The Priestly Blessing - ברכת כהנים Sources

Earlier, when Aaron bestowed the blessing, the words were not recorded:

(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.

(22) The Lord spoke to Moses: (23) Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:

(24) The Lord bless you and protect you!

(25) The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!

(26) The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!

(27) Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

(2) אמור להם Saying Unto Them — so that all of them should hear the blessing (it would not suffice to pronounce the blessings upon the Israelites in their absence. (3) אמור is written plene (with ו after the מ) thus indicating: ye shall not bless them hurriedly and hastily, but devoutly and with a whole heart (Midrash Tanchuma, Nasso 10).

ושמו את שמי, “they (the priests during their blessing) are to place My name, etc.;” the fact that in each of the verses comprising the priests” blessings they pronounce the most holy name of the Lord, makes plain that they only act as conduits, and that the blessing stems directly from the Lord. The Torah, in order to underline this concept, adds:

ואני אברכם, “and I will bless them.” G-d will bless the Israelites in response to the priests invoking this blessing. The priests are never to take credit for having blessed the people, as the blessing stems from the Lord whose messengers they are.[There are commentators who understand the above words to mean that if and when the priests bless the people as prescribed, G-d, in turn will bless them. (Rashi). Ed.]

יברכך, [The Lord Bless Thee] with material wealth. The reason this is the first of the blessing is explained by our sages in Avot 3,15 אם אין קמח אין תורה, “if there is no flour, (no economic base) a Torah environment cannot flourish.”

(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) (Numbers 6:24) "The Lord bless you": with possessions "and keep you": with possessions. R. Nathan says: May He bless you with possessions and keep you — in body. R. Yitzchak says "and keep you": from the evil inclination, as it is written (Proverbs 3:26) "For the Lord will be with you in your trust, and He will guard your feet from entrapment." Variantly: "and keep you": from all evil, viz. (Psalms 121:4-7) "He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Keeper of Israel … at your right hand … By day the sun … The Lord will keep you from all evil." Variantly: "and keep you": from mazikkin (destructive agents), viz. (Ibid. 91:11) "For His angels will He charge for you to keep you in all your ways."

"May God bless you." Included in this is whatever is appropriate for each person to be blessed with....For one who deals in Torah, in his study. For one who deals in commerce, in his merchandise. Thus is included in this general blessing "May God bless you" an additional blessing for each person about what he has.

"And protect you." For every blessing requires protection so that it does not become an obstacle, God forbid. A master of Torah needs protection from pride, desecration of God's name and the like. And similarly, that he not forget his learning. A property owner needs protection that his wealth not be to his detriment, like Korach and Navot the Jezreelite and the like. And similarly, protection from theft and loss. And likewise for everything that is in need of blessing, protection from whatever causes trouble is requested.

(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.

(1) יאר, may He grant light to your eyes to see and appreciate all the wonderful things God has done and keeps on doing. You should become aware that all that you achieve is due to His blessing.

(1) (Numbers 6:25) "The Lord cause His countenance to shine upon you": He will give you "light" of the eyes. R. Nathan says: This refers to the light of the Shechinah, as it is written (Isaiah 60:1-2) "Arise, shine, for your Light has come. For the darkness will cover the earth, and a thick mist, the peoples, but upon you the Lord will shine, and His glory will be seen upon you," (Psalms 67:2) "God will favor us and bless us. He will cause His countenance to shine upon us, Selah,"...."and be gracious to you": in (the granting of) your requests, as it is written (Shemot 33:19) "And I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious, and I shall be merciful to whom I shall be merciful." Variantly: Let Him grant you grace in the eyes of man, as it is written (Bereshit 39:21) "And He granted him grace in the eyes of the overseer of the prison," and (Esther 2:14) "And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her," and (Daniel 1:9) "And G-d granted Daniel grace and mercy," and (Proverbs 3:4) "You will find favor and goodly wisdom in the eyes of G-d and man." Variantly: "and be gracious to you": with understanding, insight, mussar, and wisdom. Variantly: "and be gracious to you": in Torah study, as it is written (Proverbs 4:9) "It (Torah) will set a chaplet of grace upon your head,"Variantly: "and be gracious to you": with gifts of "grace," as it is written (Psalms 123:2) "Behold, as the eyes of servants to their masters; as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the Lord our God, until He grants us grace," and (Ibid. 3) "Grant us grace, O Lord, grant us grace, for we are fully sated with contempt, and (Isaiah 33:2) "O Lord, grant us grace, for in You have we hoped."

(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).

(in the Talmud)

The Gemara asks: What blessing do the priests recite before the benediction? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: Blessed are You, Lord 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.