Where can you see a round flame?
In Parshas Behaaloscha, Aharon is told to “cause the flames to rise up,” which is where the name of the parsha comes from. Rashi explains that the flame should rise steadily upward on its own. But why do flames always go up?
When something burns, it releases heat. Hot air is lighter than cold air, so it rises. As the hot gas move upward, it pulls in fresh air from below, bringing in more oxygen to feed the flame. That’s why fire dances upward—it’s riding a stream of rising hot air, called a convection current. In outer space, where there is no gravity, flames don’t rise. They form little round balls! Without gravity to pull cool air down and let the hot air rise above it, there's no current—so the flame just floats.
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