(כב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (כג) דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ {ס}
(כד) יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ {ס} (כה) יָאֵ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ {ס}
(כו) יִשָּׂ֨א יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס}
(כז) וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרְכֵֽם׃ {ס}
(22) יהוה spoke to Moses: (23) Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:
(24) יהוה bless you and protect you!
(25) יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you!
(26) יהוה bestow [divine] favor upon you and grant you peace!
(27) Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
(ג) אמור. מָלֵא — לֹא תְבָרְכֵם בְּחִפָּזוֹן וּבַהֲלוּת, אֶלָּא בְכַוָּנָה וּבְלֵב שָׁלֵם (תנחומא): (א) יברכך. שֶׁיִּתְבָּרְכוּ נְכָסֶיךָ: (ב) וישמרך. שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ שׁוֹדְדִים לִטֹּל מָמוֹנְךָ; שֶׁהַנּוֹתֵן מַתָּנָה לְעַבְדּוֹ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִכָּל אָדָם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּאִים לִסְטִים עָלָיו וְנוֹטְלִין אוֹתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ, מַה הֲנָאָה יֵשׁ לוֹ בְּמַתָּנָה זוֹ? אֲבָל הַקָּבָּ"ה, הוּא הַנּוֹתֵן, הוּא הַשּׁוֹמֵר; וְהַרְבֵּה מִדְרָשִׁים דָּרְשׁוּ בוֹ בְּסִפְרֵי: (א) יאר השם פניו אליך. יַרְאֶה לְךָ פָּנִים שׂוֹחֲקוֹת, פָּנִים צְהֻבּוֹת: (ב) ויחנך. יִתֵּן לְךָ חֵן (תנחומא): (א) ישא ה' פניו אליך. יִכְבֹּשׁ כַּעֲסוֹ: (א) ושמו את שמי. יְבָרְכוּם בַּשֵּׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ (ספרי): (ב) ואני אברכם. לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַסְכִּים עִם הַכֹּהֲנִים;
דָּ"אַ, וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם — לַכֹּהֲנִים (חולין מ"ט):
(1) אמור is infinitive....
ye shall not bless them hurriedly and hastily, but devoutly and with a whole heart (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 10). (1) יברכך [THE LORD] BLESS THEE — that thy property may increase (Sifrei Bamidbar 40). (2) וישמרך AND MAY HE GUARD THEE — that no robbers come upon thee to take away thy property. For a human being who gives a present to his servant cannot guard him against everybody, and if a band of robbers attack him and take it away, what pleasure can he, then, derive from this present?! The Holy One, blessed be He, however, both gives and guards — against everybody (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 10). Many Midrashic interpretations are given of this verse in the Sifrei (Sifrei Bamidbar 40). (1) יאר ה' פניו אליך THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE — i.e. May He show thee a friendly (more lit., smiling) countenance — a beaming countenance. (2) ויחנך means, May He grant thee good favour (חן) (Sifrei Bamidbar 41). (1) ישא ה' פניו אליך THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE — This expresses the idea: May He suppress His anger (Numbers Rabbah 11:7)). (1) ושמו את שמי AND THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME [UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — i.e. they shall bless them by the Proper Name of God (i. e. when uttering the blessings they shall use the Tetragrammaton and no substitute for it) (Sifrei Bamidbar 43). (2) ואני אברכם AND I WILL BLESS THEM — i.e. I will bless the Israelites: I will give My approval to the priests’ blessings (lit., I will agree with the priests). — Another explanation of “And I will bless them” is: “And I will bless the priests (Chullin 49a).
(ב) בָּאוּ וְעָמְדוּ עַל מַעֲלוֹת הָאוּלָם....
וּבֵרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּרָכָה אַחַת, אֶלָּא שֶׁבַּמְּדִינָה אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָהּ שָׁלשׁ בְּרָכוֹת, וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ בְּרָכָה אֶחָת.
בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם כִּכְתָבוֹ, וּבַמְּדִינָה בְּכִנּוּיוֹ.
בַּמְּדִינָה הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹשְׂאִים אֶת כַּפֵּיהֶם, יְדֵיהֶם כְּנֶגֶד כִּתְפוֹתֵיהֶם, וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ עַל גַּבֵּי רָאשֵׁיהֶן, חוּץ מִכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַגְבִּיהַּ אֶת יָדָיו לְמַעְלָה מִן הַצִּיץ.
(2) After the priests emerged from the Sanctuary, they came and stood on the twelve stairs before the Entrance Hall....
The priests placed their vessels on the ground and then blessed the people, reciting one blessing. The Priestly Benediction was recited outside the Temple as well, but in the Temple, it was recited differently, as in the rest of the country the priests would recite it as three blessings, and the listeners would answer amen after each blessing. But in the Temple they would recite it as one blessing, and the listeners would not respond to each blessing. Rather, at the conclusion of the entire Priestly Benediction they would answer: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
In the Temple, the priests would recite the name of God as it is written, with the letters yod, heh, vav, heh, whereas in the rest of the country the priests would recite the name of God by His appellation.... Furthermore, in the rest of the country, while reciting the Priestly Benediction the priests lift their hands opposite their shoulders, and in the Temple they raise them above their heads. That is the halakha with regard to all priests in the Temple, except for the High Priest, who does not raise his hands above the frontplate on his forehead, as the name of God is written on the frontplate.
) וַיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י קָרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו וּלְזִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַח־לְ֠ךָ֠ עֵ֣גֶל בֶּן־בָּקָ֧ר לְחַטָּ֛את וְאַ֥יִל לְעֹלָ֖ה תְּמִימִ֑ם.... (כב) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֧ן אֶת־יָדָ֛ו אֶל־הָעָ֖ם וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֑ם וַיֵּ֗רֶד מֵעֲשֹׂ֧ת הַֽחַטָּ֛את וְהָעֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃
(1) On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. (2) He said to Aaron: “Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.... (22) Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being.
(א) רבש"ע שאומרים בשעת נשיאת כפים ובו סעיף אחד:
מאן דחזא חלמא ולא ידע מאי חזא, ניקום קמי כהני בשעה שעולין לדוכן ונימא הכי: רבונו של עולם אני שלך וחלומותי שלך וכו' ויכוין דלסיים גם בהדי כהני דעני צבורא אמן ואי לא לימא הכי אדיר במרום שוכן בגבורה אתה שלום ושמך שלום יהי רצון שתשים עלינו שלום: הגה ובמקום שאין עולים לדוכן יאמר כל זה בשעה שהשליח צבור אומר שים שלום ויסיים בהדי שליח צבור שיענו הקהל אמן [הר"ן פרק הרואה]:
(1) [The Law Of] The "Ribono Shel Olam" ("Master of the World") [Prayer] That Is Said During Birkat Kohanim. Containing 1 Se'if:
One who saw a dream and did not know what he saw should stand before the Kohanim when they ascend the platform and say [the following prayer]: "Master of the world, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours etc.". And he should aim to finish when the Kohanim [finish their blessing] and the congregation answers Amen. And if not (ie. if he finished before the Kohanim finished their blessing), he should say [the following prayer: "Majestic One on high, Who dwells in power, You are peace and Your Name is peace. May it be Your will that You bestow upon us peace". Rem"a: And in a place where they do not ascend the platform [to perform Birkat Kohanim], he should say all this while the prayer leader says "Sim Shalom" and finish at the same time as the prayer leader in order that the congregation answer Amen [to both]. [The Ra"n - chapter "Haro'eh]
הגה ונוהגין שמאריכין בניגון אלו תיבות כי כל אחת מהן הוא סוף ברכה בפני עצמה ואומרים רבון כמו שמפורש בסי' ק"ל בשעה שמאריכין בניגון התיבות שבסוף הפסוקים דהיינו וישמרך ויחנך שלום.
Rem"a: And the custom is that they (ie. the Kohanim) elongate their singing with these words because each one of them is the ending of an individual blessing. And they (ie. the congregation) say "Ribon", as is explained in siman 130, while the Kohanim are stretching out their singing at the end of the verses, meaning [the words] "V'yishmerecha", "Viy'chuneka", and "Shalom".
(כו) בשעה שמברכין אין לומר שום פסוק אלא ישתקו ויכוונו לברכה: הגה ומכל מקום עכשיו שהכהנים מאריכין הרבה בניגונים נהגו גם כן לומר פסוקים וכמו שנתבאר לעיל סימן נ"ז לענין ברכו אך יותר טוב שלא לאמרם (ד"ע):
(26) At the time that they perform the blessing [of Birkat Kohanim], one should not recite any verse; rather they should remain silent and be attentive to the blessing. Rem"a: Nevertheless, nowadays where the Kohanim [have the custom to] substantially prolong their tunes, it is the custom to also recite verses, like we explained above in siman 57 regarding Barchu, but it is still better not to say any. (His own opinion).
אָמַר רַב אַחָא: הַנִּכְנָס לְהַקִּיז דָּם, אוֹמֵר: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהַי שֶׁיְּהֵא עֵסֶק זֶה לִי לִרְפוּאָה, וּתְרַפְּאֵנִי. כִּי אֵל רוֹפֵא נֶאֱמָן אָתָּה וּרְפוּאָתְךָ אֱמֶת, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם לְרַפּאוֹת אֶלָּא שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ״. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא לֵימָא אִינָשׁ הָכִי, דְּתָנֵי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: ״וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא״ — מִכָּאן שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה רְשׁוּת לָרוֹפֵא לְרַפּאוֹת.
As Rav Aḥa said: One who enters to let blood says:
May it be Your will, O Lord my God,
that this enterprise be for healing and that You should heal me.
As You are a faithful God of healing and Your healing is truth.
Because it is not the way of people to heal, but they have become accustomed.
Rav Aḥa is saying that people should not practice medicine as they lack the ability to heal; rather, healing should be left to God.
Abaye responded and said: One should not say this, as it was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael that from the verse, “And shall cause him to be thoroughly healed” (Exodus 21:19), from here we derive that permission is granted to a doctor to heal. The practice of medicine is in accordance with the will of God.