Rashi, on the above passuk, says that there are in fact two commandments, a מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה to light fire perpetually and a מִצְוַת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה, to not extinguish the fire. The Rambam (הלכות תמידין ומוספין ב, ו) paskens that anyone extinguishing the fire on the Mizbeach is חַיָּב מַלְקוֹת.
Based on the passuk above, the Gemara (יומא כא, ב; עירובין סג, א) says אע"פ שֶׁאֵשׁ יוֹרֶדֶת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם מִצְוָה לְהָבִיא מִן הַהֶדְיוֹט - even though fire descends from Heaven, it is a mitzva to light fire of our own, מִן הַהֶדְיוֹט.
In next week's parsha, Shmini, we will read how, after the 8 days of inauguration of the Mishkan, fire descended from Heaven and consumed the עוֹלָה and the חֲלָבִים on the Mizbeach. According to R' Bachyei (ויקרא ט, כד), this Heavenly fire was perpetually on the Mizbeach, beginning with the Mishkan (2449) and ending with the destruction of Bayit Rishon (3338) - a total period of 889 years.
Chazal ask, "If there was constant Heavenly fire on the Mizbeach, how did they transport it in the Midbar, covered by a בֶּגֶד אַרְגָּמָן?" This is a machloket. According to R' Yehuda, they covered the fire with a פְּסַכְתֵּר, some kind of metal scoop, which prevented the fire from burning the cover. R' Shimon says that they were מְדַשְּׁנִים, i.e constantly removing ashes, to keep the fire low (ספרא, פרשת צו, פר' ב). Rashi (במדבר ד, יג) says that the fact the covering was not burnt was as miraculous as the fire itself.
Everyone is familiar with the story of Eliyahu on Mt. Carmel (מלכים א', פרק יח). After the false prophets of the ba'al failed to ignite their sacrifices, Eliyahu rallied the people and rebuilt the Mizbeach. Eliyahu then ordered them to douse the wood and the korban Olah on the Mizbeach three times until it was saturated with water. In addition, Eliyahu ordered them to form a moat around the Mizbeach, filled with water. Eliyahu then cried out to HKB"H – "Aneni" and a fire descended from Heaven, consumed the korban, the wood, the stones of the Mizbeach, the earth below and the water in the moat surrounding it.
If HKB"H is miraculously sending down fire from Heaven to consume the korbanot, why does He command us in this week's parsha to light our own fire on the Mizbeach as well?
To understand this, we need to explore the origins of fire itself.
According to Chazal, the universe comprises 4 elements – אֵשׁ, רוּחַ, מַיִם, עָפָר, fire, wind, water, earth - also abbreviated as ארמ"ע.
The first reference we find to this is in Sefer Yetzira, which according to Chazal, was written by Avraham Avinu –
שָׁמַיִם נִבְרְאוּ תְּחִלָּה מֵאֵשׁ, אֶרֶץ נִבְרֵאת מִמַּיִם, אֲוִיר נִבְרָא מֵרוּחַ מַכְרִיעַ בֵּינְתַיִם (ספר היצירה פרק ג, משנה ג).
We also find reference to this in the Midrash –
אַרְבָּעָה טִבְעִים, שֶׁבָּרָא מֵהֶם הקב"ה הָעוֹלָם (במדבר רבה, פרשה יד, פסקה יב)
and numerous times in the Zohar HaKadosh (חלק ב: כג ע"ב, סב ע"א, רנד ע"ב; חלק ג: רכה ע"א וכו').
According to סֵפֶר הַיְּצִירָה above, Heaven was created with and associated with fire.
The Gemara (Chagiga 12b) says –
רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים הֵם, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן - וִילוֹן, רָקִיעַ, שְׁחָקִים, זְבוּל, מָעוֹן, מָכוֹן, עֲרָבוֹת. ... מָכוֹן - שֶׁבּוֹ אֹצְרוֹת שֶׁלֶג וְאֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד, וַעֲלִיַּת טְלָלִים רָעִים, וַעֲלִיַּת אֲגָלִים, וְחַדְרָהּ שֶׁל סוּפָה וּסְעָרָה, וּמְעָרָה שֶׁל קִיטוֹר, וְדַלְתוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל כָּל אֵלֶּה הֵן - אֵשׁ.
In the prophecy of the מֶרְכָּבָה in Yechezkel (1, 4) –
וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן הַצָּפוֹן עָנָן גָּדוֹל וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ.
