Keep the Fire Burning

One of the fascinating facts related to the Beit Hamikdash is the fire on the מזבח, the altar. The Torah speaks of an אש תמיד, a permanent fire, that must be burning at all times.

The miraculous aspect of this Mitzva is that no weather condition was able to extinguish the altar’s fire. And in addition to that, the smoke went straight up to Heaven in a pillar that was not moved by strong winds. On a practical level, there needed to be a huge amount of wood constantly available to keep the fire burning.

The spiritual message is that we as individuals must keep our own fire burning. We must keep ourselves motivated and enthusiastic in our observance of Mitzvot. We must maintain the same idealism of our youth as we grow older. The time for complacency is in the next world. While we are here, we must keep the fire burning!