“Speak to Ahron and to his sons saying, “In this manner you should bless Bnai Yisrael. Say to them” (BeMidbar 6:23)
This
pasuk introduces the mitzvah for the Kohanim to recite a blessing over the congregation. This blessing is incorporated into the Amidah.
It is recited prior to the final blessing of the Amidah – Seem Shalom. In the Bait
HaMikdash the blessing was recited every day. In Israel, this remains the practice. Bait Yosef maintains that this practice should also be observed
outside of the Land of Israel.[1] However, Rima
disagrees. He comments that the
prevalent practice outside of the Land of Israel is to recite the blessing only
on Yom Tov. On weekdays and Shabbat it is
not recited. Rima offers an interesting
explanation for this practice. He
begins by explaining that it is appropriate for the Kohanim to be in a positive state of mind when reciting the
blessing. On weekdays and even on
Shabbat, people are often distracted by the concerns of daily life. These distractions are an impediment to
achieving the requisite level of happiness that is appropriate for reciting the
blessing.[2] Although
these are the two basic positions regarding the reciting of the blessing outside
of the Land of Israel, there are other variations. For example, some congregations do not recite the blessing on
weekdays but do recite it on Shabbat.
“Hashem should bless you and watch over you. Hashem should shine His countenance upon you and enlighten you. Hashem should lift His countenance to you and grant you peace.” (BeMidbar 6:24-27)
Sefer
HaChinuch, in his discussion of this blessing raises a question. His question is based upon the assertion
that the Kohanim do not actually
bestow their blessing upon the congregation.
Instead, Hashem bestows the blessing.[3] An analysis
of the actual blessing seems to support this assertion. The passages above are the text of the
blessings recited by the Kohanim. As the text indicates, the Kohanim do not actually pronounce a
blessing upon the people. Instead, they
appeal to Hashem to bless the people.
In short, this mitzvah does
not required that the Kohanim bless
the people. Instead, it requires that the Kohanim
ask for Hashem to bless the nation.
Sefer
HaChinuch asks: why does the Torah require the Kohanim to play a role in this process? If Hashem wishes to bless the people, He certainly will do so
without the intervention of the Kohanim! Sefer HaChinuch’s answer is somewhat
cryptic. His response has two components. First, he explains that we sometimes receive
Hashem’s blessings and sometimes we do not.
This is not because Hashem at times withholds His blessings. Hashem never withholds His blessings. Instead, Hashem’s blessings are always available
to us. Whether we receive them or not
is determined by whether we deserve.
Therefore, we were given the Torah.
The Torah provides us with the means of attaining righteousness. Through attaining righteousness, we are able
to merit the blessings that Hashem is constantly bestowing.
Second,
he explains that Hashem wishes for us to request His blessings and that this
request should be made through the sacred and pure Kohanim. This very act of
asking through the Kohanim is
meritorious and through this merit we receive the blessings of Hashem.[4]
A
thorough discussion of the first element of Sefer HaChinuch’s answer is beyond
the scope of this discussion.
Essentially, Sefer HaChinuch wishes to stress that Hashem is perfect, an
absolute unity and never changes. Therefore,
although it sometimes seems that the ways in which Hashem relates or acts
towards us change, this is merely our perception. In truth, Hashem is unchanging.
If it seems to us that He sometimes bestows His blessings upon us and at
other times withholds these blessing, this is not actually the case. Hashem does not change. We change.
When we deserve, we experience the effect of His blessings. When we do not deserve, these blessings
cannot devolve upon us.
A
simple analogy may help explain this concept.
A pitcher throws a fastball to the catcher. The catcher easily catches the pitch. The pitcher throws a second pitch and the catcher drops the
ball. The catcher is disappointed with
his performance. But he assumes that
the pitcher must have put a little something extra on the second pitch. However, the reality is that the two pitches
were identical. The catcher missed the
second pitch because he was a little distracted. Like the catcher, we assume that whether we “catch” the blessing
or not is determined by Hashem. But in
truth, like the pitcher, Hashem is perfectly consistent. We just sometimes do not deserve and we miss
the pitch!
Sefer
HaChinuch’s second point is a little more difficult to understand. Why is it so important that we ask for the
blessings before they are bestowed? And
why is it important that we ask though the sacred Kohanim?
