The Priestly Blessing: Loving and Being Loved

          Birkat Kohanim (the priestly blessing), as used in prayer today is taken directly from the verses in our Parasha [6:22-27]. Immediately prior to delivering the blessing, the Kohanim recite their own blessing, Birkat haMitzva (a blessing recited before performing a mitzva): “Blessed are You our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with the sanctity of Aaron, and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love”.

          Ba’er Heitev (Oraḥ Ḥayyim 128:11), quoting Magen Avraham,  comments that the blessing ends with the words “with love” because our Sages teach us that any kohen  who does not love the people or who is not loved by the people should not bless them.

          Quite clearly, the kohanim are only God’s agents for conveying His blessing to the people. This is stated explicitly in the final verse presenting the Birkat Kohanim: “… and I shall bless them”. Yet in order to convey God’s blessing, the Kohanim must be accepted by the Israelites and accepting of them as well.

          We can understand the three verses of the Birkat Kohanim itself as being arranged in ascending order. Rashi explains the content of the blessing.  Verse 24 conveys a blessing of property and wealth. Verse 25, invokes a blessing of a “smiling Divine countenance”. The ultimate blessing is Shalom, peace (verse 26). On the simplest level, Shalom refers to interpersonal relations. It refers first to relations between a Jew and his fellow Jews. Only once internal peace has been achieved can peace between Israel and other nations be reached.

          It is the blessing of peace which requires the Kohanim to love and be loved by the people. Failure to reach the level of mutual love would render the blessing of Shalom hypocritical and invalidate the Kohanim from serving as the messenger to deliver God’s blessing.