A Message from Rabbi Peltz
This Shabbat we read parashat Naso, which include one of the most well-known and ancient blessings in Judaism. God instructs the kohanim, the priests, to bless the people Israel with these words:
May God bless you and watch over you.
May God’s face shine upon you, illuminating your life with all that is good.
May God’s face be lifted toward you and grant you shalom.
Today we give this blessing to children born, b’nai mitzvah, couples under the huppah, and on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur our kohanim bless the congregation with these words. They also appear in the repetition of the Amidah of Shaharit and Musaf all year round. Commentaries note that the ultimate blessing in these words is shalom. We usually translate shalom as peace, but as Professor Jacob Milgrom points out in our Etz Hayim Humash commentary, shalom really encompasses “the blessings of prosperity, good health, friendship, and well-being.” Shalom here is both a desire for inner peace as well as to live in a world at peace. Neither of these are easily achievable.
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