"Is this burning an eternal flame?"

This week's Torah portion, Tetzaveh, begins with the following words: Command the people of Israel to bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually (Exodus 27:20). These last few words, "a lamp burning continually," in Hebrew read ner tamid. Those words might be familiar to you. The Eternal Light (not to be confused with 1989 hit single, Eternal Flame) is that light at the front of just about every synagogue's sanctuary. It is the symbol of God's presence in our communities and in our lives. While God commands the ner tamid, it is not there because God needs it. It is there because we need to be reminded of God's presence. We rely on our senses to know things. With a God we cannot actively see, we needed something to remind us of God's presence in our lives.

In his book, The Gates of the Forest by Elie Wiesel, he tells a story of the Baal Shem Tov. When the Baal Shem Tov saw trouble for the Jewish community, he would go to a certain place in the forest and meditate. When he found the location, he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and a miracle would occur. The looming crisis would dissolve and the people would be safe. Many years later, the Maggid of Mezritch, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, found himself and the Jewish community in a similar predicament, he would go to the same place in the forest as his teacher. Though he did not know how to light the special fire, he did know the prayer and he would recite it. Still, even without the fire, a miracle would happen and the community would be safe. More time passed and another generation came along. The rabbi of that generation would go to the special place in the forest, though he knew neither how to light the fire, nor recite the prayer. He would just hope that God would find his being in the right place sufficient. Somehow it was and the Jewish community would again be safe. More time passed and eventually the task of saving the community fell on Rabbi Israel of Ryzhyn. He, however, did not know the place, the prayer, or how to light the fire. Instead, he sat in his chair, rested his head in his hands, and hoped that recalling the story of the Baal Shem Tov would be enough to save the community. According to the story, it was enough. But it isn't for me.

It isn't enough for us just to tell the story, just to remember that in some distant place, someone else knew what to do and so we just have to remember that something else was done. No. We need to step up. We need to re-learn how to light the fire, how to recite the words, and where to go to put them to action. What this story fails to teach us is another lesson of the Baal Shem Tov. Considering the ner tamid, the Baal Shem Tov also taught: Your heart is the altar. Whatever your work, let a spark of the holy fire remain within you, and fan it into a flame.

So maybe The Bangles weren't so far off:

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling.
Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand?
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?

The ner tamid, the Eternal Light that reminds us of God's presence is also a call to action. It's not enough for us to bear witness to God's presence in our lives. We must turn that feeling into action and spread the light that is within each and every one of us, the spark of the Divine that links us to one another and to God.