Parshas Tzav
On the verse "אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה" ("A constant fire shall be kept burning upon the altar; it shall not go out"), the Yerushalmi says12: "תמיד אפילו בשבת, תמיד אפילו בטומאה" ("Constant — even on Shabbos; constant — even in a state of impurity"). As has been said many times, all the matters and services of the physical Mishkan and Mikdash exist also here, in the spiritual Mishkan and Mikdash that is found within every Jew.
The altar is a person's heart. Just as the physical Mishkan had an outer altar and an inner altar, so too in the heart there is the outer level of the heart and the inner level of the heart13. The altar regarding which the command "A constant fire shall be kept burning upon the altar" was given is the outer altar. And spiritually: there must be an open, revealed fervor in the outer level of the heart — the heart must burn for G‑dliness.
Shabbos is the idea of resting — being removed from the world. That is why mundane labor is forbidden then. In the service of the human soul, this means intellectual comprehension, as in "וקראת לשבת עונג" ("And you shall call the Shabbos a delight"): because of the revelation of light that he comprehends, he is removed from all worldly matters. He might therefore think that since he is immersed in comprehension and stands above emotional stirrings, he does not need the fire. So he is told: "it shall not go out" — even on Shabbos.
At the other extreme, one who stands far away thinks that he no longer has, G‑d forbid, any connection. So he is told: "it shall not go out" — even in a state of impurity. Do not look at your situation; "it shall not go out" — see to it that it is not extinguished. You must keep fanning the "constant fire," the G‑dly fire that is found within you, so that it does not go out. And this will bring about the "לא תכבה," as the Mezritcher Maggid, of blessed memory, interprets it14: the "לא" ("not") — all the matters that are not good — "תכבה" ("will be extinguished") — will be put out.
(From the sichos of Purim 5714)
8. This teaching of the Maggid shows us that in order to extinguish the "not," there must be a "constant fire" — a constant fervor in Torah and mitzvos. It is not enough that once, or even just a moment ago, he had a fervor in Torah and mitzvos. The fervor must be constant, because if one is cold for a single moment, in that moment the "not" can slip in.
This is also the reason for the mitzvah of remembering what Amalek did, every single day15: one must constantly remember not to let in, G‑d forbid, the coldness of Amalek even for a single moment, as it is written, "A constant fire shall be kept burning upon the altar; it shall not go out."
9. There is another point in the "constant fire": it is a preparation for the fire from Above, as in the saying of our Sages16: "אף על פי שאש יורדת מן השמים מצוה להביא מן ההדיוט" ("Although fire descends from Heaven, it is a mitzvah to bring [fire] from an ordinary source"). That is, the fire below is a preparation and an "arousal from below" to bring down the fire from Heaven.
When, however, does it bring down the fire from Heaven? Precisely when the fire below is complete — then it draws down the fire from Above.
We see this in this week's parshiyos (Tzav and Shemini). During the days of the inauguration, when the entire Mishkan with its vessels and the altar were already finished, Moshe and Aharon etc. were there, and offerings were already being brought — nevertheless, "לא שרתה שכינה במעשה ידיהם" ("the Shechinah did not rest upon the work of their hands"), because there still remained an impression of the sin of the Golden Calf. Only on the eighth day, after the fire below was completed — which extinguished the whole "not" and entirely nullified the sin of the Golden Calf — only then "ותצא אש מלפני ה׳" ("A fire went forth from before G‑d") etc., and the Shechinah rested upon the work of their hands17.
What, then, is the tremendous quality of the fire from Above, that in order to draw it down one must have the complete service of the fire below?
Created beings are limited, and their service, together with the matters they can reach, is limited; on their own account they have no eternal permanence. In order for there to be eternal permanence, there must be a drawing-down from Above specifically, for He, may He be blessed, is entirely unlimited. That is why we see that during the seven days of the inauguration "הוקם המשכן ופרקו" ("the Mishkan was erected and dismantled"). From the side of created beings there could not yet be any true permanence. Only on the eighth day, when the Shechinah rested and "A fire went forth from before G‑d," only then was "the Mishkan erected and not dismantled" — it was the true erection, eternal permanence.
And with this, the matter of the seven days of the inauguration and the eighth day will also be understood — why the fire from Above came specifically on the eighth day. For it is known that seven are the days of the cycle, i.e., what pertains to the worlds, while eight is above the cycle18 — a light that is above the worlds, and that is the idea of the fire from Above, as explained above.
10. Notwithstanding, however, that created beings by themselves cannot attain eternity, nevertheless, as said earlier, the drawing-down of the fire from Above comes specifically through the completeness of the service of the fire below. This means that when a created being does everything within his ability, even though this is limited, the Al-mighty gives him the fire from Above, without limit.
And this is also alluded to in the word "תמיד" ("constant") in the verse "A constant fire shall be kept burning" etc.: "constant" means without limit, above time. Time in itself, since it is composed of limited parts, must have a limit19.
