The question is asked as to why only by this korban (the korban olah) does it say this about the fire being kept aflame. And it says a little later on one of my favorite psukim (Just ask my kids!) "Eish tamid tookad al ha'mizbeiach lo sichbe/A permanent fire shal remain aflame on the Altar; it shal not be extinguished."(Vayikra 6:6)
So the Ramban says that this comes to teach that it is a positive commandment (Mitzvas Aseh) that the Kohanim must place enough wood on the fire to keep it burning at all times, including all the night.
Ok but what about us who dont have the Beis Hamikdash and the korbanos? There has to be something for us to learn... and of course there is. The midrash (Vayikra Rabba 7:3) says that the Korban Olah comes to atone for hirhur halev/foreign thoughts. The Toras Avos (Derachim B'Avodas Ha'Borah 138) brings a mashal to a man who owned a forest and wanted to cut down the trees to build houses. He started cutting them down one by one and very soon saw that it would take him his entire life. So he lit a huge fire and pretty soon all the trees where gone. So too it is with foreign thoughts. You get rid of one and up pops another one. What can you do? Light a huge fire, the fire of Hashem. That was the fire of the mizbeiach then and it is the fire of the Torah and our Avodas Hashem that rids our hearts and our minds of foreign thoughts. The reason this inyan of "tookad bo" is brought down specificaly by the "Olah" is because thoughts are the hardest things to get rid of. Any other sins have reasons why not to do them. Maybe people will see, maybe I'll lose money etc... But you could go on acting like the biggest tzadik, davening and learning and at the same time have these thoughts in your heart and mind. Thats why you need to make sure theres lots of wood for that fire. Learn and daven. Daven and learn. Every letter is another log of wood. Even if you don't feel your heart in it, it still works! So learn and daven, daven and learn!!! And even if you can't, at least try working on the desire to. For kisufim/desire/longing also goes a long way.
This also ties into why we have to look for chametz with a flame in all of the cracks and holes. We have to get rid of all of those foreign thoughts. And it's also why the only way to get rid of the chametz is by burning. So let us all start piling up the wood so we could really get the fire going. (Based on The Nesivos Shalom)
This Shabbos is Shabbos Hagadol. The Maharal explains that the Shabbos before Yom Hakippurim is called Shabbos Shuva because the goal and purpose of Yom Hakippurim is teshuva. If so, the Maharal explains this Shabbos is called Shabbos Hagadol because the goal and purpose of Pesach is greatness…gadlus! I would venture to say that the greatness of a person is defined by his ability to overcome the temptation of his base desires, and to choose to do what is right and what he really wants. Freedom defines the greatness of man. (Heard from the "Mash"giach" of Neveh Tzion Rav Blumenfeld)
So that seems to be another definition of what a true hero is (See last post). The problem is that Pharaoh's power is the power of dimyon/illusion/imagination. If we would only be able to realize our true selves, our true potential, and our true power we would be able to really live the Seder this year and really merit to leave both our personal and our collective Mitrayim's.
Heres another very improtant point which should be spread and repeated every year before Pesach. (This is taken from www.breslov.com) If you have time be sure to check out a video on the subject @Lazer Beams .
Rabbi Nachman’s view of overly-stringent practices performed during Passover
Rabbi Nachman cautions people not to be overly-stringent in any religious practice (2 Lekutai Moharan 44). Rabbi Nachman quotes the Talmudic maxim: “G-d does not rule over His creatures with tyranny” (Avoda Zara 3a), and “The Torah wasn't given to ministering angels" (Brachot35b). "It would be enough if we were worthy of keeping all of the Torah's commandments according to the law, without going beyond it."
Rabbi Nachman was against taking on too many special stringencies on Passover. Many people go so far in observing many fine points of custom that they are literally depressed by the holiday. Rabbi Nachman said that keeping ultra-strict practices are nothing but foolishness. He told us that he had also been caught up in this, and would waste such time thinking up all sorts of unnecessary restrictions.
Once he worried about the drinking water used during Passover. He was afraid that a small amount of leaven night have fallen into the well from which they drew water. The only alternative would be to prepare water in advance for the entire Passover week, as some people do. But this was not good enough, for water had to be carefully safeguarded from leaven from the day before Passover, and this was very difficult.
He finally came to the, conclusion that the only satisfactory water would be that, drawn from a flowing spring, just as it emerges from the ground. The problem was that the only such spring in the area was very far from his home. He thought of traveling to a place near a spring and spending Passover there.
This is an example of how deeply a person can become immersed in unnecessary stringencies. He cam to ridicule such practices, teaching that such ultra-strictness is unnecessary, even on Passover.
Rabbi Nachman emphasized, “True devotion to G-d consists mainly of doing things with simplicity and sincerity. Pray much, study much Torah, do many good deeds. Do not worry yourself with unnecessary restrictions. Just follow the way of our forefathers.” The Torah was not given to the ministering angels. There is nothing that you absolutely must do. If you're not able to do something, “G-d exempts a person under duress” (Baba Kama 28b). “There is no such thing of ever doing anything perfectly” (Sichos HaRan 235).
Once Rabbi Nachman and his student Rav Nosson were once invited to the sukkah of a simple Jew. When Rav Nosson questioned the validity of the sukkah, Rabbi Nachman remarked, “A Jew works very hard to build his sukkah and you seek to invalidate it based on stringencies found in the code of Jewish Law?”' (Avencha Barzel 25:17).
peace & joy.......
Etan
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