By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California –In this week’s parsha, Naso, “to lift up,’’ the longest single parsha in the Torah with its 176 pasukim, the Torah reading, following Shavuot, opens with a description of the responsibilities placed on the Levites, who are “lifted up” to perform their duties. We are introduced to the Birkat Kohanim, the “Priestly Blessing” with which we are all familiar. We’ve heard it said, recited it ourselves, and offered it to others, many times:
| “May the Lord bless you and watch over you. | כדיְבָֽרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָֹ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ: | |
| May the Lord cause His countenance to shine upon you and be gracious to you. | כהיָאֵ֨ר יְהוָֹ֧ה | פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ: | |
| May the Lord raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.” | כויִשָּׂ֨א יְהוָֹ֤ה | פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם: |
And we say, “Baruch shem k’vod malchuto l’olam vaed, “Blessed be the name of God’s glorious kingdom for all eternity.” After all, Hashem is the source of all our blessings. We are not simply speaking words but activating a spiritual conduit for Hashem’s blessings to flow through us and our community. וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרֲכֵם “They shall place my name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them.” This passage emphasizes how the act of reciting a blessing, with genuine thoughtful awareness, mindfulness, facilitates a deeper connection between us and Hashem. It is not simply empty words we mumble through, but a means of linking ourselves to His presence and unlocking His blessings.
This is the oldest Biblical fragment that we continue to use in contemporary times, with Hashem’s name in the second word of each stanza. For those who look carefully, you’ll see the growing meaning and increasing power in these words and letters. From 3 words, it grows to 5 words, and then to 7 words. It grows from 15 letters to 20 letters, to 25 letters.
Hashem’s instruction to the Kohanim to bless the Jewish People begins with the word, ‘koh – so’ which has the numerical value of twenty-five and this is also the number of times the terms ‘bracha – blessing’ and ‘shalom – peace’ appear in the Torah. For this reason, the priestly blessing begins with blessing and concludes with peace which is alluded to in the pasuk in Tehillim, “May Hashem bless His people with peace.”
From being watched over for material blessings, to spiritual blessings, to the ultimate gift for a healthy life, peace, this b’racha points us to what really matters – especially essential during these chaotic, threatening, stressful times – Divine intervention and earthly benefits. Being blessed in both our spiritual and physical lives is what truly matters. We do not need to prove ourselves to receive a blessing from Hashem. All we need to know is that His gaze is upon us. He sees us, hears us, and embraces us in His eternal arms.
The blessing is for every individual to feel a sense of completeness, to feel included, secure, and unafraid. The blessing helps us understand that the value of our lives is dependent on ourselves and on Hashem, not on the opinions of others. With Hashem shining His countenance upon an individual, that person sees that life is ultimately defined by the relationship of oneself with Hashem. Perhaps chaos, threat and stress may also be seen as blessings, an indication of Hashem redirecting, not rejecting, or rebuffing our lives. Those with trust and faith (“Forward All Issues To Hashem”) see blessings daily and focus on where peace through this time – and all time – will come from, as we are taught in the Birkat Kohanim. He will grant us peace. Look inside of this prayer and you will reaffirm an important insight, that we live in both a physical and spiritual world. You will see both physical and spiritual benefits seeded within each of the prayer’s lines.
When we fully engage our entire being – our physical self, our emotional heart, our intellectual mind, and our spiritual essence – in the service of Hashem, that is when we are truly able to bless others. It is in that state of complete, genuine, dedication that we can forge a profound connection between Hashem’s name, our names, and the names of those for whom we pray.
This is how we unlock the conduit for health, peace, abundance, joy – not merely by reciting the words of the priestly benediction, but by committing our whole selves to serving our fellow human beings. In dedicating ourselves to the care and betterment of others, we are in fact serving Hashem’s guidelines. It is this wholehearted devotion that opens our spiritual floodgates, allowing the flow of His blessing to pour forth. The text emphasizes that the power of the blessing does not reside solely in the ritual utterance of the prescribed words. Rather, it is rooted in the alignment of our entire being – body, heart, mind, and spirit – with the higher purpose of honoring and connecting to the Hashem through our service to humanity.
A life of favor, vichuneka, anchored in the word chein or grace, is a different life than one filled with materialism. The b’racha seems to begin with blessings of materialism and then moves beyond that…as we would be wise to do as well.
Interestingly, we are told that “Hashem will bless you and protect you…” On this, the Chidushei HaRim wonders about the reason for mentioning protection and blessing together in this first verse. He teaches us that Hashem’s blessings and the blessings of a king are entirely different. The king’s blessing does not offer protection from harm. What he provides can be stolen from us. Hashem’s blessings include protection within the blessing itself. His protection is intrinsic and inseparable from His will for us.
We learn in in Chapter 3, Mishna 17, “Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaria used to say: Where there is no flour, there is no Torah, and where there is no Torah, there is no food.” Our material and spiritual blessings are tools to bring us closer to Hashem. We are provided the opportunity, not always as we’d like it, to balance our flour with our Torah. Perhaps this is the real message of the Priestly Benediction in this week’s Torah reading.
Seeing the value in the flow and direction of this message, may take a lifetime to truly, and deeply, understand and embrace. From material success, to acquiring genuine spiritual growth, the wisdom and light of Torah, these words move us to purposeful action, united, as one. Supporting and lifting those who are vulnerable, speaking and acting against injustice, remaining strong and never backing down in the face of “evil,” standing against divisiveness and dissension among all, are indicators that we act upon the blessings in Naso. It’s more than reciting words. It’s putting our entire self into serving others and ultimately thereby serving Hashem. We learn in Shemos, 19:6, that we are all to be Mamleches Kohanim, a kingdom of priests, people who are Oheiv shalom v’rodeif shalom, with the desire and ability to seek and build peace, the ultimate gift of Hashem’s blessings.
Perhaps a deeper gift of Hashem’s blessings to us, is our ability to be a blessing to, and for, others. This depends on how we speak with others. We can break down barriers, welcome others, build links to others and turn strangers into friends.
By internalizing the spirit of the Birkat Kohanim, we can cultivate a mindset of gratitude and recognize the blessings present in our existence. This outlook helps us maintain a positive and appreciative perspective, even amidst life’s challenges. Instilling this message in the next generation ensures that the values of the Birkat Kohanim continue to guide and inspire the Jewish people for years to come.
Our task is to see, to hear, to listen to the messages of Hashem to live in this manner. He speaks to each of us in different ways. How can you cut through the fog in your life to listen, really listen, and recognize the value of His messages, to follow them truly, to live a better life? Living on spiritual autopilot diminishes life. He speaks to us every moment of our life, giving us a new blessing, a new gift, to allow us to achieve and accomplish something during our limited journey in this world.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.