And nevertheless, through the completeness of the service of the fire below, one draws down the limitless that is above time — and even more: that this is drawn down also into time, so that time itself becomes eternal, "constant."
In the world, this means that within nature there is success that is above nature.
11. The point of instruction from all the above:
Every Jew is a Mishkan and Mikdash for Him, may He be blessed, as it is written, "ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם" ("They shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell within them") — within each and every Jew. One must know that as long as the "fire" is lacking — the warmth and vitality — then even though he learns Torah, fulfills mitzvos and has all the elements that were in the Mishkan, since it is without vitality, he lacks the resting of the Shechinah; to the point that, rightly, there remains in him an impression of the sin of the Golden Calf.
Torah and mitzvos must be done with fervor and liveliness, in all three lines: Torah, Avodah (service) and Gemilus Chassadim (acts of kindness).
Torah: One must not discharge his obligation with "one chapter in the morning and one chapter in the evening," while for the rest of the twenty-four hours it has no connection to him. It must not be "in a whisper," with it having no connection to him at all. It must be "לא ימוש" ("it shall not depart") etc., and it must be "ערוכה בכל רמ״ח אברים" ("arranged in all 248 limbs"), "כל עצמותי תאמרנה" ("all my bones shall declare")20. It must be with vitality.
Avodah: Prayer, which is the line of Avodah, must not be a fixed routine, but "רחמים ותחנונים לפני המקום" ("an entreaty for mercy and supplication before the Omnipresent")21 — with a feeling of vitality.
Gemilus Chassadim: The mitzvos, which in general belong to the line of Gemilus Chassadim, must not be done merely to discharge one's obligation. Mitzvos must be fulfilled in a beautified manner, and the beautification comes from the vitality he has in fulfilling the mitzvah.
And through the completeness of the fire below, the fire from Above is drawn down: the Shechinah rests upon his Torah and his Avodah, and even upon all the work of his hands, also in his material affairs.
And as said earlier — a drawing-down of the limitless into the limited is accomplished, so that even in the garments of nature one sees G‑d's blessing and success that is above nature.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Tzav 5717)
12. The order of the four parshiyos read before Pesach is: Parshas Shekalim, Parshas Zachor, Parshas Parah and Parshas HaChodesh.
In particular, the two parshiyos Shekalim and Zachor are connected with the redemption of Purim, which was not yet a complete redemption, as the saying goes22, "אכתי עבדי אחשורוש אנן" ("We are still the servants of Achashverosh"); and the parshiyos Parah and HaChodesh — with the redemption of Pesach, which is a complete redemption. In general, however, the parshiyos Shekalim and Zachor also pertain to the redemption of Pesach, because the redemption of Purim too is connected with the redemption of Pesach, as the saying goes23, "סומכין גאולה לגאולה" ("We juxtapose one redemption to another").
13. Parshas Shekalim is read before Rosh Chodesh Adar, because "באחד באדר משמיעין על השקלים" ("On the first of Adar, announcements are made concerning the shekalim")24, which are needed for the offerings of the new year.
Parshas Zachor is read before Purim. Since Purim was the downfall of Haman, who was of the seed of Amalek, we read "זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק" ("Remember what Amalek did to you") before Purim, to fulfill what is said, "נזכרים ונעשים" ("[These days] are remembered and observed") — remembered before they are observed25: Parshas Zachor is the remembering, and Purim is the observing.
14. The reason Parshas Shekalim precedes Parshas Zachor is not only because of their times — Parshas Shekalim being connected with the first of Adar and Parshas Zachor with Purim, the fourteenth of Adar — but also because of their content.
The Gemara26 says that in the merit of the Jews having given the half-shekel came the downfall of Haman, who had said, "עשרת אלפים ככר כסף אשקול" ("Ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh out") etc.
With this, the connection between the two parshiyos is understood, and also the reason Parshas Shekalim precedes Parshas Zachor: the fact that the Jews brought their shekalim first is what brought about the miracle of Purim, which begins with remembering, through the reading of Parshas Zachor.
15. After the redemption of Purim, which, as said, was not yet a complete redemption, one comes to the redemption of Pesach, which is a complete redemption. And the preparation for it is Parshas Parah and Parshas HaChodesh.
Regarding these two parshiyos, it is stated in the Yerushalmi27 that in truth Parshas HaChodesh should have been read before Parshas Parah, because Parshas HaChodesh was said on, and its subject is, the first of Nissan, whereas the burning of the Parah was on the second of Nissan. For on the first of Nissan the Mishkan was erected, and the burning of the Parah was on the second of Nissan, since the burning of the Parah could not have taken place before the erection of the Mishkan28. But because Parshas Parah is "טהרתן של כל ישראל" ("the purification of all Israel"), Parshas Parah is read first.
This answer of the Yerushalmi needs to be understood. On the face of it, what connection does the purification of Israel have with Parshas HaChodesh, such that the matter of Parshas HaChodesh cannot come otherwise than after the purification of Israel? After all, it is not called "Parshas HaPesach" but "Parshas HaChodesh" — the law of sanctifying the new month and Rosh Chodesh — so why is the prior purification relevant here?
