We are Blessed!
The inclusion of the priestly blessings in this week’s portion of Naso, could almost go unnoticed, lost in the minutiae of details, sometimes ominous, outlining life and duties in the desert. The directive also occurs without much preamble where the issues being addressed make its appearance fortuitous. The enigmatic almost veiled instructions are perhaps styled in a way to avoid us noticing and as such asking the more consequential question of why is God outsourcing such a fundamental, loving aspect of our relationship?
From our earliest moments in history, the creation itself, it is God who lovingly bestows His blessings on us. Chapter 5:1,2 of Bereishit;
זֶ֣ה סֵ֔פֶר תּוֹלְדֹ֖ת אָדָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם בְּרֹ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אָדָ֔ם בִּדְמ֥וּת אֱלֹהִ֖ים עָשָׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃
This is the record of Adam’s generations. When God created humankind, it was made in the likeness of God;
זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בְּרָאָ֑ם וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָ֗ם וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמָם֙ אָדָ֔ם בְּי֖וֹם הִבָּֽרְאָֽם׃
Male and female were created. And when they were created, God blessed them and called them Humankind.
On exiting the ark, it is God that blesses Noah and his family, and as we recall there are countless occasions where God blesses our patriarchs and matriarchs.
There is a striking Midrash Tanchuma that addresses both the enigma and the language used to instruct Moses to teach the kohanim the iconic script.Their attention is drawn to the term “koh”,- thus. Bamidbar 6:23:
דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ {ס}
Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus (koh), shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:
מִנַּיִן זָכוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים לִבְרָכוֹת שֶׁיְּהוּ מְבָרְכִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה: מִיִּצְחָק, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ נֵלְכָה עַד כֹּה (בראשית כב, ה), וְאֵין כֹּה אֶלָּא בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ (במדבר ו, כג). וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי: מִמַּתַּן תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגִּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות יט, ג).
From whom did the priests receive the privilege of pronouncing the blessing over Israel? R. Eleazer the son of Azariah said: They received this privilege from Isaac, concerning whom it is written: And the lad and I will go yonder(koh) (Gen. 22:5). The word koh is also contained in the words spoken by Moses to the priests, as it is said: Thus (koh) shall ye bless (Num. 6:22). The rabbis maintained: They obtained this right at the time of the giving of the Torah, since it is said there: Thus (koh)shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel.
There are countless, well over five hundred, uses of this expression in the Torah, why were Rabbi Eleazar and the view of the sages drawn to these specific examples. In the case of Isaac on the lead up to the trauma of the Akeida, his potential binding and sacrifice, Isaac appears to be very passive, and the actual quote was said by his father, Abraham, to the servants who were accompanying them on their mission. How can this be the source and motivation for the privileging of the priests rather than God with this duty?
The “koh” used as we were gathered at Sinai surely referred to the Torah that we were about to receive. Here too there is quite a stretch to put forth a rationale or reward for the outsourcing of this duty. Turning to the familiar text – the actual Blessing, it is God who is repeatedly beseeched by the priests to actually bestow the blessings.
The episodes brought in the Midrash are vague and perhaps inconsequential but that appears to be the point. Acknowledgement is given (even) to the servants and the entirety of the people are seen, they are noticed. They, more we, become part of the story. By asking others to do what I can do myself I invite them in. I show trust, and confidence, the way parents lovingly pass on duties and responsibilities to their children, teachers to their pupils and yes, as we write, camp counselors to their campers. This in itself is a blessing. The confidence and faith to ‘outsource’ becomes the (in)source if not the outcome, we are blessed!
