Parashat Nasso - The Power of the Cohen's Blessing

In Parashat Nasso, we find ברכת כהנים, the Blessings of the Cohen. There is something here that always bothered me; why do the cohanim get to bless the Jewish people? Are they more special than me? Aren’t we all created in the image of Hashem?  And even if I get passed my selfish self, wouldn’t it make sense to have great Rabbis and Torah scholars bless the people? Afterall the pasuk says, למען תזכרו ועשיתם את כל מצותי והייתם קדושים and whenever we say any bracha we say, אשר קדשנו במצותיו. So shouldn’t someone who is more holy be better equipped to bless the people? The reality is an elderly Gadol Hador cannot perform ברכת כהנים, yet a 13 year old Cohen, who knows little about blessings is capable. How do we understand this?

Rav Aharon Volkin in his sefer מצח אהרון suggests a great approach to answer our question. The Talmud in Sotah (38b) says, “And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: One may give a cup of blessing to recite the blessing of Grace after Meals only to someone with a good eye, i.e., a generous person, as it is stated: “One who has a good eye will be blessed [yevorakh], for he gives of his bread to the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). Do not read it: “Will be blessed.” Rather, read it: Will bless [yevarekh].” The Maharsha explains that the reason the cup of wine is only given to one with a good eye is because the impact of a bracha is determined by kavana of the one reciting the bracha. The bracha in ברכת הכהנים is לברך את עמו ישראל באהבה, with love or with a good eye.

Essentially, the key to understanding brachot is to see what the blesser has in his heart and mind. It is for this reason that Hashem chose the cohanim to be the lead blessers of our people. Not only because Aharon was known to be one who promoted love and peace, but because Hashem knew the cohanim were most well intentioned. They were not given any portion in the land of Israel; they are supported completely by the other tribes who are obligated to give the מתנות כהונה. So inevitably it is in their best intentions to wish everyone else to have success and be recipients of all the best blessings. With this in mind, they are best equipped to have the best kavana when blessing the rest of the Jewish people.

The message to all of us non-Cohanim is clear. We should emulate their innate ability to put their own needs aside and wish upon everyone else only the best blessings possible. Let us have the ability to move beyond ourselves and with everyone around us success in all of their material and spiritual endeavors.