Perashat Sav 5778

Perashat Sav 5778

In the beginning of this week's perasha the Torah repeats no less than three times that the Kohanim must ensure that an Esh Tamid, continuous flame, burn on the Mizbeah. The priests were instructed to arrange wood on the fire every morning so that the fire would burn throughout the day and night. 

The Sifra, the Halakhik Midrash to Leviticus, elaborates on the specifications of the Esh Tamid. The passuk states, "A continuous fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not be extinguished". The Midrash determined that because the word 'continuous' was stressed in the passuk, the Kohanim were required to ensure the flame continued burning even on Shabbat. Further, a continuous flame would mean that even if the Kohanim were in a state of impurity they were still obligated to keep the fire burning. Lastly, the fire should be kept from burning out even while traveling. 
We deduce from this that the missva of having an everlasting flame on the altar was not solely for the sake of the Korbanot but to fulfill a separate missva that the fire shall endure for the glory of Heaven.

Shir HaShirim compares our love for Hashem to fire: "Many waters cannot put out the flame of love". Further, the Ben Ish Hai wrote that the human heart is called a Mizbeah. Thus the Esh Tamid, which burns from the Mizbeah, alludes to our love for Hashem which should be instilled in our hearts perpetually. 

Our love for Hashem is unlike our love of anything material. Even when one loves a certain food, eating it incessantly is bound to eventually lose its appeal. One would have to take a break from eating even the most delicious food to still desire it. The opposite is true of our love for Hashem. The more we feed the fire of love for Hashem, the stronger it grows. When you are connecting with the Infinite One, there is always room to rise to greater heights. 

To nurture the fire of love in our hearts for Hashem, we must reach beyond our intellectual compartmentalization of service to G-d.  We must be filled with Bore Olam at every moment. Our love for Hashem must encompass every area in our lives. This should be evident throughout our ideas, attitudes and actions. Our lives are not really our own as we are merely a part of the essence of G-d.

We are standing now a week before Pesah. These are the days in which we prepare for the Hag and are immersed in many missvot. This is the opportune time to destroy the internal Hamess that tempts us to subdue our passion for Bore Olam. We must think of ways to kindle that burning love for G-d that exists in every one of us. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mimoun Miller