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usually did the trick by “upping the voltage” and breaking the spell When Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad
of complacency. movement, first came to his teacher, the Maggid of Mezrich, he was
new to the Chassidic way of life and its teachings. The Maggid, who
The idea of fire is also intimately connected to joy (simchah), which
in Hebrew begins with the letter shin, the letter symbolizing fire. The saw enormous potential in his young student, once called him into
Hebrew word for fire (aish) is comprised of the letters alef and shin. In his private study and intently repeated the following verse from
the book of Deuteronomy (28:47), the Torah warns the Jewish people our portion ten times: “A perpetual fire shall remain aflame on the
that future exiles would occur because “you did not serve Your God altar; it shall not be extinguished” (Leviticus 6:5). He explained that
with joy.” The Arizal explained this verse quite literally, on both the words “lo yichbeh” (it shall not be extinguished) could also be
national and individual terms. This was precisely the point the Ba’al read as “the no [symbol of all negativity] shall be extinguished.” He
Shem Tov stressed repeatedly when he advocated the importance continued to explain that Chassidut and its deep teachings fan the
of inspiration in prayer, learning, the performance of mitzvot, and soul’s natural tendency to ignite with a passionate love for God. As
living one’s life in general. this fire burns, it “extinguishes” all the negative influences trying to
derail the drive for holiness and the burning desire to be nearer to
A man once came to his rebbe and told him how sad and depressed God.
he was because a whole series of things were wrong with his life. The
rebbe, who knew him well, explained to him that the opposite was As people attempt to build their inner altars where the fires of
true: because he was always so sad and depressed, everything was holiness and joy burn continually, they should remember the
going wrong! teachings of this portion and be inspired to fan the innermost sparks
of their souls until they become flaming bushes that burn yet are not
Not only is joy necessary to channel the fire of the soul to “serve consumed.
God with gladness” (Psalms 100:2), fire is also associated with
holiness. The Hebrew word for holy (kadosh) is a combination of two
words yikod aish, which means “ignited fire.”

On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, the High Priest Understanding the T
Understanding the Temple Sacrifices emple Sacrifices Understanding the Temple Sacrifices
would enter the Holy of Holies with a pan of burning coals on which
Through the Prisms of
Through the Prisms ofrisms of
he would burn incense. The Holy of Holies represents the human Through the P 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 11 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:04 | SR:-- | Magenta
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Jewish Thought and Prayer
Jewish Thought and Prayerrayer
for God. Jewish Thought and P
God first appeared to Moses in a burning bush that was not
consumed by the flames. This powerful image embodies the secret
of how to enthusiastically serve God and energetically pursue one’s Tzav, like much of Leviticus, addresses the central role animal
purpose in life without “burning out,” as happens to so many people. sacrifice played in the Temple service. Clearly, the sacrifices were
Learning how to renew one’s zeal for life on a daily basis is one of fundamental to both the private and communal services performed
Chassidut’s fundamental lessons. Without this renewal most people, in the Temple. For non-observant Jews, possessing little knowledge
at best, slide into a comfort zone of complacency and, at worst, of Jewish tradition or history, the practice is disconcerting at best.
stagnate. Lacking the philosophical and psychological rationale provided by
the oral tradition, they view it as a primitive and barbaric practice,
completely lacking in any contemporary relevance. Therefore it is

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