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Why is it necessary for Aaron to lift his hands to bless the people?

Table for Five: Shemini

In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles

Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist



And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them. He then descended from preparing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. – Lev. 9:22

Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, Associate Rabbi, Temple Beth Am

Many of us receive a Shabbat blessing by standing under the weight and honor of our parents’ hands. Either on our head or our shoulders, an adult places their hands on us to bring blessing out from their hearts and physically onto us. Some of us have had the experience of being “hooded,” or receiving smikha, where an admired authority, or scholar, bestows upon you, with their hands, the ability to take your next steps into a future life. 

When Aaron lifts his hands towards the people to bless them, we are not surprised that this rather mundane act occurred as choreography for the spiritual moment. However, is it necessary? The Likutei Maharan teaches that from here we know that the essence of blessing is in our hands. We say a blessing, but unless we act in the world, with our hands, towards others the way we wish our blessings to be actualized, our blessings are useless words. Our words are powerful but our hands make dreams happen. Aaron lifts his hands, not to get their attention, but to show that what he is saying he will also do. 

Our parents and teachers lay their hands on us to bless us with life moving forward. They use their hands to be partners in the next steps. Hands hold us when we need comfort, catch us when we fall, hug us when we need to feel love, and build worlds of wonder and curiosity. Lift up your hands and build a dream for someone who needs to hear a blessing.

Rabbi Michael Barclay, Temple Ner Simcha, Westlake Village

As the Patriarch of the Kohanim, this verse is the origin of the Priestly Blessing, the words of which are found in Numbers 6:22-27.  We all know that God is doing the blessing, and Aaron and his Kohanim descendants are just the vessels, so why must it be Kohanim who raise their hands?

In Numbers 6:23, God directs Aaron to place His Name “on the people”, and this is the blessing that only Kohanim can fully give.  The specific placement of the lifted hands resembles the Hebrew letter “shin”, standing for “Shaddai” (the same as the “shin” on mezuzot), and creates pathways for God’s four lettered Name to come through the openings that the Kohen’s fingers create.  The spaces between the fingers focus each letter of God’s Name to individually be placed on the people being blessed.

To many, this all sounds ridiculous:  that Aaron and his (only male) descendants have some unique innate ability to channel God’s Name on to people; that in some way Kohanim are “different”.  Except it’s true.

Studies in 1997 (Skorecki et al, Nature) and 1998 (Thomas, Ben-Ami, et al) established that modern Kohanim have 6 genetic markers on the Y chromosome that are not found in other Jews, and date back to a shared ancestor over 3000 years ago.  Called the “Cohen Modal Haplotype”, it demonstrates that there is actually a genetic difference between Kohanim and other Jews.

This is why every Kohen must strive to live in a good way: so that they can place the Name of God on the people.  It is not just a privilege, but a genetic responsibility.

Rabbi Eva Robbins, co-Rabbi, Nvay Shalom and Faculty, AJRCA

This Torah portion, Sh’mini represents the eighth day. After seven days of Aaron and his sons being consecrated for their holy work in the Sanctuary, it is now the beginning of serving as Cohanim, Priests. Aaron has facilitated the sacrificial service, first for himself, and then for the people. He has used his hands in service of the Holy One, lifted them in sanctity to draw near to the Lord. His work has finally been realized, his purpose fulfilled, in a way he never could have imagined growing up in Egypt.

How many of us journey through life hoping we will eventually find our true purpose, shining a light in the world through our gifts and passion. It’s what brings meaning to our lives and great joy. However, Talmud teaches, “Anyone who derives pleasure from this world without a Bracha (blessing) is stealing from God.” At the very moment that Aaron completes his honored task he turns to the people, raises his hands (the word is singular but read as plural), once again, this time for blessing. He is filled with such joy and gratitude that he expresses it by blessing those he serves, the community of which he is a part. 

We are taught something so essential in this sentence, that blessing another is a gift. Our hands are meant to do holy work but also be grateful for the opportunity and to shower others with the Divine flow of goodness, to be a vessel for Gd in this world.

Yehudit Garmaise, Therapist-in-training, freelance writer

After seven days of constructing and dismantling the mishkan and faithfully practicing its service, finally, Moshe clearly and carefully explains to Aaron how to bring three different offerings on behalf of Klal Yisroel. Stepping into his chashuv new role as Kohan Gadol, Aaron regally wears his resplendent, holy garments while stepping forward to scrupulously perform his duties with dignity and aplomb. What the text of this pasuk discreetly does not reveal was that Aaron had to descend the Altar in shame: as everyone gathered likely held their breath, they witnessed that Hashem’s fire failed to descend in response.

From Hashem’s circumspect description of what must have felt like crushing failure to Aaron and Moshe, we are reminded to never call attention to anyone’s embarrassment. From Aaron’s regal example, we learn to hold ourselves with quiet dignity amidst humiliation and disappointment. While lesser leaders might have lashed out, Aaron kept silent until he and his brother were alone.

Once in private, Aaron asks Moshe, “Why did you have me perform the service at your bidding only to be embarrassed in public?” In response, Moshe wordlessly initiates prayer to ask for Hashem’s mercy, says Rashi.

After making our best efforts, we feel perplexed when we face negative outcomes. Rashi enlightens us by explaining that unexpected descents and additional prayers are actually two extra required steps of the service that merits Hashem’s presence. Only with sincere humility and saying a few more prayers do we merit seeing Hashem’s fire and glory in return.

Gilla Nissan, Teacher, Speaker, Author

Aaron, the first Cohen Gadol, lifts the offering up, and we wonder what this constant mention in Torah about lifting things up is all about. Why is this upward movement often mentioned in blessings and rituals? Moses lifts his hands so we can win the battles against evil Amalek (until today). We “wash” our hands often during the day, blessing in Hebrew on what? “Netilat yadayim,” meaning lifting our hands, not washing them as commonly misinterpreted. The Cohen in the Temple receives offerings and lifts them up in a big movement upwards. One offering called “olla,” is derived from the verb “lehaalot,” meaning to lift. We go up to the bima to perform an aliyah to Torah, meaning “coming up.” When we return to our homeland Israel, we are “Olim,” meaning returners who are going up. We make an aliyah, meaning going up to Israel. So, it is always a movement up both physically and spiritually. The same is here in our parsha, with Aaron, who lifts the offering.

Why is this movement up?

Because the gift of life descends to us by the Creator of the World, and we respond back with gestures of gratitude in order to realign ourselves with our Creator, so that we can feel cared for, protected, safe, and blessed. We keep a reciprocal relationship. It increases our intimate faith in the Giver of Life.

These rituals are all about keeping us under the right influence, elevated, and feeling gratitude.

With thanks to Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, Rabbi Michael Barclay, Rabbi Eva Robbins, Yehudit Garmaise, and Gilla Nissan.

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