Birchat Kohanim, also called Nessiat kapayim (the lifting of the hands), is the blessing said by the kohanim and directed at בני ישראל. This blessing is a positive mitzvah in the torah and is performed on a daily basis in the land of Israel.
Ever since the first birchat kohanim on rosh chodesh nissan 2449 (-1312 BCE), the kohanim have merited to be the holy conduit of the almighty’s blessing to בני ישראל.
The blessings of birchat kohanim are hugh, the tannaic-era work Sefer HaBahir (ספר הבהיר), writes that the entire world stands on the merit of ברכת כהנים.
Sifri on the blessing
The Sifri offers a detailed medrash of the brocha by presenting the quotes of numerous tannaim and their insightful words regarding the brocha, some kohanim go through this medrash before every yom tov as to refresh their memory of the power of their mitzvah to bless בני ישראל;
What the Sifri has to say
נרכת כהנים artwork by Alex Levin
The first word of the blessing being יברכך -and you will be blessed. Since the term “blessed” can be interpreted in multiple ways, the sifri explains it to refer to the explicit blessing הקדוש ברוך הוא says to בני ישראל as found in chumash devarim;
וּנְתָנְךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ עֶלְיוֹן עַל כָּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ. וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֻךָ ..בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בָּעִיר וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בַּשָּׂדֶה. בָּרוּךְ פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ וּפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ וּפְרִי בְהֶמְתֶּךָ שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרוֹת צֹאנֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ טַנְאֲךָ וּמִשְׁאַרְתֶּךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּבֹאֶךָ וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּצֵאתֶךָ. יִתֵּן ה’ אֶת אֹיְבֶיךָ הַקָּמִים עָלֶיךָ נִגָּפִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד יֵצְאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וּבְשִׁבְעָה דְרָכִים יָנוּסוּ לְפָנֶיךָ. יְצַו ה’ אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה בַּאֲסָמֶיךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ וּבֵרַכְךָ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ. יְקִימְךָ ה’ לוֹ לְעַם קָדוֹשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לָךְ כִּי תִשְׁמֹר אֶת מִצְוֹת ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו. וְרָאוּ כָּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם ה’ נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ. וְהוֹתִרְךָ ה’ לְטוֹבָה בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהַמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתֶךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע ה’ לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ. יִפְתַּח ה’ לְךָ אֶת אוֹצָרוֹ הַטּוֹב אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם לָתֵת מְטַר אַרְצְךָ בְּעִתּוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ אֵת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ וְהִלְוִיתָ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאַתָּה לֹא תִלְוֶה. וּנְתָנְךָ ה’ לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב וְהָיִיתָ רַק לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לְמָטָּה
The sifri notes the catch though, in order to merit to see fulfillment of these blessings it must come along with אימתי? כי תשמע בקול י’ אלהיך -when? when we listen to the voice of hashem our master. Perhaps then, the brocha said by the kohanim give בני ישראל the strength to listen? a little boost to help us see fulfillment of these super blessings,
2 Comments
First of all, you all should be *utterly ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES*. All this group really is, is 3-5 people saying how “great” they are that they are so we say “cohanim”. I can guarantee that 99% of “cohanim” today are not “real cohanim” especially the people that boast and are completely selfish, haughty, and utterly RUDE. And very hurtful to other Jews. SHAME ON YOU AND THIS *UTTERLY DISGRACEFUL AND HAUGHTY GROUP!!!!* if Aaron hacohen would see what’s going on in this group I’m sure that he would feel horrible that this is how his grandchildren are acting (99% of you are FAKE, but that’s another story). You really think that you can just “cut” the line?! Wow. I feel bad for you. Get into the real world, YOU CAN’T!! If you think you should get special privileges, maybe you should actually do something to deserve them. Oh, And that “Birkat cohanim” thing that’s just a slap in the face. Probably all of you don’t even know the laws!! Maybe all of you should learn how to be menschs and learn Torah, or at least do something more productive in your life besides tell everyone else how much “better you are” (which you’re not). How dare you call the levim people that are created to basically do anything for you!!! The work gene??? Seriously!!!! You really should rethink that. Just imagine you look at your family tree and find out that you are a yisroel, how would you feel? Especially since you’ve been criticizing them, and telling the world that you’re so great. “Cohanim only”??!!!! How racist can you guys get?!?? I wonder what ה׳ thinks about this horrific group. Face it, YOU GUYS ARE ACTING LIKE *ANIMALS*.Maybe you should stop and think about what you have been doing *I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU ALL LEAVE THIS GROUP AND APOLOGIZE TO EVERY YISROEL AND LEVI YOU SEE! AND GIVE UP THIS WHOLE “I’M GREATER THAN EVERYONE ELSE SHTICK!!!!*” Have a nice day, thanks for reading.
This is a warning ⚠ be careful about what you say.
Very nice article