16. The explanation of this is:
The matter of Rosh Chodesh is the birth of the moon. After the moon has been in concealment and hiddenness, it is born again and renewed. This also alludes to the Jews, who have been compared to the moon29: after all the concealments and hiddenness of the time of exile, they are born and renewed — and that is the matter of the Redemption.
The time of the beginning of the Redemption is Rosh Chodesh Nissan, about which it is written, "החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים" ("This month shall be for you the head of the months"). Our Sages30 derive a gezeirah shavah from the word "הזה" ("this") written in Parshas HaChodesh and the word "הזה" written regarding the Giving of the Torah: "ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני" ("On this day they came to the wilderness of Sinai"). The Giving of the Torah is also the matter of redemption, as our Sages say31: "אל תקרי חרות אלא חירות" ("Do not read charus [engraved] but cheirus [freedom]") (with a tzeirei) — freedom from the evil inclination, from the Angel of Death and from the subjugation of the kingdoms. From the fact that the Gemara connects Parshas HaChodesh with the Giving of the Torah, it is understood that also on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, "this month," the matter of redemption is already present — the beginning of the Redemption.
And according to this we will understand the reason for purity preceding Parshas HaChodesh. Since Parshas HaChodesh is the birth of the moon, the beginning of the Redemption, one must have purity beforehand, just as is required for the Redemption, as it is written32, "וזרקתי עליכם מים טהורים" ("I will sprinkle pure water upon you") etc., and our Sages said33: "טהרה מביאה לידי... אליהו הנביא" ("Purity leads to… Eliyahu the Prophet") etc.
17. On Rosh Chodesh Nissan, however, the Redemption was only in its beginning and in potential. The actual Redemption began on the fifteenth of Nissan, when the moon stands in its fullness, and the completion and ultimate purpose of the Redemption — at the time of the Giving of the Torah.
So just as for the actual Redemption one needs actual purity — "I will sprinkle pure water upon you" — so too for the Redemption in potential one needs purity in potential.
The Torah reading, as is known, is an empowerment. So first we read Parshas Parah, which is purity in potential, and afterwards Parshas HaChodesh and Rosh Chodesh, which is redemption in potential.
And this is the order of purity and redemption: Parshas Parah — purity in potential; Parshas HaChodesh and Rosh Chodesh Nissan — redemption in potential; the second of Nissan — actual purity; the fifteenth of Nissan until the Giving of the Torah — actual redemption.
18. The instruction one must take from this:
Since arriving at true purity in its ultimate form will be possible only with the coming of Moshiach specifically, when there will be "ואת רוח הטומאה אעביר מן הארץ" ("And I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land"),
— for at the coming of Moshiach the spirit of impurity will still exist, as the wording in the Rambam34 states, that Moshiach "יכוף כל ישראל" ("will compel all Israel") to learn Torah and fulfill mitzvos; since he uses the expression "will compel," this is a proof that not everyone will do so willingly, because only then will the spirit of impurity still be present, and Moshiach's task will be to remove the spirit of impurity from the land —
one might think that now one need not do anything at all and may rely entirely on Moshiach. To this comes the instruction from the reading of Parshas Parah:
In order to arrive at actual and complete purity and redemption, one must [OCR unclear]
Notes
12) Yoma, ch. 4, halachah 6.
13) Likkutei Torah, Devarim 78d.
14) Hayom Yom, 21 Adar II [OCR unclear].
15) Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, siman 60, se'if 4.
16) Yoma 21b.
17) Rashi's commentary on the Torah, Vayikra 9:23.
18) See Responsa of the Rashba, vol. 1, siman 9. The maamar beginning "ויהי ביום השמיני" ("And it was on the eighth day"), 5704.
19) Derech Mitzvosecha, Mitzvas Ha'amanas Elokus, ch. 11.
20) Eruvin 54a. Tanya, beginning of ch. 36.
21) Avos, ch. 2, mishnah 13.
22) Megillah 14a.
23) Megillah 6b.
24) Shekalim, ch. 1, halachah 1. Megillah 13b.
25) Yerushalmi, Megillah, ch. 3, halachah 4.
26) Megillah 13b.
27) Megillah, ch. 3, halachah 5.
28) Korban HaEdah there.
29) In the blessing of Kiddush Levanah (Sanhedrin 42a).
30) Shabbos 86b.
31) Eruvin 54a.
32) Yechezkel 36:25.
33) End of Sotah.
34) Hilchos Melachim, ch. 11, halachah 4.
Key Lesson
The fire on the altar of the heart must burn constantly — whether one feels elevated above the world or far removed from holiness — for even a moment of coldness lets the "not" slip in. When a Jew does everything within his limited ability with warmth and vitality in Torah, prayer and mitzvos, G‑d responds with the limitless fire from Above, bringing blessing and success beyond nature, and purification now prepares the way for the complete Redemption.