| Everything is from Hashem
This week’s Parshah, Parshas Naso, lays the exact wording of Birchas Kohanim. The simple understanding of Birchas Kohanim is that the Kohanim are blessing us. The Akeidas Yitzchak asks several questions on this: 1. Why do we need an intermediary between us and Hashem to give us Brachos? 2. If it’s their OWN blessing, then why, in this short three-stanza bracha, do they mention HASHEM’S name THREE times, once in EVERY stanza? 3. Why is there a rule that they can’t add to the bracha if it’s their own bracha anyway?
The Akeidas Yitzchak therefore understands that the Kohanim are conveying to us that Hashem is the source of all blessing. They are reminding us to recognize that everything is from Hashem. Hence, they keep saying Yivarechicha HASHEM…, Ya’air HASHEM…, Yisa HASHEM…, teaching us that all that we have is from Him.
If this is true, then the question arises: why is it specifically the Kohanim who teach us this concept?
I’d like to suggest that since the Kohanim had no nachala [inheritance] in Eretz Yisroel, they didn’t have material wealth and security which might have led them into thinking that their talents and wisdom were the reasons for their successes. They were totally dependent on Hashem to provide for them. Hence, it was much easier for them to recognize and live with this fundamental concept. Therefore, Hashem specifically chose them to convey this message to the rest of us.
{Editor’s note- May we take this lesson to heart, to internalize within us as we go about in our daily lives that Hashem is the source of all blessing and that He wants to give and all Hashem wants is for us to ask for it.} |