Let
us begin with the first question.
Chovot HaLevavot discusses a related issue that provides important insight
into this question. Chovot HaLevavot
explains that we are surrounded by the benevolence of Hashem. Yet, most of us do not fully appreciate or
comprehend this benevolence. What
prevents us from recognizing the many blessings that Hashem bestows upon us? Chovot HaLevavot identifies a number of
factors. One is relevant to our
discussion. He explains this factor
through a parable.
A
wealthy person adopted a foundling. He
raised the foundling from infancy and treated this child as his own. At a later point, he became aware of a
person that has been taken captive by a cruel person. This captive was living in complete destitution and treated with
extreme brutality. The wealthy person
took it upon himself to save this persecuted person and redeemed him from his
captor. Chovot HaLevavot asserts that
inevitably the former captive will be far more appreciative of the generosity
of his benefactor than the child.
Why? He explains that the
captive experienced his suffering at a time in his development at which he
could fully comprehend the experience.
He passed from wretchedness to tranquility at a point in his
intellectual development that allowed him to fully appreciate the kindness of
his benefactor. In contrast, the
foundling passed from destitution to comfort during infancy. At that time, he could not begin to
comprehend the event of his rescue. By
the time he was mature enough to grasp the experience of redemption, he had no
memory of his former destitution and suffering. The only life he remembered and to which he could relate was the
life he experienced as the privileged adopted son of his benefactor.
Chovot
HaLevavot explains that our relationship with Hashem is akin to that of the
foundling with his benefactor. We are
surrounded by Hashem’s blessings from birth.
As a result, we take these blessings for granted. We do not comprehend or appreciate Hashem’s
kindness towards us.[5]
In
short, by nature we are somewhat blind to Hashem’s kindness. How can we overcome this failing? It seems that Sefer HaChinuch is addressing
this issue. It is important that we
train ourselves to acknowledge Hashem’s benevolence. Training requires repetition.
In order to impact our attitudes and our innate insensitivity to
Hashem’s kindness we must remind ourselves of this kindness consistently and
repeatedly. One of the ways in which we
accomplish this is by reciting blessings of thanks to Hashem. For example, each morning we recite a series
of blessings that acknowledge a variety of kindnesses that we receive from
Hashem. We recite blessings before we
eat. These blessings remind us that we
cannot take for granted the food that we are about to eat. However, it is also important that we ask
Hashem to respond to our needs. By
asking for Hashem’s blessings we acknowledge that these blessings come from
Hashem and should not be taken for granted.
But
why are we required to ask specifically through the Kohanim? Perhaps, Sefer
HaChinuch is alluding to his thinking in his description of the Kohanim. He describes the Kohanim
as “the servants (of Hashem) that are constantly camped around the House of
Hashem. All their thoughts are directed
towards His service and their souls are directed towards awe of Him all the
day.”[6] Certainly,
Sefer HaChinuch is not asserting that every Kohen achieves the level of
spiritual perfection that he is describing.
Instead, he is describing the role or mission assigned to the Kohanim by the Torah. In other words, it seems that – according to
Sefer HaChinuch – those members of Bnai Yisrael that are assigned the role of
achieving the highest level of spiritual perfection are required to request
that Hashem bestow His blessing upon the nation.
Sefer
HaChinuch’s position can be better understood when considered in conjunction
with the first element of his answer.
He explained that the blessings that we experience from Hashem are
proportionate to the degree to which we deserve of these blessings. The role of the Kohanim within Bnai Yisrael is to strive for the highest level of
spiritual perfection. It follows that
in asking Hashem to bestow his blessings upon the people, the appeal should be
made by those most deserving of these blessings. However, it should be noted that a full understanding of this
position requires a more thorough discussion.
[1] RavYosef Karo, Bait Yosef Commentary on Tur, Orach
Chayim 128.
[2] Rav Moshe Isserles, Comments on Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chayim 128:44.
[3] Rav Aharon HaLeyve, Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah
375.
[4] Rav Aharon HaLeyve, Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 375.
[5] Rabbaynu Bachya ibn Paquda, Chovot HaLevavot (Feldheim, 1970), pp 125-127.
[6] Rav Aharon HaLeyve, Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 375.