In the 6th chapter of the book of “Numbers” (the 4th book of the Torah/Bible) God says to Moses to instruct his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons to bless the children of Israel.
Copies of the blessing have been found dating to over 2,500 years ago, making them among the oldest Biblical documents known.
Even today, more than three thousand years after the giving of the Torah, descendants of Aaron bless their congregations. The traditions for when blessings are given vary inside of Israel and outside of Israel, and also vary between Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews. Regardless of differing customs, all orthodox/traditional Jewish groups continue to have communal blessings from the kohanim. (“Kohanim” is plural for “kohane,” sometimes spelled as “kohen” or “cohen” and meaning the priestly descendants of Aaron.)
As an orthodox member of the Kohen ancestral line, I take the commandment seriously. I always try to fulfill the commandment with humility and with positive intention. During my years of doing this I have had a range of experiences with the blessing, and have gained a few insights, which are shared in this website.
I have been asked for blessings from Jewish and non_Jewish people who had heard that I am a kohane, in such diverse places as synagogues, parties, sidewalks, stores, and once during a banquet in Hong Kong. Giving such blessings, outside the prescribed times and places, is not a commandment, but I believe these blessings still hold great value, both for me and for the people that I have blessed.
My goal is to share some insights into the Biblical Priestly Blessing and the power of its words and ceremony, and also to offer blessings as a fundraiser for families here in Los Angeles.
Noach ben Leib Hennoch HaKohane
October, 2015 / Mar Cheshvan, 5776