Parshat Naso contains the famous Birkat Kohanim with which Hashem commanded the Kohanim of each generation to bless the Jewish people. In Israel these blessings are recited every day and in Chutz La’aretz, outside of Israel, Ashkenazim say it only on Yom Tov. Curiously, although this Bracha was recited in the Beit Hamikdash, the Temple and in the Beit Hakneset, the synagogue for the entire congregation, it is phrased in the singular rather than plural. Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, in his book Something to Say, answers that it is not always possible or wise to extend the same blessing to everyone uniformly. For the farmer, rain today may be a blessing but for the travelers or someone who had plans for outdoor activity it would be an annoyance. Only Hashem knows precisely what blessing is appropriate for whom. He therefore tells the Kohanim to bless the people in the singular, so that each individual should receive the form of blessing that is most appropriate for him.

The verses of the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) are among the oldest in continuous liturgical use. Archaeologists found the words etched on silver scrolls found in tombs from the seventh century BCE.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look kindly upon you and give you peace.”

When performing the Priestly Blessing, the Kohanim stretch their arms and hands forward. They split their fingers so there are 5 spaces: one space between the thumbs, a space between the thumb and first finger of each hand, and a space between the second and third finger of each hand. It is believed that the five spaces allude to verses in Song of Songs (2.8-9). The verses state that God “peeks through the cracks in the wall.” In other words, God watches over and protects the Jewish people even when He is hidden. It is through this geometric shape that the Shechina, the spirit of God passes to bless the people. It is a misunderstanding of this beautiful and powerfully moving ceremony to think that the Cohanim themselves are the source of the blessing.

With this in mind, at a recent meeting of the Ritual Committee it was decided to bring back this ceremony to B’nai Moshe to see if the majesty of our most ancient prayer ritual can increase the spirituality of our holiday services. This year we will be adding it to the Yom Kippur Musaf. To this end, I will hold a study session on Birkat Kohanim as practiced by the Priests of Israel, known in Yiddish as Duchanen, ascending the Bima and in Hebrew as Nisiyat Kapayim, the raising of the hands. The meeting will take place on Sunday morning, June 29 at 10:00 am following Minyan and breakfast at 9:00 in the Cantor Klein Chapel. This is open to all members of the synagogue, not just the Kohanim. Come and study with us. Some time later there will be training sessions for the Kohanim to teach them the blessings, melody and logistics of the ceremony.