26 May PARSHAS NASO: KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN LISTENING TO BIRKAS KOHANIM

An Important
Rokeach to Know
When Listening to
Birkas Kohanim
Outside Eretz
Yisrael, we only say
Birkas Kohanim on
limited occasions—the Shalosh Regalim,
Rosh HaShanah, and Yom Kippur. Rav
Zalman Sorotzkin, in his sefer Oznayim
L’Torah, stresses that when the Kohanim
recite the three Priestly Blessings mentioned
in Parshas Naso, they should realize that
they have vast power in their hands. Every
word of the Birkas Kohanim can make
tremendous differences in a person’s life.
The pesukim in the beginning of Parshas
Bechukosai, prior to the Tochacha, contain
the blessings of “Im Bechukosai Teileichu.”
The Rokeach writes that throughout all
those pesukim, which describe the blessings
that will come our way if we keep the
Torah’s laws, [Vayikra 26:3-13], the letter
Samech does not appear. The Rokeach
explains that the blessings of Parshas
Bechukosai are all conditional, as implied

by the word ‘Im’ (‘if’ you will follow My
laws). However, he says, the blessings of
Birkas Kohanim, which contain sixty letters
are unconditional. The letter Samech, with
a numerical value of 60, represents the
Birkas Kohanim. Those blessings do not
have strings attached. Therefore, we do not
find the letter Samech in the conditional
blessings of Parshas Bechukosai.
Rav Zalman Sorotzkin quotes an idea from
Rav Yaakov Gezuntheit, who wrote a sefer
on Maseches Chullin and other masechtos
as well. The end of Parshas Shoftim
contains the parsha of Eglah Arufah (the
Decapitated Calf). When a dead body is
found whose murderer is unknown, there is
a whole ceremony which must be
performed, involving the Elders of the
closest city, to achieve communal
atonement for this tragedy. The pasuk there
[Devorim 21:5] singles out “the Kohanim,
sons of Levi, who were chosen by G-d to
serve Him and to bless in the Name of
Hashem“. They need to participate in that
ceremony. Following that, representatives
of the Court come and proclaim “Our hands
have not spilled this blood…” [Bamidbar
21:7]
Rav Gezuntheit asks – What
do the Kohanim have to do
with all this? We understand
that the Beis Din represents
the city. They need to
proclaim the innocence of
the population. They state
that they did not do anything
wrong. “We did not send this
victim away without food
and accompaniment, etc.”
But what is the role of the Kohanim? More
pointed, why does the pasuk need to say
that the Kohanim are “the sons of Levy, for
G-d has chosen them to serve him and to
bless in the Name of G-d?”
Why is that germane to this parsha? What
does this mean?
The Tiferes Yaakov explains that if the
Kohanim would have had proper Kavana
when uttering the blessing “And He will
place upon you Peace” (v’Yasem Lecha
Shalom) this would have never happened.
If a Jew kills another Jew, it is because
there is no Shalom. That is why the Torah

mentions the Kohanim and singles out their
role in blessing in the Name of G-d.
The Rokeach writes that the congregants
should face the Kohanim with open arms
and make personal requests for whatever
their needs are during Birkas Kohanim.
This is a most propitious time for making
such requests, which then have an increased
potential for being answered. If someone
has pressing needs, a most fitting time to
ask for Help is during Birkas Kohanim—a
point in the liturgy that is particularly ripe
for Heavenly dispensation of blessing.
This is something worth keeping in mind
when listening to Birkas Kohanim.