When HKB"H descended on Har Sinai (Shmot 19, 18) –
וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו ה' בָּאֵשׁ וַיַּעַל עֲשָׁנוֹ כְּעֶשֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁן וַיֶּחֱרַד כָּל הָהָר מְאֹד.
Fire is something that belongs in Heaven, that is its place. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that fire came down from Heaven onto the Mizbeach. What is difficult to understand is the mitzva for us to add our own fire …
When did fire first become the domain of humans as well?
The Midrash (בראשית רבה יב, ו) tells us –
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְקַלְּלוּ הַמְאוֹרוֹת מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, לֹא לָקוּ עַד מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת... וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת נִטַּל זִיווֹ מִמֶּנּוּ וּטְרָדוֹ מִגַּן עֵדֶן ... רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי נְזֵירָא אָמַר, שְׁלשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת שִׁמְשָׁה אוֹתָהּ הָאוֹרָה, שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל לֵיל שַׁבָּת, וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל שַׁבָּת. כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָטָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בִּקֵּשׁ לְגָנְזָהּ, חָלַק כָּבוֹד לַשַׁבָּת ... כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁקְעָה חַמָּה בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת הִתְחִיל הַחשֶׁךְ מְמַשְׁמֶשֶׁת וּבָא, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נִתְיָרֵא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, אָמַר שֶׁמָּא אוֹתוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (בראשית ג, טו): הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב, בָּא לְהִזְדַּוֵּוג לִי, (תהלים קלט, יא): וָאֹמַר אַךְ חשֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵנִי, אֶתְמְהָא. מֶה עָשָׂה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא זִמֵּן לוֹ שְׁנֵי רְעָפִים וְהִקִּישָׁן זֶה לָזֶה וְיָצָאת הָאוֹר וּבֵרַךְ עָלֶיהָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים קלט, יא): וְלַיְלָה אוֹר בַּעֲדֵנִי, אַתְיָא כְּהַהִיא דְּתָנֵי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל מִפְּנֵי מָה מְבָרְכִין עַל הָאוֹר בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא תְּחִלַּת בְּרִיָּתוֹ.
According to the Midrash, even though HKB"H cursed and diminished the moon, this reduction did not actually take place on the fourth day, but only after Motzei Shabbat. Similarly, Adam Harishon was not expelled from Gan Eden until Motzei Shabbat. From the first day when light was created until Motzei Shabbat, the world was illuminated by the blinding Heavenly אוֹר הַגָּנוּז. Even though, by all rights, HKB"H should have diminished this light following Adam's sin, HKB"H allowed this light to persist in honor of Shabbat, until Motzei Shabbat.
On Motzei Shabbat this אוֹר הַגָּנוּז was diminished, as was the light of the moon. The sun set and for the first time since the first day of Creation - darkness prevailed. When Adam saw the world going dark, he was afraid. HKB"H had mercy on him and gave him two stones. Adam struck one against the other and light was lit. Adam Harishon blessed this light, and this is the origin of making Havdala on a flame on Motzei Shabbat בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ, since this was the origin of man's fire, the first time that man himself made fire.
Prior to this, fire was the domain of Heaven – HKB"H and the angels.
However, although the above Midrash describes the first time that man created his own fire, it was not the first time in history that man used fire.
Sefer Meir Panim (פרק טו), discussing the sin of Chava and Adam using the shita of R' Yehuda that the fruit of the עֵץ הַדַּעַת was wheat, goes into further detail of exactly what this entailed. How Chava ground the wheat of the tree into flour, mixed it in a dough, let it rest and become chametz and then baked it into bread.
How does one bake bread without fire? And if fire is necessary for baking bread, where did the fire come from to bake Chava's bread?
If the Midrash above tells us the first time that man created fire was on Motzei Shabbat, this means that Chava herself did not make fire to bake her bread on the 6th day. So where did the fire come from? From the only place that fire existed - up in Heaven with HKB"H and the angels. Obviously HKB"H did not provide the fire. Who does that leave? The angels – or more specifically one particular angel - the ס"מ.
The sin of Chava and Adam was multifaceted, it contained many, many different components (lack of gratitude, tardiness, lack of obedience, lack of responsibility, defying the laws of nature, etc, etc.). One facet of this multifaceted sin was dabbling in things that were not intended for humans - like using Heavenly fire provided by the נָחָשׁ to bake the bread.
