Two fires of avodah: burning evil and illuminating good

ברש"י אש שנאמר בו להעלות נר תמיד אף הוא ממזבח החיצון תוקד.

In Rashi: the fire about which it is said "to kindle the lamp continually" — even it must be lit from the outer altar.

The Sefas Emes begins from Rashi's point that even the inner fire of the Menorah had to be drawn from the fire of the outer Mizbeach.

הענין הוא דיש אש שורף ואש מאיר וכמו כן באדם התלהבות הלב אל עבודת ה' [והוא בחי' שקלים].

The matter is that there is a fire that burns and a fire that illuminates; and likewise within a person, the burning enthusiasm of the heart toward the service of Hashem [which is the aspect of shekalim].

Two kinds of fire correspond to two energies in the soul: the glowing, illuminating warmth of the heart drawn to avodas Hashem, hinted at by the half-shekel.

ויש רוגז וכעס ללחום נגד היצה"ר ולשרוף כל תאוות עוה"ז.

And there is anger and wrath, to wage war against the yetzer hara and to burn away all the desires of this world.

The second fire is a fierce, consuming energy turned against the yetzer hara, burning out the cravings for worldly pleasure.

[וזהו בחי' זכירת עמלק] וב' אלו הם מ"ע ומל"ת.

[And this is the aspect of remembering Amalek.] And these two are the positive commandments and the negative commandments.

The consuming fire corresponds to wiping out Amalek; together the two fires map onto the mitzvos asei (positive mitzvos) and mitzvos lo sa'aseh (prohibitions).

שעליהם נאמר נר מצוה ותורה אור נותנת כח ואש לב' בחי' הנ"ל למצות עשה ולמל"ת.

Concerning which it is said, "A mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light" — giving strength and fire to the two aspects mentioned above, to the positive commandments and to the negative commandments.

The Torah is the light and energy source that empowers both fires of the soul, fueling both the fulfilling of mitzvos asei and the guarding against the prohibitions (Mishlei 6:23).

שורף ומאיר.

Burning and illuminating.

The Torah simultaneously kindles the warm, illuminating fire of positive devotion and the burning fire that destroys the yetzer hara.

[וזה רמז פרשת פרה חוקת התורה כמ"ש בפסיקתא חביב טהרת פרה ככל התורה ויתבאר לקמן אי"ה].

[And this is the hint of Parshas Parah, "the statute of the Torah," as the Pesikta says: the purification of the Parah is as beloved as the entire Torah — and it will be explained further below, im yirtzeh Hashem.]

Parah Adumah is called the "chok of the Torah," and the Midrash equates its purification with the whole Torah, tying the parsha to this twofold theme of fire and purification.

והגם כי אור המאיר הוא פנימי וחביב יותר לכן הי' מנורה בפנים בהיכל ואש שורף מבחוץ בעזרה.

And although the illuminating light is more inward and more beloved — therefore the Menorah stood within, in the Heichal, while the burning fire was outside, in the courtyard.

The gentler, illuminating fire is the more precious, inner avodah, which is why the Menorah was placed inside the Heichal, while the consuming fire of the Mizbeach stood outside in the Azarah.

וכ"ז נמצא גם בלב האדם.

And all of this is found also within the heart of a person.

This same arrangement of an inner illuminating fire and an outer burning fire exists within every person's heart.

מ"מ גם אור המנורה ממזבח החיצון תוקד כנ"ל שכל האור תלוי באש השורף כמ"ש סור מרע ועשה טוב:

Nevertheless, even the light of the Menorah must be kindled from the outer altar, as above — for all the light depends on the burning fire, as it is written, "Turn from evil and do good."

Even the precious inner light cannot be kindled on its own; it must first be lit from the consuming fire of the Mizbeach — for "turn from evil" precedes "do good." Only after burning away the yetzer hara and worldly cravings can the warm, illuminating fire of positive avodah truly shine (Tehillim 34:15).

Summary: There are two fires in avodas Hashem — an illuminating fire of warm devotion (mitzvos asei) and a consuming fire that wages war on the yetzer hara (mitzvos lo sa'aseh, "remembering Amalek"). Both are empowered by the Torah. Though the inner illuminating light is more beloved, Rashi teaches that even the Menorah's light must be kindled from the outer altar's burning fire — for "turn from evil" must precede "do good": only by first burning away evil can the precious inner light shine.