In the book of Ruth, which we read on Shavu’ot, Bo’az greets his workers with the phrase, Hashem Imakhem, “May God be with you,” and they respond, Yevarekhekha Hashem, “May God bless you.” This exchange of blessings must have been the common form of greeting at the time, much like our greeting of Shalom, which in essence is also a blessing – I see you and acknowledge you and my connection to you by blessing you with “peace.”
Peace is also the final word of the priestly blessing in this week’s parsha. Here we learn that the priests are designated to be conduits for God’s blessings to the people. They bless the people with success, protection, God’s light and favor and Presence and with inner and outer peace.
The word barakh, bless, is related to the word berekh, “knee,” part of the reason we bend at the knee when we say barukh in the Amidah. Rami Alloni suggests that when we say barukh, we are, like the bending down of the knee, bringing down God’s blessings from above.
How does one bring down God’s blessings to earth? Learn from the priests. What strikes me about the priestly blessing is how outwardly focused it is.The suffix kha, standing for “you,” is repeated again and again: Yivaekhekha Hashem Veyishmerekha, “May God bless you and protect you.” Yisa Hashem Panav Eleikha Ve Yekhunekha. And so on. The priests are to stand up there and take the time and the energy to wish all these things upon others, upon “you.”
Before the priests pronounce this blessing upon the people they make their own brachah which concludes with the word be’ahavah, “with love.” The blessing must be pronounced by them out of a place of love for the people. In such a place of love and outward focus, God’s blessing may indeed be brought down to earth.
I wonder about our own capacity to bless others. Most of us are not in the habit of doing this regularly, as it seems that Boaz and his workers were – of looking out toward another and feeling inside and saying out loud: “I wish you well. I call down God’s blessing upon you with.” It means taking the full person into one’s heart and mind and offering up a prayer for that person’s well-being, thinking of his or her special struggles and praying, that yes, when I say “shalom,” I am calling down God’s blessing of inner peace upon this specific person before me. Veyasem lekha shalom. May He grant you peace.
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Maybe there are times of bigger blessings, and times of smaller blessings. When the priests are on a podium, hand outstretched, they are intensely calling down G-d's blessing in the way you describe. When see say hello at carpool we can be doing the same thing, but with the intensity that is right fit the moment. Maybe we increase the intensity by connecting one to the other, when we say "Shalom".
ReplyDeleteI find it sad that our capacity to bless others has been so diminished. In today's impersonal world we have become habituated to "hi" and "bye." On Shabbat, we do say "Shabbat Shalom" which is clearly a blessing, and we get to bless our children, but in general, it is counter-normantive to offer blessings, even to those to whom we are close. I suppose that's why I was so charmed last week when the woman pumping gas next to me ended our conversation by saying "Blessings to you." I stammered back "And to you." It came off effortlessly for her. She lives in a world where calling down God's blessing is as simple as doing it. It's a world we have largely lost.
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