By Rabbi Tyler Dratch
I had the opportunity to attend the rabbinic ordination ceremony of my seminary, Hebrew College, a few weeks ago. This is a highlight of the school calendar, not only because it is a chance to welcome new rabbis into the world, but also because it is a ceremony filled with blessings. Each student is given a blessing by one of their teachers in front of all who are present. These blessings are heartfelt, stirring, sometimes humorous, and they show each new rabbi that their teachers truly “see” them. It is emotional to hear these blessings, even if you do not know the new rabbi. To witness someone give blessing to another connects each of us to something essential about what it means to be human.
Perhaps this single most important act one may do, to “walk in God’s ways” is to offer blessings to each other. In the very first chapter of the Torah, God blesses the first humans on earth (Gen 1:22), God blesses Noah and his children (Gen 9:1) and the Israelites seek God’s blessing throughout the rest of the text. In this week’s parshah, God asks the priests to offer blessing directly to the Israelites.
Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:
May God bless you and protect you!
May God deal kindly and graciously with you!
May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace! (Numbers 6:23-26).
This text, the Birkat Kohanim, has remained a central part of the Jewish liturgy. But God’s instruction to the priest raises an important question. While God may need the priests to help facilitate the animal sacrifices made at the temple, why does God need priests to bless the Israelites? Can God not bestow blessing on the people without help?
The act of blessing is meant to be transformational not only for the one being blessed, but also for the one offering the blessing. Before the priests offer the Birkat Kohanim, they recite the following blessing:
Blessed are you, God our Lord, ruler of the world, Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aharon and commanded us to bless the people of Israel with love.
The Mishnah Berurah teaches that since priests are commanded to offer the blessing with love, if any priest has an issue with someone in the congregation, and they feel that they cannot offer this blessing with complete love, they should leave the room before the moment of Birkat Kohanim.
God asks the priests to bless the Israelites in order to spread love and goodwill across the community. When a person receives a blessing from another, they feel seen and hopefully understood. In order to offer blessing one must stop and think of the attributes they most value in another. And then they must say it out loud! The mitzvah to bless each other is a sacred obligation to speak earnestly about how much we mean to each other. When we say these things aloud, we shower our communities with gratitude, we stay more bonded and we can even smooth over the rough edges when conflict inevitably arises.
Second, the commandment for priests to bless the community forces them to make sure that they maintain positive relations with the entire community. Since the priest has an obligation to offer blessings with love for everyone, they must do the ongoing and difficult inner work of truly finding love for everyone. In a time when leaders too often use words of divisiveness and hate to hold onto power, the Torah demands an alternative model.
May this Shabbat be a moment of blessing. May we be deeply seen by others through their blessings, and may we cultivate the community of care and compassion in which we can continue to bless every person with love.
Rabbi Tyler Dratch is associate rabbi of Beth Am in Baltimore City.
