24 Tzav

צַו אֶת־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל־הַלַּיְלָה עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּֽוֹ׃

Give this order to Aharon and his sons: ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: it is what goes up  on its firewood upon the altar all night long, until morning; in this way the fire of the altar will be kept burning.

SPECIAL SHABBAT SHABBAT HAGADOL

Give this order to Aharon and his sons: ‘This is the instructions  for the burnt offering: it is what goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night long, until morning; in this way the fire of the altar will be kept burning.

Parashat Tzav discusses the role of the priests in the Temple, and emphasizes the vigilance with which they were to offer sacrifices. As the Parasha opens, Aaron and his sons are commanded to tend to the ritual of the burnt offering. “A perpetual fire will be kept burning on the altar, not to go out” (Lev. 6:6). On one level, those responsible kept the flames of the altar continually burning by adding wood every day, stoking the fire and keeping watch. The constant attention and dedication necessary for this daily task are impressive in themselves.
The multiplicity of teachings in this Parasha can be understood as mirroring our fascinatingly complicated world, and when we read it this way, we can return to where we began. Just as time has great impact on our lives in general, so too it is an important factor in worshiping the Lord.   This theme finds prominent expression in this week’s reading:   the first is the commandment of taking up the ashes and the second is the commandment regarding sacrifices of thanksgiving, the Parasha discusses the role of the priests in the Temple, and emphasizes the vigilance with which they were to offer sacrifices. “A perpetual fire will be kept burning on the altar, not to go out” (Lev. 6:6). On one level, those responsible kept the flames of the altar continually burning by adding wood every day, fueling the fire and keeping watch. The constant attention and dedication necessary for this daily task are impressive in themselves. A visual symbol of God’s Presence must stand in their midst at all times. That symbol is the perpetual fire.

Our Torah is very clear, it contains timeless wisdom, and yet it reflects the flaws of the society, encourages us to see the value of every human being, spends an enormous amount of time defining a system of commandments for us to learn to live our life according to God’s will.