Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pinkus
The author of “Shnei Luchot HaBrit” (Rabbi Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz, the Shelah HaKadosh) states:
“I found a manuscript by the holy Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, who writes: ‘One sage taught us: to remove a bad thought, one should repeat the verse many times אֵ֗שׁ תָּמִ֛יד תּוּקַ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֹ֥א תִכְבֶֽה — “Let the fire on the altar burn continually and never go out” (Vayikra, 6:6). It is clear to me that this sage was the prophet Elijah; the rabbi simply did not wish to reveal this because of his great humility.
Therefore, anyone whose heart has been filled with sinful or empty thoughts should repeat this verse many times. It seems to me that they should also recite the verse שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי וַאֲתַעֵבָה; תּוֹרָתְךָ אָהָבְתִּי - “I have hated falsehood, but loved Your Torah” (Tehillim, 119:163). They should recite it with great fervor, feeling as strong as a lion.’”
The essence of this segulah
Ramban, commenting on the verse “The Torah of the Almighty is perfect (temimah),” explains that the entire Torah consists of the Names of the Creator, and that every verse contains a hidden Holy Name connected to the subject of that verse.
Thus, there are verses of the Torah that help in particular situations addressed by the verse itself, either explicitly or by allusion. A person who recites that verse awakens the Names of the Creator embedded in it.
Therefore, for example, the verse “Create a pure heart for me, O G-d” helps purify the heart, as stated in the “Mishnah Berurah” (§ 98, para. 102). This is what the Shelah HaKadosh meant when he said that the verse “I have hated falsehood, but loved Your Torah”, which speaks of hatred of bad thoughts and love of Torah, can drive bad thoughts out of a person’s mind.
And the verse “let the fire on the altar burn continually and never go out” has a special ability to remove bad thoughts, because the Sages said that a burnt offering atones for the heart’s evil thoughts.
Therefore, the Torah verse that commands us to maintain the continual fire of the burnt offering, whose essence is continual burning and purification, atonement for evil thoughts, has the power to counter bad thoughts.
The segulah of the verse “Let the fire on the altar burn continually...” for success in one’s endeavors:
Another wonderful piece of advice, which is particularly helpful when a person is walking or traveling somewhere, is to repeat this verse (אֵ֗שׁ תָּמִ֛יד תּוּקַ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֹ֥א תִכְבֶֽה — “Let the fire on the altar burn continually and never go out”) over and over, many times, and also to try to reflect on its deeper meaning—not to “cool off” in serving the Creator.
If a person makes an effort to do this, the Almighty will help them succeed in all their endeavors, as it says: “G-d will guard your coming in and going out, from now and forever!”
Translated by: Mrs. Leah Shukhman