Aaron’s Blessing Unpacked … The Rabbis’ Perspective
- Pastor Jay Christianson
- Jan 16
- 9 min read
“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’” (Numbers 6:23-26)
In the previous part, I attempted to unpack the meanings of the words and idioms in the Hebrew text, using some excellent online resources. Where before Aaron’s Blessing (aka The High Priestly Blessing) seemed repetitive and somewhat vague, I hope that understanding the meanings embedded in the text became clearer.
In this part, I want to share an article I wrote in 2009 that reveals the Jewish interpretation and application of Aaron’s Blessing through the minds of Jewish sages, the rabbis, over the centuries. Enjoy!
(A Fresh Look At The High Priestly Blessing, Teaching Letter, Bridges For Peace, 2009. Reprinted with permission, reedited version.)
First Blessing: Material Prosperity
The LORD bless you is an invocation that the Lord God bless His congregation with material prosperity. Why interpret it as material prosperity? Nineteenth-century Rabbi Hirsch writes, “Since this verse requires protection even after they have been granted. Spiritual blessings are protected only by the personal worthiness (faithfulness) of the recipients, but material blessings are always subject to outside danger” (emphasis mine).
What good are material blessings if you can’t hold on to them and enjoy them? And just how much or what kind of blessings are we talking about here? Even though blessings are regarded as material, that doesn’t mean other needs are left out. The Jewish sages say that since this is a general term, the amount and type of blessings must depend on the individual’s need. For example, a businessman needs customers and a sufficient supply to meet his orders. A student needs the blessing of an increased intellect and memory for his studies. A parent needs patience and wisdom to raise children in the love and respect of the Lord. For seniors, there are health and continued care needs. The Lord’s blessing is as varied as our individual needs and is regarded as real-time, rubber-meets-the-road blessings, not some spooky I-wish-you-well notion.
And keep you. This term can also be rendered “guard safely” and “watch.” As said before, this word choice led the rabbis to determine that the aforementioned blessings are primarily material blessings and the Lord intends to not only bestow them upon you, but these gifts are such that only God can guarantee them, since the most powerful people on earth cannot ensure a gift given to another. Physical blessings are fragile and subject to decay and loss. We seek God’s protection, so that once given, His blessing will not fade away. Hence, the Lord’s blessings require His protection.
No kidding! During these difficult times, a friend of mine recently quipped that his 401 (k) retirement plan is now a 101 (k) and is rapidly approaching 50 (k). Millions of people around the world are stunned by how fast their hard-earned, supposedly safe investments are collapsing, some through outright fraud, but most through circumstances that have created a financial storm of gigantic proportions. Truly, this is a day when we not only need His blessings but also His divine safeguarding of those gifts.
Here is an interesting perspective from Jewish tradition. The text says, “God bless YOU” and implies blessing you with wealth and protecting YOU, not IT, so that you can use wealth for the benefit of others. According to Jewish teaching, the best way to preserve wealth is to give it away for charity and good deeds. This is the ultimate protection of what the Lord gives us, converting wealth into a lasting form and assuring His continued blessing toward a trusted steward.
We also know this from a familiar first-century rabbi. Yeshua (Jesus’ Hebrew name) taught us: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-21) How about taking a moment right now to do something to help Israelis through Bridges For Peace (BridgesForPeace.com)? Action should follow study, right disciples?
Second Blessing: Spiritual Knowledge and Inspiration
This blessing is to enable the Lord’s people to devote themselves to Bible study and living it out daily. The Lord make His face shine upon you can also be translated, “May the Lord illuminate His countenance for you.” Throughout the bible, light is often a metaphor for the Lord’s Word. For example: “For the commandment [mitzvot] is a lamp, and the law [torah] a light; reproofs of instruction are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). So when the sages see “light” in this blessing, one conclusion is that it concerns the Word, specifically the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy).
The Italian rabbi Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno (1475-1550) offers this midrash (interpretation): “May God enlighten you so that you will be capable of perceiving the wondrous wisdom of the Torah and of God’s intricate creation. Having received the blessings of prosperity, we have the peace of mind to go beyond the elementary requirements of survival.” Therefore, this second blessing is an extension of the first. But there is more!
This verse speaks about seeing the Lord’s face. Now, obviously, this is figurative, because right now we can’t see the Lord’s face. Or can we? A person’s face reflects their very being. It carries the full range of expression that reflects their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Not only that, the eyes are called “the window to the soul.” By looking at God’s face, we should be able to see and understand more of who He is. So where is the Lord’s face? All around us!
Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (emphasis added). If we put this together, we can conclude that through the teachings of the Word, we see God and His plan revealed all around us, which helps us better understand the greatness and awesomeness of our Creator. When this happens, we see that all material blessings come from His hand rather than by chance or natural causes.
And be gracious to you. This part is simple. After being granted material and physical blessings, and after opening your eyes to the Lord’s glory and greatness through the inspiration of His Word, may He help you find favor with others as well as Himself! Grace is unmerited favor and something that we need as we approach the Lord. There is nothing we can do to merit His love and blessing. We simply stand in awe and thank Him for what is given to us every day without reproach or reluctance. Selah!
Third Blessing: God’s Compassion
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you can be stated in this way: “May the Lord turn His face toward you.” Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, 1040-1105) wrote that this could be understood as a blessing that the Lord would suppress His anger, meaning that even if we are sinful, the Lord will show us special consideration and not punish us, but forgive us.
This blessing follows on the heels of the previous blessing of grace. But it speaks deeper to me. I can experience someone’s grace, but they may still hold hard feelings against me. Sure, I’m not punished, but my relationship with the other person has been harmed and needs a little tikun olam (repair of the world). If I were to approach that person on the street, what would be a good indicator that things aren’t quite right between us? Right! They would drop their face as they passed by. A close friend, though, would look up and smile! That’s what this blessing is about: that our gracious and loving Lord would look upon us not only with grace but with delight, and with no hint of reservation. To have the Lord’s face lifted upon us is to cause us to lift our faces toward Him as well, knowing that we’re okay with Him and that He both likes and loves us!
The first part of the third blessing is looked at as the Lord’s compassion above and beyond what we deserve, as expressed by the forgiveness of sin and the giving of peace. Do we deserve to be separated from God because of sin? Absolutely. Is there anything we can do personally, apart from the Lord, to remove sin and the punishment of total separation from Him? Any biblical Christian will tell you no. But according to Ephesians 2:4-10 and the rest of the New Covenant Scriptures, we see that we do have a path to forgiveness and a way to look fully into the face of the Lord. And that brings us to the final blessing.
And give you peace. One may have material prosperity, health, daily needs met, etc., but if we don’t have peace, it’s hard to enjoy it all. We have traveled a long way through this High Priestly Blessing, and we finally arrive at the capstone. The Lord Himself wants to wrap it all up with peace, His shalom.
This shalom is not simply the absence of war. It is harmony between conflicting forces. Because of sin, that conflict is between the Lord and us, between us and others, and even within ourselves. Shalom is a peace that results when barriers are torn down, and all hostilities cease, bringing a condition of rest. This all-encompassing peace goes beyond human understanding. It is a peace that defies all contradictory circumstances that make us want to scream with anxiety!
This is a peace that is with us in good times and bad, that infuses us body, soul, and spirit. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus [Messiah Yeshua]” (Philippians 4:6-7). This same peace begins with the Lord (Romans 5:1-2) and extends into all areas of our lives. What a tremendous thing the Lord blesses us with…on top of everything else He’s given!
A Summary of The Blessing
When Yeshua was about to depart from His disciples 10 days before Shavuot (Pentecost), the Scriptures record that He lifted His hands and blessed them (Luke 24:50). This is significant because the High Priestly Blessing is also called “The Lifting of the Hands.” Yeshua was blessing His disciples with the same blessing that His Father had commanded Aaron, through Moses, to speak over the house of Israel, thereby placing His name on them.
Imagine this. As Yeshua is speaking these words, He rises to begin His priestly ministry of intercession. He speaks the words that have been placed on His people for thousands of years and would be spoken for at least a few thousand more. I want to offer my own paraphrase based on this study.
May the Lord bless you with all the material prosperity you need, and may He protect it so that you can do good works, especially that you may have time to learn His Word.
May He give you insight into His Word so that you can see the absolute wonder of Who He is, how He’s causing all things to work for good in His plan, and through that, grant you favor with God and man.
May He top it off with everything you don’t deserve but desperately need, everything that He is more than willing to give you through His covenant love and affection, and may you be overwhelmed entirely with His peace!
May you experience this blessing every time you hear the “Benediction.”
Sources:
A Fresh Look At The High Priestly Blessing, Bridges For Peace Teaching Letter, October 2009.
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Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts