בס"ד

Parashat Tzav Fire in all situations

This week’s Torah reading talks, among other things, about the fire in the Altar of the Temple. The Torah is an instruction and lesson book for all times and places. What is the lesson of the fire in the Altar? Based on Likkutei Sichot vol. 1, p. 217

The Fire That Must Never Go Out

This week’s third Torah reading is called Tzav, which means “an order” or “a command.” It is a continuation of the previous reading, where G-d gives instructions about how the service in the Tabernacle—the Mishkan—should be performed. The next reading continues this theme as well, describing how the work in the Tabernacle actually began.

The Command of the Eternal Fire

Among the many details in this reading, there is a commandment about the fire on top of the altar: the fire must never be extinguished.

Interestingly, there wasn’t just one fire on the altar—there were several. In fact, our Sages even debate how many fires there were. But one specific fire had to be constant.

The Torah emphasizes this point in what seems like a repetition: it doesn’t just say that there should be a fire on the altar—it says that the fire must be continuous, that it may never go out.

Why the repetition?

Our Sages explain that this extra emphasis teaches us something deeper: this fire must be maintained even in situations where we might think it shouldn’t apply.

Lesson One: Even on Shabbat

We know that on Shabbat, lighting a fire is forbidden. The Torah explicitly commands that no fire should be lit on that day.

Yet from the repetition about the altar fire, we learn something remarkable: even on Shabbat, the fire on the altar must continue to burn.

In other words, this fire overrides even the strict laws of Shabbat.

Lesson Two: Even in Impurity

The second lesson is that the fire must continue even in a state of ritual impurity.

There are detailed laws about when impurity applies—such as when most of the people or the priests (Kohanim) are impure. Still, even in such a מצב (state), the fire on the altar must not go out.

So we have two exceptional cases:

The fire must always remain.

Not Just Then—But Now

At first glance, this seems like a very technical commandment related to the Temple. And today, we don’t have the Temple—may it be rebuilt speedily in our days.

So what relevance does this have for us?

Our Sages teach that every detail in the Torah carries an eternal lesson.

They explain that the human heart is like the altar. In fact, every part of the Temple corresponds to something within the human body—and the altar corresponds to the heart.

So when the Torah says there must always be a fire on the altar, it means:

There must always be a fire within the heart.

The Fire Within

This fire represents love for G-d—enthusiasm, passion, and vitality in how we live our spiritual lives.

When we learn Torah, when we perform mitzvot, when we connect to something higher—we shouldn’t do it coldly or mechanically. There should be warmth. Energy. A sense of חיים (life).

But the Torah teaches us that there are two situations where a person might think this fire is unnecessary.

And precisely there, the Torah insists: the fire must continue.

Even in “Shabbat” Moments

Shabbat represents a state of withdrawal from the world. We stop working, step back, and focus inward—on spirituality, understanding, and connection.

In personal terms, this represents intellectual understanding.

When a person is deeply focused on understanding—learning, thinking, analyzing—they may become calm, quiet, even emotionally neutral. Understanding is often compared to water: cool, measured, controlled.

A person might think:
“I understand. I learn. I know what I’m doing. I don’t need emotional excitement.”

The Torah responds:
Even then, the fire must burn.

Even if you are a great scholar, even if you understand deeply—you still need passion. You still need love. Your connection must not become cold.

Even in “Impure” Moments

On the other hand, there are moments when a person feels the opposite.

A person might think:
“If you knew my story—what I’ve done, where I’ve been—you would push me away. I’m not worthy.”

Even in such a מצב, the Torah says:
The fire must not go out.

Even if a person feels spiritually distant, even if they are still in the middle of their struggle—the love for G-d, the desire to connect, the enthusiasm for growth—must remain alive.

G-d does not reject you.

Yes, there may be things to fix. That’s part of the journey. But the fire—the core connection—must always be there.

De eeuwige les

From what seems like a technical detail about maintaining a fire on the altar, we learn a profound life lesson:

Never extinguish the fire within.

Not when you feel elevated and understanding.
Not when you feel distant or broken.

In every מצב, in every time, in every place—

The fire must keep burning.

Spreekbeurt van rabbijn Tuvia Serber


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