HKB"H did not intend that humans would involve themselves in food preparation. All the food was ready to eat and required no toil of any kind. The whole process of Chava's sin was the opposite of this. She purposely (as a result of the temptation and advice of the נָחָשׁ) made food from scratch – for the first time in history. She gathered the forbidden wheat, threshed and winnowed it, sorted it, ground it, sifted it, kneaded it, baked it … into a chametz bread, using forbidden fire.
How ungrateful is that? HKB"H showered you with a limitless supply of ready to eat food and that is not enough for you? You think you can cook better than HKB"H? That was Chava's sin (although it was deeper than that – Chava didn't think she was cooking/baking, she thought she was creating life! See shiur on Breishit 2022). It was also Adam's sin when he ate from this bread, which he knew was not HKB"H's creation.
They were both punished מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, Chava with בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים and Adam with בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם.
It might seem that it should be the opposite – that Chava, who was the one who "toiled" making this bread should be punished בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם, and not Adam. However, when HKB"H punishes someone for a sin, it is not only for the act itself, it is also the thought behind the act. Chava's thought was not baking – she was not interested in changing HKB"H's food, she was interested in creating life, by mixing dough like HKB"H did when creating Adam Harishon – earth and water. Her sin was not thinking she was a better cook than HKB"H, her sin was far worse than that – she thought she was equivalent to HKB"H in creating life. Thus, her birth related punishment. Although Adam did not actually make the bread himself, his thought when eating it was that it is acceptable to eat food not cooked by HKB"H, but rather by man – the epitome of ingratitude, hence his punishment of toil.
HKB"H created Heaven with fire, that was the place fire should have remained. However, the נָחָשׁ caused Chava and subsequently Adam, to sin and a part of this involved taking fire from Heaven and using it as part of their sin. This finally resulted in darkness descending upon the world, which necessitated giving mankind the power to create fire themselves.
The purpose of giving mankind fire was to do a tikkun, to reverse what happened in Gan Eden and to restore the world to its state before the sin. We are required to use fire only in specific ways - to serve HKB"H and to be מְתַקֵּן Chava and Adam's sin.
This is why there are two types of fire on the Mizbeach. One is the miraculous, Heavenly fire that we have no part in. The other is our fire, that we are commanded to light ourselves on the Mizbeach.
The Gemara (יומא כא, ב; עירובין סג, א) above refers to our fire as מִן הַהֶדְיוֹט. The word הֶדְיוֹט implies a diminished level - for example the higher level of Kohen (כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל) and the lower level (כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט). However, the literal translation of the word הֶדְיוֹט means simpleton or fool. This is a reminder that our fire is meant to be a tikkun for the "fools", for Chava and Adam.
There are numerous mitzvot associated with this – women lighting Shabbat candles, men lighting Havdala candles (interchangeable if either is not present – the man lighting Shabbat candles if the woman is not present and the woman lighting Havdala candles if the man is not present). The Kohen lighting the Menorah in Mikdash. And … the mitzva from the passuk above, for us to light fire on the Mizbeach.
There are differences between our fire and HKB"H's fire on the Mizbeach. Our fire can be doused (see Rashi, Rambam above), HKB"H's fire cannot. Our fire is regular fire. HKB"H's fire is miraculous – it did not burn through the covering above the Mizbeach while Am Yisrael travelled through the Midbar and it also had a very specific form, unlike earthly fire.
The Gemara (Yoma 21b) says that the Heavenly fire resembled a "crouching lion" and a second opinion says - a "crouching dog". The Gemara continues to say that both are correct, that in the 1st Mikdash the fire resembled a lion, in the 2nd Mikdash it resembled a dog.
Why these different types of fire?
The Maharsha on that Gemara says that the reason it resembled a lion in the 1st Mikdash was because it was built by Shlomo HaMelech, from the tribe of Yehuda - whose symbol is a lion. The 2nd Mikdash was built by the Persians and later refurbished by Herod and therefore resembles a dog.
The Rema ( תורת העולה, חלק ג, עמ' טז) says that in the 1st Mikdash the spiritual level in Am Yisrael was more elevated and this is reflected in the form of the fire, that resembles the king of the beasts who never lacks food. However, during the 2nd Mikdash the spiritual level diminished and therefore the fire resembled a dog which searches for scraps.
In the 2nd Mikdash לָשׁוֹן הָרַע proliferated and the Gemara (Pesachim 118a) says that sin for someone who speaks לָשׁוֹן הָרַע is to throw them to the dogs. The Midrash Talpiyot (אות ג', גלגולים) says that someone who speaks or listens to לָשׁוֹן הָרַע is sent back as a gilgul in the form of a dog.
