Naso: Blessings

(כב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃(כג) דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ (ס)(כד) יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ (ס)(כה) יָאֵ֨ר יהוה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ (ס)(כו) יִשָּׂ֨א יהוה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (ס)(כז) וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרֲכֵֽם׃ (פ)

Numbers 6:22-27

(22) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:(23) ’Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:(24) The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;(25) The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;(26) The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.(27) So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.’

This is how the Baal Shem Tov used to wake people up with the verse "YHWH is your shadow" (Ps. 121:5), which is to say, just as the shadow does precisely what the person does, so does the blessed Creator (as it were) do just as we do. Therefore, we have to do mitzvot and give tzedakah and have compassion on the poor in order that the blessed Creator will express goodness toward us as well. (Slater, Jonathan. A Partner in Holiness, v. ii, Woodstock, Vermont: 2014, p. 85.)

תהילים קכ״א:ז׳

(ז) יהוה יִשְׁמָרְךָ֥ מִכָּל־רָ֑ע יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Psalms 121:7

(7) The LORD shall keep (protect) thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.

דברים י׳:ח׳

(ח) בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗וא הִבְדִּ֤יל יהוה אֶת־שֵׁ֣בֶט הַלֵּוִ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יהוה לַעֲמֹד֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יהוה לְשָֽׁרְתוֹ֙ וּלְבָרֵ֣ךְ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

Deuteronomy 10:8

(8) At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day.

שמואל ב ו׳:י״ח

(יח) וַיְכַ֣ל דָּוִ֔ד מֵהַעֲל֥וֹת הָעוֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֖ם יהוה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

II Samuel 6:18

(18) And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

רות ב׳:ד׳

(ד) וְהִנֵּה־בֹ֗עַז בָּ֚א מִבֵּ֣ית לֶ֔חֶם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לַקּוֹצְרִ֖ים יהוה עִמָּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ ל֖וֹ יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יהוה׃

Ruth 2:4

(4) And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers: ‘The LORD be with you.’ And they answered him: ‘The LORD bless thee.’

שמות כ׳:כ״א

(כא-b) ...בְּכָל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַזְכִּ֣יר אֶת־שְׁמִ֔י אָב֥וֹא אֵלֶ֖יךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּֽיךָ׃

Exodus 20:21

(21b)...in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee.

תהילים קל״ט:א׳-ו׳

(א) לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יהוה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃(ב) אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃(ג) אָרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃(ד) כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יהוה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃(ה) אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃(ו) פלאיה [פְּלִ֣יאָֽה] דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃

Psalms 139:1-6

(1) For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. .(2) Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.(3) Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.(4) For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.(5) Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.(6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.

Kerith Spencer-Shapiro

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