04 May HELPING OUR FINANCES

In the last few decades, one of the great challenges of our society has been the ever-growing problem of unemployment. Many factors have contributed to this. Recently, many lost jobs due to the pandemic. The technological renaissance has obviated many jobs, and the downsizing of companies coupled with the competition of cheaper imports all add up to a decimation of the work force. Perhaps also, big business has gotten used to taking a bigger part of the economic pie’s profits and thereby caused a severe problem of underemployment as well. Even persons who are gainfully employed do not have the security of yesteryear for loyalty in the marketplace extends only to ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately,’ and is very contingent on the annual balance sheet.

What does a Torah Jew do to better his chances for fiscal solvency? I would like to discuss one opportunity that we have to boost our chances for financial success. This is the boon of Birchas Kohanim.

The first of the priestly blessings is “Y’vorechecha Hashem v’yishmarecha – May Hashem bless you,” which Rashi translates to mean ‘with financial prosperity.’ Thus, when the Kohanim raise their hands in priestly fashion on the ‘duchan,’ the platform before the Holy Ark, they are biblically vested to bless us with financial prosperity.

There is a blatant question begging for explanation. Why were the Kohanim vested with this power to bless the masses throughout the ages? If we had chosen who the ambassadors to convey Hashem’s blessings upon our people should be, who would we have chosen? Wouldn’t we have turned to our pious Torah sages? After all, the Gemora tells us in Masechtas Berachos, if one, G-d forbid, has a sick person in the home, “Yeileich eitzel chacham – Let him go to the Torah sages,” that he should pray for him or her. Similarly we are taught, “Tzadik gozer v’HaKadosh Boruch Hu m’kaiyem – The righteous one decrees and Hashem fulfills.”

So, isn’t it a bit strange that standing before the holy ark and blessing our people is Mr. Cohen, the kohein electrician, and young 16 year-old Chaim Katz, a 10th grade kohein, instead of the Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva. Why is it this way?

This question reminds me of an incident that happened in my congregation years ago. We had the privilege of hosting one of my cousins, Rav Binyamin Weiss, Shlit”a, for a Shabbos. He, for over thirty years, is a venerable Rav in B’nei Brak. After being with me in shul for the entire Shabbos, I asked for his critique of the different drashas and lectures I gave throughout the Shabbos. He commented that it was odd to him that I made the announcement of engagements and births, bar mitzvahs and so forth at the beginning of the drasha. He said he was more used to the president of the shul talking about such things while the Rav restricts himself of the teaching of Torah and Halachah.

I responded that when I make such announcements, I include a wish that the new couple should build a ‘bais ne’eman b’Yisroel,’ and that just like ‘k’shem shenichnas l’bris, kein yikoneis l’Torah, u’l’chupah, u’l’maasim tovim – Just as the young child enters the circumcision successfully, so he should succeed in Torah, marriage, and good deeds,’ etc. Therefore, I feel it is appropriate that Rav should be the Ambassador of the Kehilah, to give these Torah blessings. So, in a similar vein, why aren’t the venerable Torah sages and righteous Talmudic scholars the ones who are standing before the ark saying the blessings to the congregation?

Rav Volkin, the Av Beis Din of Pinsk, Zt”l Zy”a, offers an innovative explanation. He says that a necessary requirement of the blessings is that they should be given sincerely and whole-heartedly. When Hashem gave the instructions about the priestly blessings it says, “Amor lahem – Say to them,” with the word ‘amor’ written in full form, i.e., aleph—mem—vav—reish. Rashi explains that it is written in such a fashion to convey that the blessings should be given, “B’kavana u’bleiv sholeim – With full concentration and a complete heart.” Similarly, in the brocha that the Kohanim make before issuing the blessing, they say, “…Vitzivanu levareich es amo Yisroel b’ahavah – we are commanded to bless the Nation of Yisroel with love.” Suggests Rav Volkin, ‘Who is it that has the most personal interest that Klal Yisroel should be blessed with prosperity?’ It is, of course, the Kohanim since they have no portion in the land and no gainful employment since they served in the Beis HaMikdash. Their entire livelihood rested upon the tithes and gifts received from their brethren. Therefore, it is in their best interest that Klal Yisroel has financial success. For them their portion will be large and they will be well taken care of. It is therefore assured that they will issue the blessing of ‘yivorechecha’ meaningfully and reverently.

