It states (6:6) תכבה לא המזבח על תוקד תמיד אש, "A continuous fire shall burn upon the mizbeach; it shall not go out." The Rambam (Tmidim u'Musafin 2) explains, "There is a mitzvas asei for a fire always to be burning on the mizbeach... Three arrangements of bonfires were prepared on the top of the mizbeach. The first was the גדולה מערכה, the large arrangement upon which the korbanos were brought. Next to it was a smaller fire called the שניה מערכה. They would take a shovelful of coals from this fire for the daily ketores. The third arrangement wasn't used at all. It was solely to perform the mitzvah of תוקד תמיד אש, that there always be a fire on the mizbeach."
What was the purpose of this fire that burned constantly and wasn't used at all? The Divrei Chaim of Sanz zt'l says that this continuous fire hints that we should always have a fire burning in our hearts, a fire of a desire to do Hashem's will.
The Divrei Chaim translates the pasuk as follows: "אש, a fire, תמיד, continuously, תוקד, should blaze, המזבח על, in one's heart, תכבה לא, and it should never be extinguished." His passion to serve Hashem should always be in his heart.
The Divrei Chaim adds the following important words, "And this is even after he performed a severe aveirah." Even then, he shouldn’t lose hope. He shouldn't feel that all is lost. Even then, he should keep his heart aflame with a desire to do Hashem's will.
So, this relates to our first discussion, that there is always hope. No matter how far a person falls, he should keep a fire that yearns for Hashem burning within him because Hashem will accept him back. But it also connects with our present topic, that a person should have a fire burning in his heart.
Avodas Yisrael (Mishpatim, וכי ה"ד) writes, "The Ramak received from Eliyahu z'l that to annul bad thoughts, say the pasuk תמיד אש המזבח על תוקד, 'A continuous fire shall burn on the mizbeach.'" The Avodas Yisrael says that this is alluded to in the pasuk (Shemos 21:14) למות תקחנו מזבחי מעם בערמה להרגו רעהו על איש יזיד וכי. Literally, the pasuk means, "If a man plots deliberately against his friend to slay him with cunning, from My mizbeach you shall take him to die."
The Avodas Yisrael explains that איש in this pasuk represents the yetzer hara. He wants to kill רעהו, his partner, the yetzer tov. (The yetzer tov and the yetzer hara are called partners, רעהו because they are together in a person's heart.) The yetzer hara is יזיד, trying to kill רעהו, the yetzer tov. He tries to kill him בערמה, by bringing into a person's mind false and crooked thoughts. The solution is מזבחי מעם למות תקחנו. This means you will succeed to kill the yetzer hara מזבחי מעם, by saying the pasuk המזבח על תוקד תמיד אש. This pasuk is mesugal for annulling bad thoughts. תקחנו
Alcohol doesn't freeze; it isn't affected by the cold. But when one drinks alcohol, it creates a burning sensation in the heart. This hints that when a fire is burning in one's heart, he won't be affected by the cold of the world. We live in a world gone crazy, surrounded by many queer ideas and thoughts that can distance us from Hashem, but when there is a fire burning in our hearts, we are protected.
למות, by saying this pasuk, you will destroy the yetzer hara.
Rebbe Yankele of Pshevorsk zt'l explained that in addition to saying the words of the pasuk, one should practice the pasuk (as the Divrei Chaim, quoted above, explained). He should have a fire of hislahavus in his heart, and then all the bad will fall away.
We can compare it to a king who wanted to build a large palace in a forest, so he hired workers to cut down the many trees. A wise person told the king that there was an easier way. "Instead of cutting down each tree, which will take a long time, just light a fire, and the entire area will be cleared quickly." The nimshal is that there are many bad middos in a person that need improvement. It will take him a very long time to rectify them all. But if he ignites a fire of hislahavus, everything will be corrected quickly and easily.
Let us define the continuous fire that should be in one's heart.
A fire means a strong desire. For example, when it comes to knowing Torah, a person shouldn't approach Torah study with boredom and disinterest. To grow in Torah, he must ignite a passion in his heart. He has to feel passionately, "I have to know Torah. I have to know the lesson that is being taught. If I don't, I will be lacking so much."
When it comes to loving his fellow man, he must feel in his heart, "How can I transgress the obligation of the Torah! It is terrible to think negatively about others!" With these thoughts and a fiery passion, he will find a way to love everyone, including those he finds difficult to love.
In short, a fire means that he truly cares and wants.
After defining "fire" let us explain what becomes rectified with this fire. The Avodas Yisrael writes in the name of the Ramak that saying the pasuk תכבה לא המזבח על תוקד תמיד אש will annul bad thoughts, and the Avodas Yisrael explains that it will annul מחשבת וכוזבת ערמומית, "crooked and false thoughts."
There are many kinds of "crooked and false thoughts" that the yetzer hara places within us to confuse us and to destroy our hopes to serve Hashem. Among them are forbidden thoughts, wrong perspectives, unnecessary fears, etc. But when we say the pasuk תכבה לא המזבח על תוקד תמיד אש, and in particularly when we practice its message, by having a fire burning in our heart, a passion to serve Hashem properly, we are saved from this yetzer hara.
