26 May WITH LOVE

“HaShem spoke to Moshe: Speak to Aaron
and his sons. This is how you shall bless
Bnei Yisroel. Say to them:
May HaShem bless you and protect you.
May HaShem shine His face upon you, and
be gracious to you.
May HaShem turn His face towards you,
and grant you peace.”
(Bamidbar 6:22-26)
This week’s parsha, Nasso, includes Birchas
Kohanim, the bracha that HaShem
instructed the kohanim to transmit to the
Jewish nation. “Let the kohanim put My
name on Bnei Yisroel, and I will bless
them.” (Bamidbar 6:27). HaShem is the
source of all blessing, and the kohanim are
His messengers, conduits through which
the blessings reach us.
The kohanim bless us on the Sholosh
Regalim, Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, as
well as on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
In Eretz Yisroel, there are varying customs,
with many shuls including it in Shacharis
every day.

When in Yerushalayim, my husband and I
make every effort to daven vasikin at the
Kosel. To me, it is one of the most uplifting
experiences. One that makes Eretz Yisroel
so special. When we arrive, the sky is still
dark, but by the time we reach Shemoneh
Esrei, the sun is out, the blessing of a new
day. Boker ohr. There, we are the recipients
of Birchas Kohanim. How special it is to
begin each day with a bracha. After all, one
can never have too many blessings.
Birchas Kohanim begins with the reciting
of the bracha “… And has commanded us to
bless His people b’ahava, with love.”
With love. We have so many mitzvos –
daily mitzvos, like washing our hands upon
rising in the morning. Mitzvos that are
unique to Shabbos, like candlelighting and
Kiddush. Mitzvos in honor of the yomim
tovim – such as matzah on Pesach, sitting in
the succah, Megillas Esther on Purim,
shofar on Rosh HaShana, and kindling the
Chanukah menorah. Yet, none of the
berachos recited prior to performing these
mitzvos include the term “b’ahava”, to
observe the mitzva with love.
The Zohar tells us that the kohein’s blessing
must come from the heart and be sincere. To

bless everyone standing before
him, each member of Am
Yisroel with love. To “fargin”
– to be happy for another’s joy,
well-being, nachas and mazel.
To be selfless, and rise above
any feelings of jealousy or ill
will. To have a pure, giving
heart towards all.
The kohanim bless the kehillah
in the personal – singular, even
though they are blessing an
entire group. This sends an
important message to the
kohanim, that each and every
person is valuable. Every group
is comprised of individuals, and each one
needs blessings. Blessings to be given
b’ahava, with love.
We were just blessed on Shavuos by the
kohanim. How elevating it felt to receive
their bracha, and listen to their melodious
chants. The gift of HaShem’s brachos.
The kohanim stand with outstretched hands,
as if to be “touching” everyone they are
blessing. Their palms face the floor, with
spacing between the thumb and index finger
as well as between the middle and ring
fingers. It is a message not to despair —
that there is always an opening despite
hardship. As HaShem’s spiritual light
shines through the openings of the
kohanim’s fingers, so too, do His rays of
light rest upon us.
There is a beautiful custom amongst some
Sephardic communities, where everyone
in shul stands during Birchas Kohanim
with their hands outstretched, and their
palms facing upwards, to symbolize their
readiness to accept the brachos being
bestowed upon them by the kohanim.
Birchas Kohanim is comprised of three
distinct blessings:
Yevorechecho – HaShem should bless us.
Rashi quotes from the Midrash that this is
a blessing for prosperity. That HaShem
should provide for our material needs.
The blessing includes “v’yishmerecha –
to guard and protect us.” HaShem should
not only gift us good fortune, but watch
over our possessions as well.
Yo’er – HaShem should shine His light,
His ohr upon us. This refers to our
spiritual growth. A bracha that we be
capable of understanding the wisdom of
the Torah, and live a life of meaning and
purpose. Vee’chuneh’ka, that HaShem be
gracious to us.
Yisso – HaShem should turn His face
towards us, and bestow upon us the
bracha of shalom. Peace and harmony
between nations, communities, families,

and peace within oneself.
Brachos we can all use.
“V’heyei bracha, You shall be for a
blessing.” (Bereishis 12:2) HaShem’s
words to Avraham Avinu. A message for all
times. To be a people of blessing. A nation
that cherishes both giving and receiving
brachos.
One of my most special childhood memories
is of my parents’ brachos, every Friday
night and especially Erev Yom Kippur. As
is customary in many families, we would
line up, oldest to youngest, and receive a
bracha from our father, as he lovingly
placed his hands upon us. We would then go
to our mother, and she too, would bentch us,
and then whisper a personal prayer to each
of us – always knowing exactly what we
needed to hear.
Before each of the yomim tovim, we would
go to our grandparents, Mama and Zeide,
and receive brachos from them. As is the
Hungarian custom, we would kiss Zeide’s
hand and thank him for his brachos.
Blessings that were given with ahava, with
love. A love that was palpable.
My mother would tell us to reciprocate with
words of blessing to Mama and Zeide. To
wish them gezunt, good health, to be at our
weddings, and see much nachas from us.
I never outgrew or tired of brachos. When I
became a mother, it was my turn to bring
the next generation to my parents and
grandparents. Mama and Zeide’s house was
always the baby’s “first outing”.
I am often asked what I miss the most about
my parents. They were larger than life
personalities, both so accomplished. I miss
so many things, but high up on that list are
their brachos. Brachos that calmed my
spirit, and gave me the feeling that
everything will be okay, safe and secure.
Brachos that were given with love.
B’ahava. With love. One need not be a
kohein to give a bracha. We can all give
brachos b’ahava, with love.