A blessing on your head

Parshat Shmini

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of April 8, 2010/ 24 Nissan 5770

Most blessings in the Torah are directed from either G-d to man or from man to G-d. There are a few exceptions, of course, when humans bless one another, but they generally follow a similar pattern in which the “blesser” blesses the “blessee” either immediately before one of them departs company, or before said “blesser” dies.

Examples of people parting company include Malkitzedek to Avram (Bereishit 14), Rivkah’s mother and brother to Rivkah (Bereishit 24), Yitzchak to Yaakov (Bereishit 28), Lavan to his daughters and grandchildren (Bereishit 32), the angel to Yaakov (Bereishit 32), Paroh asks for a blessing after he grants freedom (Shmot 12).

Those who give blessings before they die include Yitzchak — who thought he was about to die — to Eisav (Bereishit 27), Yaakov to his grandsons and then sons (Bereishit 48-49), Yosef to his brothers (Bereishit 50), and Moshe to the Israelites in the last chapters of the Torah.

And still there are those who give blessings at the onset of a relationship, or when they will be together for a while. When he arrives in Egypt, Yaakov blesses Paroh in Bereishit 47 before living in his country for 17 years. And there are two times in the Torah when we find the kohanim blessing the children of Israel. The latter instance is in Bamidbar 6; the verses commonly referred to as “birkat kohanim.” The first of these is in our parsha (9:22) after the dedication of the Mishkan.

It seems like such an odd dedication ceremony. Aharon is essentially spending the day on the altar, dividing his time between slaughtering animals and burning them, and when he is finished for the day, he blesses the people. Wouldn’t it be more prudent to bless the people before the day’s work, as opposed to at the end? “You should all be blessed that our work today on your behalf be seen and recognized by G-d.”

The third Mishnah in the last chapter of Brachot (54a) speaks against the prayers of one who wishes for the outcome of events that have already transpired to turn out the way he wants. By extension, perhaps we can suggest that the blessing here is out of place — particularly if it follows the offerings that have just been brought. Who is to say the sacrifices were accepted by G-d?

Targum Yonatan says the blessing of Moshe and Aharon in the following verse (9:23) was meant to counter that very concern. He writes, “Once the offerings were completed and G-d’s presence was not revealed, Aharon was very concerned and expressed his worry that G-d was not accepting his handiwork. So Moshe and Aharon then went to the Tent of Meeting and prayed on behalf of the people, then exited and blessed the people saying ‘May G-d accept the offering and forgive your sins...’”

The Shakh follows this explanation saying the Moshe-Aharon tag-team was more of a prayer than a blessing. Which makes sense, considering that Aharon had already blessed the people.

What blessing did Aharon give the people? Was it a formal blessing, or a personal blessing? Did he follow a text, or was it an ad-lib? Many commentaries follow the reasoning of the Talmud (Megillah 18a) that the blessing Aharon is saying here is, in fact, the birkat kohanim of Bamidbar 6.

The Talmud also asks why the blessing was given at the end of the service, and concludes that blessings and thanksgiving go together, at the end.

Nonetheless, in light of the individual forms of blessing highlighted above, perhaps we can suggest that whether Aharon used the Torah’s “script” for the blessing or created his own, he knew quite well that some blessings take place before a departure, and some take place before the death of the one giving the blessing.

Perhaps Aharon was giving the blessing at the end of the service because everyone was now going to return home. On the opposite extreme, in light of Targum Yonatan’s comment, perhaps Aharon was giving the blessing because he feared the service did not go well and did not know if he’d be around to perform it the next time. This premonition was not far off, because not five verses later, his two older sons die from performing the service incorrectly or inappropriately.

But maybe Aharon wanted to break the mold. Maybe Aharon knew that blessings are good all the time. And he also knew that the kohanim who bless others would be blessed by G-d (Bamidbar 6:27).

We can all appreciate and benefit from the blessings we give to one another. If we can expand our horizons, hopefully the blessings will come not just when we depart on a journey or from this world, but at times when we will continue to live together for many years.