Bringing Fire From Below Though Fire Comes From Heaven

"And the sons of Aaron shall put fire upon the altar" (Leviticus 1:7). Rabbi Yehudah said: from where do we learn that the kindling of the wood-pile must be done only by a fit priest and with a sacred vessel? Scripture teaches, saying "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar." Rabbi Shimon said: did it ever enter the mind that a non-priest would approach the altar? If so, why is it said "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar"? It teaches concerning the kindling of the wood-pile that it must be only at the top of the altar. "And the sons of Aaron shall put" - what does Scripture teach by saying "the priest"? From the implication of "Aaron," do I not already know he is a priest? What does "the priest" teach? In his priesthood. It teaches concerning a high priest who served in the garments of a common priest that his service is invalid. From where that a common priest who served in the garments of a high priest, his service is invalid? Scripture teaches, saying "the priests" - in their priesthood. Thus you have learned that a high priest who served in the garments of a common priest, his service is invalid, and a common priest who served in the garments of a high priest, his service is invalid. "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar" - even though fire comes down from heaven, it is a commandment to bring fire from a layman. The fire that came down in the days of Moses did not depart from the bronze altar until they came to the eternal House. The fire that came down in the days of Solomon did not depart from the altar of the burnt offering until it departed in the days of Manasseh. "And they shall arrange wood upon the fire" (Leviticus 1:7) - and not the fire upon the wood. Rabbi Shimon said: from where to include two logs of wood in the arrangement together with the afternoon daily offering? Scripture teaches, saying "And they shall arrange wood upon the fire." Rabbi Eliezer says: the sons of Aaron did not die until they ruled a legal matter in the presence of Moses their teacher. What did they expound? "And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar" - even though fire comes down from heaven, it is a commandment to bring it from a layman. They began to bring up logs to arrange the wood-pile. And is all wood fit for the wood-pile? Yes, all wood is fit, except for olive wood and vine wood; but with these they were accustomed: with branches of fig, of nut, and of oil-tree. And these others, why not? Rav Pappa said: because they crumble into embers quickly. Rav Aha bar Yaakov said: because of the settlement of the Land of Israel. They raised an objection: "upon the wood that is upon the fire" - wood that is set to become fire. What is that? Hard sticks. As for that which crumbles into embers, there is fig and nut. Rabbi Eliezer adds also pine, oak, palm, carob, and sycamore. According to the one who says "because they crumble into embers," they differ in this: one master holds that even though it does not crumble from within, since it crumbles from without we do not bring it; and the other master holds that since it does not crumble from within, even though it crumbles from without, we bring it. But according to the one who says "because of the settlement of the Land of Israel," does the palm not involve the settlement of the Land of Israel? And by your reasoning, does the fig not involve the settlement of the Land of Israel? Rather, what have you to say - it speaks of a fig that does not bear fruit; the palm too speaks of a palm that does not bear fruit.