Mixing Fires - Parshat Vayikra

 

There are sometimes we face a situation which we know little about and yet are expected to have something intelligent to say about it. 

In dealing with the concept of sacrifices, which in itself is quite foreign to us in the 21st century, I am challenged to try to get an understanding of the basic concept as well as the ceremony surrounding it. One of those details of the ceremony mentioned in this week's parsha, Parshat Vayikra, is the requirement to add fire to the altar.1 Rashi explains that, in fact, even though there already was fire present (of a divine source), it was necessary to add fire to the altar. The 16th century sage, Kli Yakar, adds that it was even necessary to add the human fire source to have divine fire mixed with human fire.

What an unusual thought! To have the fire of puny humans mixed with the fire that came down from the heavens - this was required for this sacrifice.

There are many questions and directions to be taken from this starting point. Why the mix at all? What advantage can Kli Yakar's explanation of mixing the two fires have to the sacrifice? Why this particular sacrifice and not all of them?

To answer this, I found the words of Rabbi David Hoffman who suggests that this particular sacrifice (olah, total burnt offering) is to show our total commitment to God. A beautiful thought.

If that's true, then again why do we need to add anything?! We are already bringing a sacrifice! Why do we need anything else? And if so, why fire? And why mix it?

Fire in many different cultures represents the passion that we have for our actions. This may be why fire was chosen to signify the bonding here. Here's the thing then - it is a 2-step process  -  1. Action(sacrifice)  2.Passion(fire). We may act and even do the right actions. We may 'perform' the mitzvot to a 'T'. That may be enough. Or is it?

In addition, this concept of adding our own fire truly asks of us to become partners in the world, partners in the Creation. (Note, God created the world with the most powerful explosion in history.) In a conversation with Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, he explained that it is in fact a 2-way street. God sends His fire down from the heaven and we join with Him.3 How empowering! How overwhelming. We are a partner of the Creator. He wants us. We want Him.

Actions without passions - that may fulfill our obligation on one level. Is that how we wish to live? Performing by rote may be good but at the end it will lead to a sense of emptiness, of a vacuum.4 

That is not how I wish to live.

He wants to see our input. It is crucial. And it needs to be with passion. That is at least as crucial.

 

Click here to read another logoParsha post on Vayikra

 Notes

  1. Vayikra 1:7
  2. ibid. 3
  3. Rabbi Shapira also noted that fire always goes up - that is on the human level. Yet God can also send fire down creating a cycle of fire.
  4. Viktor Frankl speaks of having a sense of existential vacuum in this situation where you may be successful at what you do but do so by rote  - without passion, will or meaning - there is a sense of emptiness, meaninglessness.

 

Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

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