The Perpetual Flame

“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” Leviticus 6:13

Fire is one of the five elements of nature. It is probably the most fascinating one of them. One cannot avoid being attracted and mesmerized by its dynamics and power when watching it. Along with its symbolism, fire has steered mankind since the dawn of civilization. It has been used in  social, religious and sacred rites. It is a wonderful gift which can cleanse, purge, and empower us, inspire, and enrich us. Unfortunately, when unbridled, it can also harm us. It can consume and turn into ashes anything that stands in its path.

Fire and its role in conducting the affairs of the Mishkan, mainly with regards to the rituals of the various sacrifices, is one of the central themes in this week’s Parashah, Tzav. Many of the various sacrifices were mentioned in last week’s Parashah. However, while there, it discussed the laws that concern the persons who bring the sacrifice, in this week’s Parashah, the commands are relegated to the Cohanim (priests), namely Aharon and his sons.

G-d instructs Moshe to command (Tzav) them and pass on to them the decrees, duties and rights concerning the ceremonies and rituals of sacrifices. The central tool around which most of the chores and services in the Mishkan take place is’ as we learn, the altar.

Part of the directives of conducting the work of the Mishkan, focus on the Esh Hatamid, the eternal fire, which was constantly burning on the altar of the Mishkan. The flame signifies the altar's incessant task: even when no sacrifice is offered, the altar is always on a “stand by” mode, ready to perform its mission.

In his  book “Likutei Torah,” the Lubavitcher Rebbe, states that the altar is akin to the heart of a Jew. Rabbi Elimelech, similarly, describes every Jew as an altar and their sanctity as akin to the eternal flame. Just as the altar should have the perpetual fire, he claims, so within every Jew, there should always be a burning desire to aspire to as close to being holy as possible. Just as the Cohanim needed to ensure that the altar fire never extinguishes, so do we, Jews and Am Yisrael, need to engage in the service of Hashem so that our inviolability does not get quenched.

I beg to differ with these views. Every Jew is not just “an altar.”

A few weeks ago, I addressed the directive to build a Mishkan for G-d. In my article entitled, “Terumah" – Building a Tabernacle Within Us,” I suggested that when G-d instructed Moshe to command Bnei Yisrael to build a Mishkan for him, that He “also meant a spiritual Tabernacle, one that will create a permanent dwelling place for Him not only in their camp but also in their heart, in their soul. G-d wants to dwell “in them” not only among them. He wishes to be part of their essence.”

In my view, G-d wants us to have a Mishkan within us, to be, ourselves a Mishkan, a sanctuary, a vital and spirited entity that is cloaked in holiness: “For you are a Holy Nation to the Lord, your G-d. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth’ the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession” (Devarim 14:2). And just like the Eternal fire that burns in G-d’s dwelling place among us, so should an eternal vibrant flame burn within us, in our Mishkan.

 The word “holy” in Hebrew is the same root as dedication. It denotes loyalty and a concerted effort try and reach higher levels of existence, the spiritual kind and what Rabbi Berel Weil refers to as “nobility of purpose. A holy nation,” he states, “… is a nation that is able to retain its unique identity. It cannot be swallowed up by the prevailing and ever changing majority cultures that will always surround it.”

The Eternal Flame that burns on the altar of our individual Mishkan is the fervor, the passion with which we will continue to guard, protect and continue to adhere to our noble Jewish values, Torah moral code and ethics, our wonderful tradition and our designated role in History, that of being “A Light unto the Nations.”

This Flame within us will be the Pillar of Fire which will illuminate our Life’s path and help us remain, in the words of Rabbi Weil, “a Holy Nation in every walk of life, at Home and at the marketplace, in the halls of government – and certainly in the treatment of others.”

Wishing everyone Shabbat Shalom with every blessing for abundant health.

Giving Credit

“Failure to accord credit to anyone for what he may have done is a great weakness in any man.”  - William Howard Taft

Without diminishing the importance of Taft’s wise words, allow me to add that failure to render credit is a weakness not only in any man but in any nation as well. It is the essence of humility, individual and national.

As a Jew, I am proud to belong to a tradition, to a heritage that has shared much with world civilization. What makes me ever more proud of it is that it never fails to give credit where and when credit is due.

This week’s Parasha (Torah portion) is a great example of it. It is entitled “Yitro,” (Jethro in Greek). Yitro is a non- Yisraelite who later becomes Moshe’s (Moses) father in law. He is a dedicated father and family man and is the governing leader of the tribes of Midian, to where Moses escapes from Egypt as a young refugee. After rescuing his daughters and their herds from hostile shepherds, grateful Yitro invites Moshe to break bread with them and offers him his daughter Tzipporah as wife (Exodus 2:21).
Following the liberation of his people from slavery in Egypt, Moshe, now a powerful and famous leader, returns to Midian where Yitro guides him on how to govern his people. Yitro advises him of the need to appoint magistrates and judges to assist him in the task of administering justice to Am Yisrael. (Exodus 18:17ff). Yitro fulfills his task as Moshe’s mentor with grace, elegance, sincerity and honesty. In return, he receives Moshe’s utmost respect and deference.

Yitro’s modesty and humility are further demonstrated in Numbers 10:29-30 where he is invited by Moshe to join Am Yisrael where he would be respected and honoured. Yitro courteously declines by entreating his responsibilities and duties to his own tribe in Midian.

Later in this week’s Parasha, we are told that the Children of Yisrael camp at the foot of mount Sinai where they are preparing to receive the Torah as G-d has chosen them to be His “kingdom of priests” and “Holy Nation.” That is where the children of Yisrael first become a Nation, Am Yisrael after they proclaim “Naaseh V’ Nishma “(we shall do all that G-d has spoken).

The giving of the Torah is, undoubtedly, the most important event in the timeline of the history of Am Yisrael and the Jewish people. It is the event that has connected our Past, Present and Future as a Nation.

When undertaking the task of dividing the Torah into fifty-two portions, our Rabbis elected to name this most important Torah portion after no other than Yirto, a Midianite, a non-Jew, an outsider.

Why, some of you may ask?

And this is where one of the greatest gifts of our Jewish nation lies, the essence of our strength. Yitro’s name was chosen precisely because our Rabbi’s followed one of the most important tenet inherent in our Jewish culture - giving credit where credit is due. Yitro, as we witnessed throughout the Parasha, was very instrumental in shaping our destiny and help us make it a reality. He provided Moshe with refuge when he escaped the hostile environment in Egypt, gave him food, shelter and coached him into becoming one of the greatest leaders Am Yisrael has ever had. His contributions to who and what we are today are immense. He is what we, Jews, call "A Righteous Gentile."

Yitro’s credit was not only given to him, it was well earned and well deserved.