Proper Vision - Parshas Tzav 5769
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Loading ...אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה (ו:ו).
“A constant fire you shall keep burning on the Altar, it shall not be extinguished” (6:6).
This verse dictates that a fire shall be burned on the Altar every day. Chazal (Yuma 21b) say that even though fire would be sent down from heaven to consume the sacrifices, nevertheless, there is a commandment for the Cohanim to place wood and fire on the Altar on their own.
This concept seems very strange. Why would Hashem require us to light a flame ourselves if He sends one down from Heaven?
The Sefer HaChinuch shares an important principle to answer this question. He says that even the greatest miracles which Hashem performs are always done in a hidden manner. Hashem allows His great actions to appear as natural. Even by the Splitting of the Sea, which was a phenomenal miracle, the Torah tells us that Hashem sent a powerful eastern wind to blow strongly all night. This is how Hashem works. This is the reason that we must provide wood and fire on the Altar, to cover up and prevent the miracle of the descending fire from being seen.
Why is it done this way, why does Hashem desire not to perform open miracles? The answer is in order to allow mankind to maintain their freewill. The viewer is never forced to believe. If his heart is filled with biases and perversion, he has the option of writing off everything as natural and coincidental. If one wishes to remain unmoved and uninspired, denial is possible. For those however who wish to see Hashem’s great acts, it is available before their very eyes. If one is striving for the truth, then he will see Hashem, the source of all, in everything that occurs and he will not be deterred by the mask of nature.
R’ Chaim Volozhin explains the same idea based on the doctrine of Chazal, “any place that you find Hashem’s greatness mentioned, you also find His great Humility expressed”. Hashem’s great kindness is that He hides Himself in this world in order to provide us with a battleground on earth in which we can fight to cling to Him, thus providing us with reward for what our efforts have earned for us.
Man’s challenge in every physical endeavor which he undertakes is to recognize that Hashem is the only One who can take him through. “Rabos machshavos b’lev ish vatsas Hashem hee sakum, man has many plans, but only Hashem’s counsel will prevail.” Even though, to the human eye it seems as if one is taking a certain action and thereby accomplishing a project, we believe with complete faith that everything is being done by Hashem! This is the perspective of a Jew. This is the message which the fire we light on the Altar expresses. Hashem doesn’t perform open miracles, rather He allows us to find Him in our daily life!
