Parashat Naso: The Priestly Blessing

Torah: Numb 4:21-7:89

Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25

Brit Chadashah: Acts 21:17-26

Main Points:

Census of the Gershonites, sons of Merari, and Kohathites who could work in the service of the Tabernacle.

The unclean who were leprous, had a discharge, or came in contact with the dead were put outside of the camp.

Confession and making restitution.

The adulteress tested by the priest.

The vow of the Nazirite.

The Aaronic Blessing. (Num 6:24-26)

Tabernacle set up, anointed, and consecrated.

Offerings of the tribes.

In Parashat Naso, scripture gives us the words to the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim). It has been used for centuries and for good reason. Yeshua even used this prayer on one occasion prior to his resurrection (Luke 24:50). Though the raising of his hands has been viewed in Western terms as inconsequential, it was known to be a Jewish practice that originated in the Temple. Constable’s Commentary, David H. Stern’s Jewish New Testament Commentary, Matthew Poole’s Commentary, and Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible all hold that the raising of Yeshua’s hands signified that he was operating in a priestly fashion (reminiscent of Lev 9:7-24). This pattern was well known by the Apostles because it was being done by the priests in the Temple. The priest offered the sacrifice, raised his hands and pronounced the Priestly Blessing (Numb 6:22-27), then fire would come out from the presence of the Lord.

Lev 9:7-24 "Then Aaron presented the grain offering…alongside the burnt offering of the morning…He also slaughtered the bull and the ram as the sacrifice of fellowship offerings for the people…Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then he stepped down from presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came back out and blessed the people, the glory of Adonai appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of Adonai, and devoured the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces." (TLV)

A similar pattern was followed in the Brit Chadashah. Yeshua was the Passover Lamb. After his death, he appeared to the disciples for forty days and before his resurrection, he lifted up his hands and conferred the Priestly Blessing. Afterwards, the Spirit of God fell on the Disciples on Shavuot and they were also shouting the praises of God as they spoke in tongues.

Shavuot in Acts 2 combined the past and present as well. Shavuot was a celebration of the giving of the Torah. The tongues of fire were reminiscent of the flames that dwelt on Mount Sinai as Moses stated in Deut 5:20-23, “God spoke to Israel out of the midst of the fire” (see Ex 3:2-5). Yeshua also linked Shavuot to creation when he breathed on his disciples in John 20:22, stating “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”. (see Gen 2:7)

The concept of “tongues of fire” also has well-established history in Jewish thought. In the Targumim (Aramaic versions of the scriptures, some date to the first century) the sages assert the belief that when God spoke a flame of fire came out of his mouth and inscribed the Tables of Stone (Ten Commandments). Other places in rabbinical thought argue that the voice of God coming from the mountain was like the sparks coming from pounding a hot iron laying on an anvil (see Jer 23:29). In other places the sages write about the flames of fire (representing seventy languages of the world) proceeding from the mountain as God spoke the Ten Commandments.

However God spoke from the fire, the Apostles understood the tongues of fire as being connected to the events at Sinai. Only this time God was not writing on tables of stone, he was writing on the tables of people’s hearts and placing his fire inside them. Having the Holy Spirit is not only a prophetic empowering, it is also the power to live a godly life. One of the most important biblical purposes we have about being baptized in the Holy Spirit is that God has given us the power of transformation and we are enabled to follow the word of God and obey it.

The events from Passover to Shavuot are lived out yearly by God’s people as the Feasts are celebrated. The death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua also followed the same pattern listed in the Feasts as does our salvation experience written about in the book of Acts.

With all of this said, the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) seems to fall in the middle of Luke's account of Yeshua's resurrection, but why here? The priest in the Temple times used to recite this prayer while standing on a “duchan” or a special platform. In Orthodox communities today, the recitation of the Priestly Blessing has been called “duchaning”. Through the centuries it has been spoken by Rabbis and Cohenim after the conclusion of ministering to the congregation.

Birkat Kohanim

May the Lord bless you and keep (guard) you;

May the LORD shine his face upon you and be gracious to you;

May the LORD lift up his face (countenance) upon you and give you his peace.

The structure of the Birkat Kohanim contains the verb phrases: bless you, guard you, shine his face on you, be gracious to you, lift his countenance on you, and give you peace. It has been observed that the proclamation becomes more personal as it is spoken. Numb 6:27 concludes with “In this way they are to place My Name over Bnei-Yisrael, and so I will bless them.” (TLV)

The structure teaches us that having God's name on us is not just a matter of having words spoken over us, it is about letting God be a part of our entire being. Yeshua spoke these words prior to his resurrection as a prelude to the Spirit falling on his people. It is possible that the Birkat Kohanim was always intended to signal the acceptance of the sacrifice and the releasing of God’s holy fire and Spirit upon obedient, willing hearts. Because it occurred in the sacrificial duties of the priest, it also had a redemptive theme and was connected to Israel’s acceptance and atonement (i.e. it was spoken over the nation of Israel. Who did Yeshua speak this blessing over?)

When we are filled with His Spirit and follow after his ways, his countenance can be seen in all that we do, speak, and intend. When people see our actions as being God-glorifying, we are marked as people of the Name. We bear the scent of God’s presence because we have been in prayer and our actions are given to glorify the Father in all things. When His name is on us our lives testify that his love and favor abide within our hearts and our intimacy with God is taken to new levels.

Shabbat Shalom

Rav Calev

Next Feasts

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset, Sept 22nd and ends at sunset on Sept 24th.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset, Oct 1st and ends at sunset on Oct 2nd.

Sukkot begins at sunset, Oct 6th and ends at sunset on Oct 13th.

Hebrew words to know:

Birkat Kohanim- The Priestly Blessing

May the Lord bless you (Ye-vah-re-khe-kha Adonai ve-yeesh-me-re-kha)

May the Lord shine his face upon you (Ya-eir Adonai pah-nav ei-ley-kha)

And be gracious to you (vee-choo-ne-kah)

May the Lord lift his face upon you (Yee-sah Adonai pa-nav ei-ley-kha)

And may he give you peace (Ve-yah-seim le-kha shah-lohm)