Fire features in a variety of contexts throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Rabbinic texts describe how the first humans discovered fire, and fire plays a role in many biblical stories, like that of the burning bush. Fire appears both physically and metaphorically, for example as a metaphor for Torah.
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The Torah as FireMIDRASH
The Torah as Fire
MIDRASH
The Torah, like fire, is divine, eternal, life-giving when engaged with properly, and dangerous when misused or neglected. The Sifrei, an ancient midrash on the book of Deuteronomy, uses the metaphor of fire to describe the Torah's transformative power and lasting impact.
The Consuming Fire of God's ZealTANAKH
The Consuming Fire of God's Zeal
TANAKH
Fire can be a metaphor for the power of God's anger. At the end of the Torah, Moses warns Israel the consequences of their forgetting their covenant with God.
The Eternal FlameMUSAR
The Eternal Flame
MUSAR
In the ancient Temples, there was an flame on the altar that was never extinguished, as long as the Temple stood. According to Jewish tradition, presented here by Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz in his 17th-century Shenei Luchot HaBerit, all of God's world and creations only exist because of the existence of this fire.
The Nature of FireHALAKHAH
The Nature of Fire
HALAKHAH
According to Aristotle, all matter is made up of four elements. Rambam, in his 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, echoes Aristotle in his explanations of the four elements.
The Parts of the FlameKABBALAH
The Parts of the Flame
KABBALAH
A candle flame has different parts that appear to be different colors. The Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish mysticism uses the metaphor of the different parts of the flame to illuminate the relationship between God and Israel.
The Prohibition of Fire on ShabbatTANAKH
The Prohibition of Fire on Shabbat
TANAKH
There are different kinds of prohibited creative activities on the Sabbath, the God-given day of rest. The Torah, in the book of Exodus, explicitly prohibits the kindling of a fire.
The Blessing of Fire in HavdalahLITURGY
The Blessing of Fire in Havdalah
LITURGY
The Havdalah service includes a blessing over fire, symbolizing the transition from the sacredness of Shabbat to the ordinary weekdays.
Liability for Fire DamageMISHNAH
Liability for Fire Damage
MISHNAH
Who is responsible for an accidental fire? Mishnah Bava Kamma, a key text in Jewish civil law, outlines various scenarios of accidental fire damage and the conditions under which different parties are held liable or exempt.
Purification Through FireHALAKHAH
Purification Through Fire
HALAKHAH
Fire is used in the process of making kosher metal implements and utensils. The Shulchan Arukh, Rabbi Joseph Karo's 16th-century law code, explains.
The Fire of the Evil InclinationJEWISH THOUGHT
The Fire of the Evil Inclination
JEWISH THOUGHT
In Temple times, a repentant sinner brought a sacrifice to be burnt on the altar fire. Rabbi Moses Isserles, in his 16th-century work, Torah HaOlah, explains the symbolism of the fire on the altar.
Contrasting LightsGUIDES
Contrasting Lights
GUIDES
Shabbat and Chanukkah candles serve different purposes, so their laws are different. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz spells this out in more detail in his introduction to the chapter of the Babylonian Talmud where these contrasting lights are discussed.
Flames of Torah WisdomHALAKHAH
Flames of Torah Wisdom
HALAKHAH
Proverbs likens the Torah and commandments to a candle and its light. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary work, Peninei Halakhah, explains the metaphor.
Execution by BurningMISHNAH
Execution by Burning
MISHNAH
Rabbinic law describes four kinds of capital punishment, stoning, burning, by the sword, and strangulation. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, details each of these.
The Burning BushTANAKH
The Burning Bush
TANAKH
While shepherding in the desert, Moses notices a bush burning but not being burnt and turns aside to investigate. The book of Exodus narrates Moses' first encounter with God at the burning bush.
Torah of Fire TALMUD
Torah of Fire
TALMUD
What does it mean to say that the Torah was made of white fire and black fire? The Jerusalem Talmud presents ancient rabbinic opinions as the fiery nature of the Torah and divine hand by which it was given.
First FireMIDRASH
First Fire
MIDRASH
What did Adam and Eve feel when the sun began to set on the first Shabbat? Midrash Tehillim imagines the fear Adam, in particular, must have felt and his relief when God sent him fire.
The River of FireMUSAR
The River of Fire
MUSAR
Where do souls go upon death? Ramban, in his 13th-century treatise on death, Sha'ar HaGemul, describes how souls connect with a sphere of fire, that emerges from beneath the divine throne.
The Pillar of FireMIDRASH
The Pillar of Fire
MIDRASH
The pillar of fire provided exclusive light and protection to the Israelites during their journey in the desert. The third-century midrash on the book of Numbers, Sifrei Bamidbar, elaborates on the divine protective light of the pillar of fire.
The Burning of the Second TempleSECOND TEMPLE
The Burning of the Second Temple
SECOND TEMPLE
Like the First Temple before it, the Second Temple was also destroyed by fire. Josephus, a Jewish general turned historian, provides a detailed and tragic account of events that led to the destruction.
Condemning Child SacrificeCOMMENTARY
Condemning Child Sacrifice
COMMENTARY
The Torah explicitly prohibits passing children through fire, either as sacrifices or symbolically. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, in his commentary on the biblical book of Jeremiah, elaborates.