The Chida in his sefer Pesach Einayim quotes from the Shach Al HaTorah a totally different and exciting explanation. He says that, years ago in Mitzrayim, Shevet Levi, the priestly tribe, exhibited such exemplary behavior with money that they were given the privilege and license to bless Klal Yisroel with financial prosperity throughout the ages. He elaborates that when Hashem told Moshe that the Jews should take ‘loans’ of silver and gold and fancy clothing from the Egyptians (which they would eventually keep), Shevet Levi declined to participate in this collection of wealth. They reasoned that since they were not enslaved by Paroh (cf. when Moshe and Aharon were told by Paroh, “L’chu l’sivloseichem – Go to your burdens,” the Torah is revealing that they went back to their own business but not to Paroh’s servitude), they were not entitled to share in the booty which was taken as reparations for the harsh labor experienced by their brethren. Says the Shach, because they showed such integrity and willpower in denying themselves wealth and luxuries, they would be the ones to shower financial blessings on Klal Yisroel throughout the generations.

(An aside. According to this interpretation, one might wonder, when Moshe Rabbeinu denied himself the pursuit of these loans and instead occupied himself with the retrieval of atzmos Yosef, the righteous Yosef’s holy body, the Medrash refers to Moshe as the ‘Chacham leiv yikach mitzvos – The wise at heart seizes mitzvos.’ According to the Chida, this is a little difficult since Moshe would anyway have not taken from the booty since he was a member of the tribe of Levi who all abstained from these loans.)

There is yet another way to understand why the Kohanim were given this privilege. First, let me share with you another basic question asked by the Panei-ach Raza. He wonders ‘What is the need for the priestly blessings in the first place.’ If a person is righteous, then the Torah says, “Im bechukosai teleichu… uba alecha kol habrachos – If you walk in my statutes there will come upon you all blessings.” So, such a person doesn’t need the Kohanim’s blessings for Hashem already blesses him. On the other hand, if he is wicked, then the priestly blessings won’t help for the Torah already says, “Im bechukosai timosu uvau alecha kol haklolos – If you detest My statutes, then there will come upon you all of these curses.”

So who is the benefactor of the priestly blessings? The Raza D’Meir comments that perhaps the blessings are for the beinuni, the many intermediate average people. The Panei-ach Raza himself gives two possible approaches. First, that the blessing is for the righteous person to ward off and protect him from other peoples’ curses or, second, that even if they are worthy of Heavenly blessings, they sometimes need a medium to help bring it down from Heaven to earth.

However the Bal HaAkeidah has an interesting explanation of Birchas Kohanim that answers both of our questions. He explains that, of course, all blessings are from Hashem, but that the kohein is doing something else entirely. With the priestly blessings, he is reminding us that parnasa is from G-d. “Y’vorechecha Hashem… Yair Hashem… Yisah Hashem…” Blessing, Illumination, and Favor in this world come only from Hashem. ” The kohein stands before the Holy Ark and reminds the congregation that they should not be misled into thinking that their financial success is from kochi v’osem yodi, their business savvy, their financial strategies, their investment intuitions, or their salesmanship abilities. Rather, it is all from Hashem. This is exactly with the Torah says in the portions of Birchas Kohanim. “V’somu es shemi al Bnei Yisroel v’Ani avor’cheim,” your job is to place My Name on the B’nei Yisroel (reminding them it is I Who helped them succeed.), and I will bless them.

Thus, the Panei-ach Raza’s question is completely resolved – for the purpose of the blessings is not to offer their own brocha but to remind the congregation that everything comes from Hashem and it is to Him that they should direct their thanks and prayers. And now we can also understand why this task was given to the kohein. For he did not work but, rather, ministered Hashem in the Beis HaMikdash and therefore did not have the temptations to be misled that it is anything but Hashem that governs one’s success.

So in difficult financial times, let us harness the power of the priestly blessings to further our fiscal prosperity and indeed to train our eyes to the One Above that He should bless us with the means to make our homes happy and prosperous both in ruchnius and gashmius, and may we live to see the Moshiach tzidkeinu bimheira b’yameinu.