A pasuk in our parsha (Vayikra 6:6) brings the commandment to have fire perpetually on the mizbe’ach.
Rashi says that there are in fact two commandments, one positive, to light fire perpetually on the mizbeach; and the second negative, to not extinguish the fire. The Rambam (Temidin u’Musafin 2:6) says that anyone extinguishing the fire on the mizbe’ach is liable malkot (lashes). The Gemara (Yoma 21b) says that even though fire descends from Heaven, it is a mitzvah to light fire of our own.
In next week’s parsha, Shemini, we will read how after the eight days of inauguration of the Mishkan, fire descended from Heaven and consumed the korbanot on the mizbe’ach. According to R’ Bachyei (Vayikra 9:24), this Heavenly fire remained perpetually on the mizbe’ach, starting with the Mishkan (year 2449 from Creation) and ending with the destruction of Bayit Rishon (3338) – a total period of 889 years.
If G-d miraculously sends 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 mizbe’ach as well?
To understand this, we need to explore the origins of fire itself.
According to Chazal, the universe is comprised of four elements – fire, wind, water, earth. The first reference we find to this is in Sefer Yetzira (3:3), written by Avraham Avinu, which says that Heaven was created with, and is associated with, fire. The Gemara (Chagiga 12b) says that are seven layers in Heaven. The sixth layer, Machon, is the source of snow, hail, storms, steam, and fire.
Fire is something that belongs in Heaven, that is its place. It is therefore not difficult to understand that fire came down from Heaven onto the mizbe’ach. What is difficult to understand is the mitzvah for us to add our own fire.
When did fire first become the domain of humans as well?
The midrash (Bereishit Rabba 12:6) tells us that in the six days of Creation, even though G-d diminished the moon, this reduction did not actually take place on the fourth day, but only after Motzei Shabbat. From the first day when light was created, until Motzei Shabbat, the world was illuminated by a blinding Heavenly light. G-d could have diminished this light following Adam’s sin, however He allowed this light to persist in honor of Shabbat, until Motzei Shabbat.
On Motzei Shabbat this light 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. G-d 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 Havdalah on a flame on Motzei Shabbat, 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 – G-d 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 (Chap. 15), discussing the sin of Chava and Adam using the opinion of R’ Yehuda that the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was wheat, explains 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 could not make fire to bake her bread on the sixth day. So where did the fire come from? From the only place that fire existed – up in Heaven with G-d and the angels. Obviously, G-d did not provide the fire. Who does that leave? The angels – or more specifically one particular angel – the Satan.
The sin of Adam and Chava was multifaceted, it contained many, many different components (lack of gratitude, tardiness, lack of obedience, lack of responsibility, defying the laws of nature, etc.). One facet of this sin was dabbling in things that were not intended for humans – like using Heavenly fire provided by the serpent to bake the bread.
G-d created Heaven with fire, that was the place fire should have remained if not for Adam and Chava 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.
This is why there are two types of fire on the mizbe’ach. 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 mizbe’ach.
There are numerous mitzvot associated with this, including women lighting Shabbat candles, men lighting Havdalah candles (interchangeable if either is not present – the man lighting Shabbat candles if the woman is not present and the woman lighting Havdalah candles if the man is not present). The Kohen lighting the Menorah in Mikdash. And the mitzvah from the pasuk above, for us to light fire on the mizbe’ach.
There are differences between our fire and G-d’s fire on the mizbe’ach. Our fire can be doused, G-d’s fire cannot. Our fire is regular fire, G-d’s fire is miraculous.
Chag Kasher ve’Sameach!
Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: What is the difference between the Machvat and Marcheshet pans?
Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: Why is there a small letter aleph in the word Vayikra? When Moshe wrote this pasuk, he downsized the letter aleph as a sign of humility.
