In this week’s parasha, Shemini, the Torah describes the eighth and concluding day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle – the mishkan. On this eighth day, after the appropriate sacrifices of the day, Aharon HaKohen blessed the people with the birkat kohanim – the priestly blessing.
Birkat kohanim is a tri-partite blessing, consisting of a material blessing, a spiritual blessing and a blessing for peace. Although the prevalent custom is to restrict birkat kohanim to holidays, there is a positive commandment for kohanim to bless the Jewish People daily.
The fact that the Kohen is the one who pronounces the blessing should not confuse us as to Whom our prayers are directed and from Whom our blessing comes. If you are not a kohen and because the halacha prohibits us to watch the kohanim perform birkat kohanim, you may not know that there is a choreography that accompanies the enunciation of the blessing . As in the time of the beit hamikdash, the kohanim recite the birkat kohanim with their arms raised and they waive their arms side to side. This choreography conveys the idea that the entire nation should turn prompts all of us to turn our prayers towards G-d (arms extended) and reminds us that Hashem’s Providence and concern extends to G-d’s creations (waiving side to side). This blessing’s placement at the end of the Amidah conveys to us that at the conclusion of our prayer – after we have praised G-d, presented our needs as a request and thanked Him for hearing our prayer – we acknowledge that we understand that all prayers are directed towards G-d and we are the beneficiaries of His blessing.
One of the more interesting elements of the text of the birkat kohanim is the phrase – yissa Hashem panav – Hashem will “lift up His face”. “Lifting one’s face” – nesiat panim – is typically a euphemism for showing favoritism. Hashem is not subject to whims or to the influence of human emotions. In what sense can we ask Hashem to show us favoritism?
Indeed, Hashem’s blessing for b'nei yisrael is not a form of favoritism. Hashem does not play favorites. He is not subject to bribery. Our prayers are not a substitute for acts of righteousness. Our Temple sacrifices do not placate G-d and help him look the other way. Like all human beings, each Jew is subject to G-d’s Divine Judgment. However, Hashem, in his infinite Wisdom, selected the people of Israel for a special task. This selection was itself a merit that the Jewish People did not deserve. In our framework, this appears as favoritism. However, Hashem, Who is not influenced by favoritism chose the Jewish People to teach the world about the existence of G-d and to model the paths of charity, peace and truth. Hashem blesses the Jewish People in correspondence to our merits to demonstrate that G-d blesses all those Who represent Him.
The mitzva of birkat kohanim teaches us that the Jewish People are blessed by G-d not as a consequence of G-d’s favoritism, a quality possessed only by imperfect humans, but rather as a consequence of our allegiance to the ideals of the Torah and our love of truth and peace. In preparation for Pesach, let us align ourselves with the values of purity and holiness in order to merit Hashem’s blessing.
Birkat kohanim is a tri-partite blessing, consisting of a material blessing, a spiritual blessing and a blessing for peace. Although the prevalent custom is to restrict birkat kohanim to holidays, there is a positive commandment for kohanim to bless the Jewish People daily.
The fact that the Kohen is the one who pronounces the blessing should not confuse us as to Whom our prayers are directed and from Whom our blessing comes. If you are not a kohen and because the halacha prohibits us to watch the kohanim perform birkat kohanim, you may not know that there is a choreography that accompanies the enunciation of the blessing . As in the time of the beit hamikdash, the kohanim recite the birkat kohanim with their arms raised and they waive their arms side to side. This choreography conveys the idea that the entire nation should turn prompts all of us to turn our prayers towards G-d (arms extended) and reminds us that Hashem’s Providence and concern extends to G-d’s creations (waiving side to side). This blessing’s placement at the end of the Amidah conveys to us that at the conclusion of our prayer – after we have praised G-d, presented our needs as a request and thanked Him for hearing our prayer – we acknowledge that we understand that all prayers are directed towards G-d and we are the beneficiaries of His blessing.
One of the more interesting elements of the text of the birkat kohanim is the phrase – yissa Hashem panav – Hashem will “lift up His face”. “Lifting one’s face” – nesiat panim – is typically a euphemism for showing favoritism. Hashem is not subject to whims or to the influence of human emotions. In what sense can we ask Hashem to show us favoritism?
Indeed, Hashem’s blessing for b'nei yisrael is not a form of favoritism. Hashem does not play favorites. He is not subject to bribery. Our prayers are not a substitute for acts of righteousness. Our Temple sacrifices do not placate G-d and help him look the other way. Like all human beings, each Jew is subject to G-d’s Divine Judgment. However, Hashem, in his infinite Wisdom, selected the people of Israel for a special task. This selection was itself a merit that the Jewish People did not deserve. In our framework, this appears as favoritism. However, Hashem, Who is not influenced by favoritism chose the Jewish People to teach the world about the existence of G-d and to model the paths of charity, peace and truth. Hashem blesses the Jewish People in correspondence to our merits to demonstrate that G-d blesses all those Who represent Him.
The mitzva of birkat kohanim teaches us that the Jewish People are blessed by G-d not as a consequence of G-d’s favoritism, a quality possessed only by imperfect humans, but rather as a consequence of our allegiance to the ideals of the Torah and our love of truth and peace. In preparation for Pesach, let us align ourselves with the values of purity and holiness in order to merit Hashem’s blessing.
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