D'var Torah/Commentary on Parashat Naso 5768/2008

This week's parashah is Naso (Be'midbar/Numbers 4:21-7:89). The portion contains within it the Birkat Kohanim/Priestly Blessings, which are the oldest blessings in the Jewish tradition.

In the parashah, God commands Aaron and his sons to bless the people with the
words that have become so familiar to us, "May God Bless you and keep you; May
God's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; May God lift up the Divine
face towards you and grant you Shalom/Peace."

Until this day, in more traditional communities, the Kohanim - those believed to
be descended from Aaron - stand in front of the congregation and offer this
blessing in the same way we believe the ancient Kohanim did. They spread their
hands out in front of them, palms facing down, and their fingers separated in
the special manner reserved for the priests (though more familiar to many of us
as Spock's "live long and prosper" sign on Star Trek, which Leonard Nimoy
borrowed from his Jewish heritage). Then they recite the blessing for all the
"non-Kohanim" present.

This ceremony has been viewed throughout the centuries as mysterious and
awe-inspiring. However, it is also clearly hierarchical. The priests are
"above" the people, literally and figuratively, and act as conduits for blessing
between God and the people.

In his commentary on the priestly blessings, R. Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev cites
a short drash, or homily, attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, 18th century founder
of Hasidism. The B'esht (acronym for Baal Shem Tov) cites Psalm 121:5, "The
Eternal is your shadow." He then states, "Just as a shadow does everything that
a person does, so the Creator, blessed be God, does, so to speak, everything
that a person does." Levi Yitzhak then adds to this the reminder that we should
always act in such a way that God would be proud of us. In other words, God
should not be embarrassed to be our "shadow." Then, in commenting on the way in
which the blessing is given, Levi Yitzhak continues, "...when one prays only for
oneself, one is only a receptacle; that is, one's hands are spread out with the
palms up and the back of the hands down. But, when one prays only to give God
pleasure, then one is as one who pours blessing; that is, one's hands are spread
out with the palms down and the back of the hand up (see description above)."
In his modern commentary on this interpretation, R. David Blumenthal writes that
Levi Yitzhak's three main points are, "...that true blessing is a pouring-forth
of an energy we receive, a channeling of divine power; that this type of
blessing gives God pleasure, it makes God proud; and that such an act evokes a
shadow movement by God, a parallel response of poured-forth blessing from God."
("God at the Center," Harper and Row, 1988; p. 110).

How awesome - and how frightening - that human beings can be part of this
channeling process. Through our own actions, we cannot merely receive blessings
from God, but we can bring God's blessing to others. Beyond that, if we
believe, as do the mystics, that our actions actually effect God in this
divine-human "shadow play" what an awesome responsibility each of us is given.

Yet, in the text the blessing is being offered only by, and through, the
Kohanim. However, if we are to be a nation of Kohanim, as the Torah teaches,
then I believe the lesson for the Kohanim found in this week's parashah also
applies to each one of us. Keeping that thought, and the previous commentaries,
in mind I would like to offer you my own interpretation of this passage as a
blessing for all of us on this eve of Shabbat and the festival of Shavuot, when
we celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai (which begins at sundown on
Sunday).


Shadowplay and Blessings

I
Stand here
Arms and hands outstretched
Uttering ancient words
Blessing
Peace

I
Feel the blessing
Divine energy
Flow through me
To you
To me
To God
To me
To you
To God

A Circuit
A cycle
Blessing
Never-ending

As it flows
Through me
You
God
I hear
The voice
Sinai
Echoing
Resounding
In my soul

Constant energy
Flows
Long after my arms are down
I feel
Blessing
Energy
Source of life
Source of Action
Source of Love

It does not pull
Does not push
Does not force

It animates
Energizes
Guides

Yet
I struggle

I do not want
To follow
The voice
I do not want
To do
As it says

For
Now
I know
I have power
I know
What I do
God must do
Shadow puppeteer
Like Peter Pan
But my shadow
Cannot be lost
Cannot be separated
God is always a part of me
I am always a part of God

Such power
Responsibility
Am I worthy
Is anyone

Cannot move
Cannot act
Cannot risk
Making the wrong move
Pulling the wrong strings

I want to be
The puppet
Not the puppeteer
I want to be
The shadow
Not it's source

I breathe
I sit
I wait

Afraid now
If I act
I may be wrong
Then God must still follow
But the chain
Of blessing
May be broken
All my fault

I breathe
I sit
I wait
I pray

Finally
I listen

The voice
Within around
Guiding me

I feel the power
Again

But now
I realize
I know
In my soul
It is not mine
It is not I

I am still
Afraid
I must act
The alternative
to stagnate
to die
to block the flow
Of Divine blessing

Before I act
I pray
Allow the blessing
The energy
To flow through me
May I
May we
Be worthy
May I bring Your blessing
To all
May I bring their blessing
To You
May they bring the blessing
To me
To you
As well
May we bring
Joy
Pride
Satisfaction
To God
To all
Through our actions

As I pray
I hear
The voice of Sinai
In my heart
I feel
The power of Sinai
In my soul
I see
The shadow of Sinai
Brightly hovering over me
I know
The One of Sinai
Is here
Within
Around
Me
Us all
Moving with us
Guiding us
Protecting us
Reminding us
We are never separate
We are
Always together
Always complete
Always whole
Always One
Blessing
Blessed
Living
With
In
Shalom