Among the many important elements in this week’s Torah reading is the Priestly Benediction at the end of chapter six of the book of Numbers. The Torah portion is Naso. Three of these verses have been woven into various aspects of Jewish ritual and liturgy.
May God bless you and keep you
May God cause the Divine light to shine upon you and be gracious to you
May God turn toward you, and grant you peace
(Numbers 6:24-26)
This passage has become a part of the spiritual life of the Jewish people, recited at Shabbat , during the holidays, and at life-cycle events. It is so important to Jewish life that it deserves closer attention.
First comes the Divine statement “God spoke to Moses”, (6:22) God instructs Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons, who are the Priests, in whose hands are the future of the Jewish people, since the Priests are in charge of the sacrificial cult. They believe they are giving God what He wants to eat which is the smoke from the sacrificed animal.
It is common to read the text as simply providing the words for Aaron and his sons to bless the people. The text is called the Priestly Benediction because these are the exact words the Priests used to bless the Israelites.
If you understand the word bless to mean reward which is a common translation, Aaron’s words of blessing then become an explanation to the people, perhaps even an incentive, as to how God is to reward the people. “God will bless you and protect you. God will deal kindly and graciously with you God will bestow favor on you and grant you peace”.
God is saying that there will be tangible rewards for following the ways of Torah and Adonai. God will bestow favor upon you and all those who join the Jewish people. Oftentimes in the Torah a brit, covenant or contract is made. This is just another instance of an agreement with God and the Jewish People. Last week I blessed each Confirmand with the Priestly Benediction. Each Confirmand said they would listen and they would do. They would accept the tenets of Judaism and for that pledge God would watch over them and deal kindly with them, granting them the gifts of the world as well as the gifts of inner peace or shalom-wholeness of spirit. To broaden the concept all those who link themselves with God and the people of Israel will indeed be blessed.
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