Fire on the Altar: Aish tamid

Aish tamid tukad al hamizbayach; lo tichbeh
Fire on the Altar Hebrew text
Fire always shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out. (Leviticus 6:6)

Inside our hearts is a flame that must be kept burning. That fire is our passion for Life, our yearning for God, our curiosity about the mysteries, our sparkle of humor, our enthusiasm for the Work. We keep that fire burning by engaging in spiritual practice, by surrounding ourselves with beauty, by giving and receiving love and support, and by fully connecting with what (and whom) we love.
It is crucial to bring attention to that flame on the altar of the heart – to feed that fire and to guard it with loving vigilance.

(I composed this chant during the last days of Chanukah as I lit the candles and took their flames inside me.)

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Fire on the Altar PDF. For the musical notation, see The Magic of Hebrew Chant, page 265.