The Zohar HaKadosh (פרשת צו) says that this was not necessarily a distinction between the two Batei Mikdash, but rather a reflection of who brought the korban. If it was offered by a worthy person the fire would resemble a lion. If offered by an unworthy individual, it would resemble a dog.
All the above also reflect different aspects of Chava and Adam's sin (for example – Yehuda/Mashiach ben David, like Adam before the sin; A lion who never lacks for food, like Adam never lacked for food; The נָחָשׁ speaking לָשׁוֹן הָרַע saying that the reason HKB"H forbade eating from the עֵץ הַדַּעַת was because HKB"H Himself ate from the tree which was supposedly there before Him and thus He gained the power to create worlds – total lies and rubbish!); a worthy/unworthy person, like Adam before and after the sin, etc.
When Adam gave names to all the creatures, HKB"H asked him, "What should I call you?" to which Adam replied "אָדָם, because I was created from the אֲדָמָה". Adam was not created with fire, fire and humans was not a good combination, it caused sin. This is why we are forbidden to light fire on Shabbat, because Shabbat is compared to Olam Habah, to the state of the world before Chava and Adam sinned.
However, once it happened and fire became a part of us, we have to use that fire for the purpose of tikkun and not chas vechalila for the purpose of sin.
The Torah is compared to fire.
The Sifri (דברים, פיסקא שמג) says that like fire exists forever, so too does the Torah. Just as proximity to fire warms and distance chills, so too, one who is close to and studies Torah is associated with life and one who doesn’t, with death. Just like fire which exists both in this world and in Heaven (Olam Habah), so too Torah is useful both in this world and for Olam Habah. Just like fire is impressive, so too someone who studies Torah.
The Gemara (Taanit 7a) adds – just like fire is not isolated and spreads, so too someone who studies Torah, their Torah spreads. Therefore, says the Gemara, one should not study Torah in isolation, but together with others.
Since Chava and Adam's sin, fire has become part and parcel of all of us. Fire is a double-edged sword, it can lead to sin or it can elevate us in spirituality, it depends which fire we allow to spread within us.
If we use the positive fire, the Torah, it will achieve tikkun and repair the damage done on the 6th day of Creation. If we chas vechalila use the other kind of fire, the fire of lust, greed, anger, etc., it will perpetuate the lower level of existence we currently live in.
When HKB"H commands us to light our own fire on the Mizbeach, He is referring to fire which emanates from Torah, fire that resembles a lion and not a dog, fire of tikkun and not destruction.
The Sefer HaChinuch (פרנקפורט, ס' קלב) tries to understand why HKB"H commanded us to light our own fire perpetually on the Mizbeach. The Chinuch says "It appears that it is like the commandment to have Lechem HaPanim perpetually on the Shulchan, that we are blessed by virtue of our hishtadlut (blessing cannot reside on an empty table).
From our effort in bringing the Lechem Hapanim on Shabbat, our weekly bread/parnasa is similarly blessed. It can be said that a blessing proliferates according to its 'species'. Similarly, by lighting fire on the Mizbeach, the fire within us is also blessed. What is this fire? It is the nature of a person, who is created with the four elements, of which fire is first.
This is the element that prompts a person to action and therefore requires greater blessing. The purpose of that blessing is completeness - something that is lacking nothing and has nothing superfluous. Similarly, the fire in a person requires completeness. Not too little, which weakens and not too much, which can burn - like fever in a person can kill, like the sons of Aharon who added superfluous fire and perished. The regulation of fire in a person therefore results either in blessing or punishment".
It is interesting that Chinuch davka compares it to the Lechem Hapanim and not to the light of the Menorah, for example, which was also perpetual. Perhaps we can get a hint why from our passuk above, which is Vayikra chapter 6, passuk 6 – ו, ו. Where else do we have that configuration of 6:6? On the Shulchan - two stacks of six Lechem HaPanim, resembling the Twelve Tribes. Nowhere is the Chinuch's principle of regulation of the fire within us more applicable than in the context of the Twelve Tribes and achdut within Am Yisrael.
Fire warms, it has the power to melt hearts of stone. יְהִי רָצוֹן that HKB"H should melt our hearts of stone, allow us to do teshuva and tikkun for the world and thereby herald the age of Geulah, the way it was once in Gan Eden before the sin. בבי"א.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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