“And Aharon lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them” (Vayikra 9:22)
Rashi explains that Aharon blessed them with the Birchas Kohanim, “May Hashem bless you and watch over you; may Hashem illuminate His countenance for you…; may Hashem grant you peace.”
The Baal HaTurim writes that Aharon’s blessing of the Jewish people was representative of the three types of korbanos (sacrifices).
“May Hashem … watch over you,” symbolized the sin offering, as it says (Shmuel I, 2:9), “He guards the steps of His devout ones [from sinning].” “May Hashem illuminate His countenance …” symbolized the burnt offering (korban olah) as it says (Shemos 34:24), “… ba’aloscha lei’ra’os – when you go up to appear before Hashem,” an expression of sight referenced with aliyah. “May Hashem grant you peace,” symbolized the peace offering.
According to each individual’s level of emunah, the blessing increased his ability to become a proper vessel in which the beracha could come to fruition.
R’ Moshe Gabbai notes that many people go to different rabbanim and chachamim in order to obtain a beracha, but are indifferent to or disregard the beracha they receive daily from Hashem in shul from the kohanim. Everyone should look forward to the Birchas Kohanim; not doing so demonstrates a deficit in one’s emunah.
When the great rosh yeshiva of Torah Ohr, Rav Scheinberg, would come to the United States – where the Ashkenazic shuls do not include Birchas Kohanim on a daily basis – he would make it a priority to daven at a shul where they would be making the Birchas Kohanim.
The Sefer Iyei HaYam cites the words in Bava Basra (116a): Anyone who has a sick person in his home should go to a Sage, and the Sage will ask for mercy on the sick person’s behalf, as it says (Mishlei 16:14), “The king’s wrath is like messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it.”
The Malbim explains that when the king gets angry, he sends his messenger to bring destruction. The wise man, however, knows how to appease the king’s wrath. The example given of the “wise man” is Pinchas ben Elazar, as it says (Bamidbar 25:11), “Pinchas … turned back My wrath,” and Bnei Yisrael were forgiven.
It would seem to be easier to send the person to shul, to listen to the Birchas Kohanim, instead of running to a Sage.
R’ Yitzchok Silberstein cites the Vilna Gaon on this pasuk, who offers the parable of a king who was very angered by his citizens and they could not find a way to appease him. Finally, one of his officers was able to placate him by bringing home the king’s son, who was the apple of his father’s eye.
Similarly, says the Vilna Gaon, the kohanim have a “good eye,” inherited from Aharon HaKohen, as it says (Mishlei 22:9), “One with a good eye will be blessed.” The Ralbag expounds that a person with a “good eye” is one who does good for others. He is therefore blessed by Hashem, and he is empowered to help others so that they will receive Hashem’s blessings.
The Mishmeres Itmar suggests a slightly different interpretation on how the king’s anger will be pacified. He suggests that the wise man will instruct the people on how to atone for their sins. When they heed his rebuke and do teshuvah, the wrath of Hashem will successfully be removed.
When Hashem’s wrath is aroused, and there is suffering, that is the time to bring before Hashem His beloved son – the talmid chacham who learns Torah and does the will of Hashem. When he prays it is very pleasing before Hashem.
The Meiri says that the person should go to a wise man to learn how to pray properly himself, because in truth the tefillah of the person in need, praying on his own behalf, is the most powerful. However, if he doesn’t know how to pray, or perhaps he lacks merits, then the wise man needs to do it for him.
The great R’ Aharon Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron, was especially well known for his heartfelt tefillos and kavanos. Just by watching him, one could learn many valuable lessons in how to pray properly. His entire being was immersed in his prayers. Even when he became ill, it was easy to see that he exerted himself beyond his capacity to daven with fervor and kavanah as he had always done.
R’ Aharon often commented that it would be worthwhile for a kohen to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael, where Birchas Kohanim is recited daily, instead of only on Yomim Tovim – even if there was no other compelling reason to do so.
On those days when R’ Aharon was unable to daven all his prayers together with a minyan, he always made sure to at least get to shul in time for Chazaras HaShatz, so that he could do Birchas Kohanim with great love.
Once he was so ill that he was unable to get out of bed to go to shul. He was very troubled, and when he recovered, he hurried to find a minyan at the first opportunity.
When prayer services were over, the family saw that R’ Aharon had not yet returned home. Worried, they went to look for him, and found R’ Aharon sitting in shul, too exhausted to walk home.
“Why did you over-exert yourself?” they asked R’ Aharon.
He answered simply, “I am a kohen and I have the great mitzvah of blessing the Jewish people when I daven with a minyan. How could I ever allow myself to miss such an opportunity?”