Exodus 27:20--for the "Ner tamid" in our synagogue!, i.e. the light, often in front of the ark, that is perpetually lit.)
אש תמיד ["aish tamid"]—
The fire of the altar is refered to as "tamid" (i.e. "always")--This is to teach us that the fire on the altar was used to kindle the lamps in the Mishkan [i.e. the Tabernacle].
We know this because the word "tamid" is also used to describe the lamps in the Mishkan: "You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly (תמיד)." (Exodus 27:20).
Rashi is making a connection here between the ever-burning fire on the altar and the lamps that illuminate the Mishkan; he suggests that the fire of the altar was not only used for burning up the sacrifices, but for kindling the lamps.
-What do you make of this connection?
-Does this change how you think about the fire on the altar?
Note: The word "Tamid" can be translated as "continually" (i.e. ongoing) or "regularly"
Additional context: Shlomo ben Yitzchak, best known by the acronym "Rashi", was an early and influential medieval Torah and Talmud commentator.
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. How did they do this? According to Rabbi Yehudah, they shielded it with a large vessel to keep it going.
Chizkuni is noting both the implication of "always"--you have to keep this flame going even while traveling!--and the difficult practicalities around this.
-What are the unique difficulties of keeping a fire burning on-the-go: both practical and metaphorical?
-What internal "fires" do you tend to, even when you travel?
-How can you protect these "fires?"
Additional context:
Chizkiah ben Manoach (aka Chizkuni) lived in the 13th century. His commentary is a compilation of insights culled from Midrashim, as well as the writings of Rishonim [the leading rabbis and halakhic decisors who lived approx. during the 11th to 15th centuries].
on what the aish tamid has to teach us
(Rabbi Shefa Gold is a rabbi, scholar, and liturgist. Among many beautiful compositions, she wrote a chant for Leviticus 6:6)
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.
by Rabbi Dov Linzer
https://library.yctorah.org/1998/03/mitzvot-monotony-and-meaning/
(Rabbi Dov Linzer is the President and Rabbinic Head of the Modern Orthodox Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School)
Rather than common phrase “speak to Aaron,” the Torah here opens with “command Aaron.”...
A constant mitzvah shows our constant devotion to God, shows that we recognize that the fire in us must be burning constantly, not only once or twice a week, or once or twice a day, but every moment. The pitfall, however, is that when we do something constantly it becomes rote. We no longer give any significance to what we are doing; it’s just something we do. Because of this, these mitzvot require special urging: “command Aaron.” We must feel that we are commanded, that we are doing God’s will, and not just doing what we’ve always done. It is not enough that the fire is burning constantly, we must “feed wood to it” every morning. We must stoke the flames. We must keep those daily practices new and fresh and find ways to imbue them with renewed meaning every day.
...This is our obligation. We must strive to invest every mitzvah we do with freshness and meaning, to make every mitzvah not a burden on God, but beloved and dear to [God]. We must let the mitzvot change not only what we do, but also who we are.
By MaMuse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX11MEtbkXI
This beautiful song by MaMuse begins with the words "We shall be known by the company we keep/By the ones who circle round to tend these fires." What do you notice when you put this in conversation with the verse from Leviticus? Do you think there's a connection to be made between "tending fire" and "leading in love"?
We shall be known by the company we keep
By the ones who circle round to tend these fires
We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap
The seeds of change, alive from deep within the earth
It is time now, it is time now that we thrive
It is time we lead ourselves into the well
It is time now, and what a time to be alive
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love