No Place for Negativity

There is an important Pasuk in פרשת צו that has a double meaning. The Torah says, והאש על המזבח לא תכבה, that the fire on the altar must never be extinguished.

The first interpretation was more functional in nature. When the Beit Hamikdash was standing, it was necessary for the fire to be burning every day of the year. There had to be an ample amount of wood stored in a section of the Temple, known as, לשכת העצים, the office of the wood.

The second explanation is more on the level of Chassidut. The idea of the fire constantly burning is a command to stay away from negativity. A Jew must work on himself to always remain positive and upbeat.

It is clearly a challenge, but one must work at driving away negative thoughts and negative thinking. We are meant to serve Hashem with joy, and there is no place for sadness and being down in the dumps.

What we must learn from this Chassidic viewpoint is that they even looked at difficulties in a positive light. If someone was going through a hard time, it was only a sign that something good was just around the corner.

The Torah is teaching that the fire of enthusiasm and positive thinking, must never be extinguished.