Who Will Bless the Kohanim?
In this week’s Torah reading (Bamidbar 6:22-27) we have the Birchat Kohanim – the blessings which the Kohanim (descendants of Aaron the High Priest, who are members of the priestly tribe) bless the Jews. One may wonder, since the Jews are blessed by the Kohanim, who then blesses the Kohanim themselves? The Talmud (Chulin 49a) addresses this point and says that God Himself will then be the One to bless the Kohanim.
Those Who Bless You Shall Be Blessed
This policy is not restricted only to Kohanim. The Jerusalem Talmud tells us (Berachot 8:8) that once, as Rabbi Yishmael was going on his way, he met a gentile, and the gentile blessed him. Rabbi Yishmael responded, “Your blessings are already dictated.”
Meaning to say, it was not necessary for Rabbi Yishmael to give his own blessing in response, since it was already said that the mere fact that the gentile blessed a Jew will in return bring blessings upon him.
Rabbi Yishmael’s students inquired as to what the source for this was, and Rabbi Yishmael answered with the verse in which Yitzchak (Isaac) told Yaakov (Jacob) (Bereishit 27:29), “And those who bless you shall be blessed.”
Elevating Our Daily Greetings
Based on this principle, Rabbi Avigdor Miller opens up for us a world of opportunities to be blessed. Every time we greet a fellow Jew we have an opportunity to be blessed. The traditional Jewish greeting of “Shalom Aleichem,” is a blessing, wishing peace upon him. This includes peace at home, peace with acquaintances and peace of mind. “Good morning,” is also a blessing. Usually, when we greet somebody, we put very little, if any, thought, into what we are saying. With a little bit of focus, we can turn a simple pleasantry into a full-fledged blessing. The more thought we put into our greetings, the more powerful the blessings will be, hence the more we ourselves will get blessed.
Rabbi Yisrael Zev Gustman was once greeted by someone with, “Hello.” Rabbi Gustman was unimpressed and said, “What’s hello? Hello means nothing. Give a meaningful greeting and say ‘Shalom Aleichem!'”
Praying for the Collective Needs of the Nation
Rabbeinu Yonah writes (in the end of Sefer Hayirah) that one should make it a habit to pray every day for the needs of the Jewish Nation. He should pray for the sick to get well and for the healthy to remain healthy. He should pray for the safety of his people and for their financial welfare. Rabbeinu Yonah lists more details for which one should pray for his brethren, and we too can come up with our own lists of matters for which others need blessings.
The Silent Power of Wishing Good Upon Others
A Jew should always be looking to bless his fellow Jews, whether with a thoughtful greeting or a silent prayer. There is no end to how much we can seek to have other Jews be blessed. There are so many details in everyone’s lives which could use blessings. Blessings do not require a dramatic announcement; one can easily bless another person quietly to himself without the person being blessed ever knowing about it. It’s a matter of habit to constantly be wishing good upon others with sincerity. We all can use more blessings ourselves. The more we focus on blessing others, the more we ourselves will be showered with blessings from Heaven.
By Rabbi Yitzchok Aryeh Strimber
