And the Jewish tradition has some pretty incredible answers.

According to the Legends of the Jews, when the Jews returned to Jerusalem under Ezra's leadership to rebuild the Temple, they faced a significant problem. The celestial fire, that divine spark that had graced the altar since the time of Moses, was gone. It had burned continuously as long as the Temple stood, a symbol of God's unwavering presence. But now? Silence.

Imagine their distress. They were about to offer their first sacrifice, a pivotal moment in restoring their relationship with God. But how could they do so without the sacred fire? Tradition forbade them from bringing eish zarah, "strange fire," upon God's altar. (Leviticus 10:1-2 tells a sobering tale of what happens when unauthorized fire is offered!) They needed the real thing.

So, they turned to God in supplication, begging for guidance. Where was the fire? How could they rekindle the divine flame?

The answer, as it often does in these stories, came in a surprising way. The tradition tells us that the prophet Jeremiah, knowing the destruction of Jerusalem was imminent, hid the celestial fire. He knew it was too precious to fall into the hands of the invaders. But where?

Then, an old man stepped forward. He remembered the very spot where Jeremiah had buried the holy fire! Imagine the hope that surged through the community. He led the elders to the location. They rolled away the stone that covered the hiding place and what did they find? Not embers, not ashes, but a spring. And not a spring of water, but a spring flowing with a sort of… oil.

Oil instead of fire? It seems strange, doesn’t it? But remember, we're talking about something beyond the natural world here.

Ezra, with his prophetic authority, ordered the fluid to be sprinkled upon the altar. And then, boom! An all-consuming flame shot up, reaching towards the heavens. The priests themselves, initially, scattered in fright! This was no ordinary fire. It was a fire of divine power, of purification, of renewal.

But the story doesn't end there. After the Temple and its vessels were purified by the flame, it confined itself to the altar. It never left again. The priests, now understanding its sacred nature, guarded it carefully, ensuring it would never be extinguished.

This story, found in Legends of the Jews (a compilation based on various sources like II Maccabees 2), is a powerful reminder of the enduring presence of the divine, even in times of destruction and despair. It speaks to the importance of tradition, the power of memory, and the possibility of renewal. Even when the fire seems to have gone out, even when all seems lost, a spark can remain, waiting to be rekindled.

What "fire" do you need to find again? What needs to be rekindled in your own life? Maybe the answer lies in remembering the stories of the past, and trusting that even in the darkest of times, a divine spark can still be found.