By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
SAN DIEGO — Parashat Naso contains one of the most beautiful passages in the Torah: Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing. Every Friday evening parents use these words to bless their children at the Shabbat table. It is also used by rabbis to bless their congregants on special occasions.
“The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!”
(Num. 5:24-26)
It took me many years to become comfortable blessing Bar and Mitzvah students and other celebrants with Birkat Kohanim. Rabbis are primarily teachers and not intermediaries between human beings and God. By what authority was I empowered to bless anyone? The Kohanim were able to bless their fellow Jews because it was commanded of them in the Torah. Rabbis, however, are no holier than anyone else.
I felt this way until I realized that I had misunderstood what Birkat Kohanim was all about. In fact, the questions and concerns I had were voiced long ago by the wise people of our tradition. One commentator, the Akeidah, put the question this way: What is the purpose of this mitzvah, he asked? Why should the Kohein bless the people? After all, don’t all blessings come from God? What is the Kohein adding?
The Akeidah answered that when the Kohanim recite these words, they are not adding to the blessings that people would have already received from God. Their words don’t compel God to do more or less than God would have done anyway. Why, then, should the Kohanim recite the blessing at all? It is to educate the people, to remind us that every goodness we have comes from God, the Source of all goodness and all blessing.
Sometimes we forget to be grateful for all of the blessings we enjoy. Sometimes we look upon our successes or achievements in life and say, in the words of the Bible: “My power and the strength of my own hands” have brought me all that I have.
When the Kohanim ask God to bless Israel, they are at the same time reminding us not to attribute to ourselves too much power and glory. Birkat Kohanim, regardless of who recites it, reminds us to remain humble and grateful, and be mindful that it is ultimately from God that all of our blessings come.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego. He may be contacted at leonard.rosenthal@sdjewishworld.com