This Shabbat, we read Parashat Nasso, which contains one of the most intimate and beloved moments in the Torah: the Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing. “May God bless you and protect you...” I always feel a sense of warmth when these words are recited. I think of them as words of shelter and care. These are words that have echoed through generations, spoken by parents over children, sung in moments of joy, often shared with newlyweds under the chuppah. But this week, my heart is heavy.
On Sunday, just before Shavuot began, in Boulder, Colorado, Jews gathered to march, not in protest or hatred, but in hope, to advocate for the safe return of hostages still held in Gaza. And they were attacked. Physically, violently, their presence as Jews in public — seeking freedom for others — was met with brutality.
I’ve wondered what Birkat Kohanim means in a week like this. What does it mean to say “May God protect you” when Jews marching for justice are assaulted on American streets?
Perhaps the power of the blessing lies not in a promise of safety, but in a calling to presence. The Torah tells us, "v’ani avarcheim" I, God, will bless them. But just before that, we read: “They shall place My name upon the children of Israel…” It is not only the priests who bear God’s name, it is the people. We - all of us - carry the Divine name into a world that so often refuses to see it. And with that sacred burden comes danger, but also profound purpose.
It is the purpose of carrying blessing. Of demanding justice. Of standing up for our people. That no matter what we do and where we go, we should feel the weight of what it means to bear God's name.
This Shabbat, we bless our children with Birkat Kohanim - with words of light, even when the world feels dark. We do it as an act of defiance and faith. We keep marching. We keep blessing. We hold one another close. And we pray that the hostages will be returned, that peace will come, and that those who stand up for goodness will be protected.
May God bless you and protect you. May God's face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God lift up God’s face toward you, and grant you peace.
