In this week’s parsha, Parshat Naso, we encounter one of the most beloved and familiar mitzvot in Jewish life: Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing. The Torah says: דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו לאמור, כה תברכו את בני ישראל, אמור להם (במדבר ו, כב–כג) Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: So shall you bless the children of Israel. Say to them… (Numbers 6:22–23)
In Sephardic communities in the United States, as well as Ashkenazi communities in Israel, we are privileged to hear this blessing every day from the kohanim: "May the L-rd bless you and keep you…" Before giving this blessing, the kohanim recite a special bracha: “Blessed are You… who has sanctified us with the sanctity of Aaron and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love.”
We find a curious detail here: The phrase “with love,” be’ahavah. Where does this requirement come from? In the Torah’s command to the kohanim, there is no explicit mention that they must bless the people with love. How can the kohanim declare that G-d “commanded” them to bless the people with love if it doesn’t appear in the Torah?
The answer can be found in the Zohar (as quoted by Magen Avraham), which teaches us that if a kohen does not love the congregation, or the congregation does not love him, he should refrain from the blessing. Blessings must come from a place of deep care and connection. But is there a textual hint to this in the Torah itself?
Rabbi Yissachar Ber Eilenburg, in his book Be’er Sheva (on Gemarah Sotah), points us to a key word in the verse: כה תברכו את בני ישראל, מוסיפה התורה את המילים אמור להם – “So shall you bless the children of Israel, say to them.” Why the added phrase “say to them” when it’s already clear that the kohanim are to bless them? Rashi, citing the Midrash, explains that this means “Say fully and clearly, not in haste or confusion, but with intention and a full heart.”
The Midrash elaborates: “Do not think that because I told you to bless Israel, you may do so perfunctorily or unwillingly. Rather, bless them with full intent and a willing heart, so that the blessing may truly rest upon them.” In other words, the Torah does command love; not in explicit terms, but by requiring the blessing to be given with full intention and care. That is the meaning of “with love.”
The Maharsha (Sotah 38a) makes a powerful observation: “The effectiveness of a blessing depends on the intent of the one who blesses.” The blessing’s power lies not merely in its words, but also in the heart behind them. A cold, mechanical blessing is not the same as one offered with true love, with a generous spirit, and with a desire to uplift.
This concept echoes another teaching in the Talmud: “We do not give a cup of blessing to anyone but one who has a good eye, as it says: ‘One with a good eye will be blessed’; read it not as ‘will be blessed’ but as ‘will bless.’” The power of positive speech, spoken from a place of goodness, is not limited to kohanim. It is a lesson for all of us. Whether we are speaking to our children, our students, our friends, or even to ourselves, words spoken with love carry a different weight.
Criticism given with love can uplift. Encouragement spoken with love can inspire. Even silence, when accompanied by loving presence, can bring comfort. Each of us, in our own circles, is a kind of small kohen. We all have opportunities to bless others with our words, our gestures, our advice, and our presence.
Let us remember that words have power. They can build or break, uplift or diminish. But when we speak with intention and love, with a warm heart and a generous eye, our words gain lasting strength. Our blessings take root. As the Maharsha wrote: “The blessing of the one who blesses takes effect according to his intent.”
May we become people whose words are blessings spoken with love, filled with light, and received with open hearts. | 