Eternal Connection to Our Inner Flame
The Beit HaMikdash parallels the spiritual structure of Am Yisrael. Whatever we find in the Mikdash, we find in the nation of Israel …
The Inner Flame
“An everlasting flame shall burn on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished.”
(Vayikra 6:6)
There was a heavenly flame that descended onto the Altar, the Mizbeach. Despite it’s transcendent nature, to strengthen the flame, the Torah commands us to add wood to the fire. We are also commanded not to extinguish the fire. This Altar flame teaches us how to keep our inner heart’s flame constantly kindled and inspired, and how to preserve our soul’s deep yearning for God.
Just like the flame on the Altar originated in the heavens, the same is true with the flame within our hearts, it’s a bestowed gift from heaven. A loftier, other-worldly spiritual flame of inspiration is the source of our inner longing for something higher. This is the “hearts desire” that is imbedded in the depths of each and every heart. It’s a desire, a ratzon, and a longing, that can never be extinguished. In our sefarim hakedoshim, our holy, kabbalah-based texts, it’s explained that the highest aspect of each Jew’s soul shines within the hearts desire that is a remarkable reality occupying a dimension even deeper than freewill itself.
Absolute Devotion
This depth of the hearts desire is so intrinsic to who we are that even the mightiest storm winds of ideologies that would stand against everything we believe in, and all the raging, tempest tossed waves of wild pleasures and desires, can never vanquish our inner flame: That flame is our spiritual, aristocratic inheritance. It’s carved into our essence, inseparable from our most basic self. It’s regarding this that is says, “Many waters can not extinguish the love, and rivers can not wash it away.” (Shir Hashirim 8:7) When a person connects to that inner flame, it awakens a great, holy stirring and inspiration, so much so that a person is ready to devote everything—even to give up everything—indeed, even life itself, for that burning inner love. Absolute, total devotion, mesirat nefesh, is the sōd, the deep, beneath-the-surface meaning of the Altar.
Though the Altar’s flame “descended from heaven,” at the same time there is a mitzvah—l’havi mi’hahedyot—for people to add wood to the flame. In life, there are times when the flame of the hearts deep desire can become hidden like an ember in the ashes of a dying fire. It’s there, but it needs to be blown on to bring back it’s flame. There are also precious, power-filled times in life when one is suddenly in touch with a heroic feeling of motivation; like a soldier in battle, or when a person runs into harms way to rescue someone.
The truth is, however, that we are commanded to constantly nurture this flame. When we say the Shema, and focus our mind’s eye on our readiness for self-sacrifice—mesirat nefesh—we are stirring those holy, inner, soul-embers of commitment and devotion: Devotion to Hashem and Am Yisrael. Those moments, and that inner awareness, focuses our attention, our lives, and purifies our hearts; they connect us to a more refined kavana-consciousness when we learn Torah and fulfill mitzvot, they sharpen our understanding of what’s central and important in life, and what’s secondary, and they fortify our ability to combat the countless inner adversaries that strive to draw us away from our truest, purest hearts desire.
Inner Rebooting
These precious moments of inspired focus are able to reboot the entire framework of our lives. Everyone gets lost in life, everyone goes through times of foggy confusion, times when one feels that he is about to buckle in the face of overwhelming burdens and pressures. However, when we are able to find and connect to that still warm ember hidden deep within our hearts, suddenly we can unleash an awesome energy source that belies it’s humble origins and gives us a brilliant burst of inspiration that enables us to soar with mighty eagle wings; wings that can carry us to heights where our highest hopes are within reach, and our deepest dreams are suddenly attainable.
The Flame of Education and Inspiration
It’s forbidden to extinguish the flame on the Altar, and likewise we must be mindfull not to diminish the flame of inspiration that roars in the Jewish heart. This is why Rav Kook wrote that, “It is forbidden to extinguish the Godly thirst that rages flame-like in the heart. If anyone who extinguishes the flame on the physical Altar has transgressed ‘a constant flame should burn on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished,’ then this is certainly so of one who extinguishes the deepest inner spiritual ember that burns with sanctity on the spiritual Altar of the Jewish soul. Clearly, we must strive to always increase that spiritual flame; with thoughtfulness, wisdom and understanding, with the light of Torah, and the flame of mitzvot, so that the flame rises higher and higher, and grows stronger and stronger.”
Every parent and educator needs to carefully and thoughtfully guide their children and students in a positive fashion. Yes, in a way that steers them clear of youth’s many pitfalls, but with careful attention not to squelch their inner vibrancy, not to dampen their youthful enthusiasm, and not to clip the wings that are so ready to soar.
The Amalek Threat
There are many potential causes of cooling and stunting inspiration and potential. It might be despair born of a history of failure. It might be the result of harsh critics, both internal self-criticism, or criticism from others. It might be the cold splash of desensitizing cynicism.
The first cooler and stunter of inspiration, of the inner flame of the hearts deepest desire, was Amalek. In a desire to throw a dark cloud of doubt over the very existence of our inner flame, he aimed his poison arrows directly for our heart. More than anything else, he wanted us to give up on ourselves. It was against this scurrilous foe that Mordechai and Esther went to war. They fought to restore to a people that, in the face of how far it had fallen, despaired of there being even an ember of inner, Godly flame and hope. They fought for the eternal, inextinguishable flame in the Jewish soul. This was Mordechai who “nurtured,’ Hadassah (Esther), and all Am Yisrael.
And today as well.
Today there are new winds blowing that threaten to extinguish our holy, inner spark. More than ever, we need to appreciate that just like throughout the millennia that flame could never be put out, the same is true now,“An everlasting flame shall burn on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished.” Particularly now, at the dawning moments of geula, redemption, we need to embrace our holy calling—“…and the Kohen shall kindle wood upon it every morning,” (Vayikra 6:5)— nurture the sprouting seed, and faning the holy flame that will grow into a great, Godly light of exalted illumination. A deep, spiritual flame that will melt mountains of chilled inspiration and scatter thick, dark clouds of doubt and despair. Until that flaming ember reveals the pure essence of every Jewish heart, and the heart of all Am Yisrael. Soon, soon in our time, at any moment.
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Translated by Shimon Apisdorf