The Aaronic blessing Numbers 6:22-26

What does the Aaronic blessing mean?

Numbers 6:22-26

By Batnabas aka Linda Morris

The Aaronic Blessing is a very special blessing. It was sung over me by the congregation in my church when I was christened as a baby. I in turn would have sung it over other babies when they were christened, over the years. It was a custom in many Scottish churches at the time. It may still be in some churches, I do not know.

I also asked for it to be spoken over me on my 50th (Jubilee) birthday, in Hebrew, as I regarded it as a re-commitment of my faith. Michael Cohen, the Rector of Christ Church, Jerusalem very kindly did this for me. It was very special.

So what is the origin of this Blessing? Let us look at the source, in the Bible.

Numbers 6:22-26

God spoke to Moses saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel (the people). Say to them:

“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

I need to make it clear that ‘The Lord’ here, is Yehoveh (יהוה) or God, as we call Him.

The word countenance in Hebrew is ‘face.’

This blessing is said every day in the synagogue. Twice a year, at Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) huge crowds gather at the Kotel (the Western Wall) in Jerusalem to hear this. All those who are descendants of the priestly line are invited to recite the blessing over the others. It is a very powerful thing to observe.

Numbers 6:27 (God) says “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The priests extend their hands towards the people as they recite the blessing, in a special way. They hold their hands out with the thumb separated, the index finger and middle finger together, another separation then the ring finger and pinkie together. This forms the Hebrew letter ‘shin’ which represents the name of God (El Shaddai). Both hands are held up in the same way, with the thumbs almost touching each other. In this way, they put the name of God on the people.

You may remember the way that Mr Spock, in Star Trek, greeted people. He (Leonard Nimoy) was Jewish, and he used that same hand sign that he knew from the Aaronic Blessing.

My friend Moshe Kempinski from Jerusalem wrote in his Jerusalem Insights Journal this week;

“A Blessing is not about changing reality, but it is about unleashing it.’’

The Hebrew for blessing is berachah, and it shares its root with the Hebrew word l’havrich, an agricultural term that describes the re-rooting of a vine into the ground.

In working in a vineyard, havracha, ‘or kneeling,’ involves taking a rooted plant and kneeling’ it down into the ground and then this replanted vine eventually takes root as well.

So blessing is re-rooting.

When a blessing is bestowed, what is accomplished is the joining of the spark of blessing in the person’s soul with the source of blessing above. In effect, nothing new happens. The blessing merely activates the existing source of the blessing above and reveals it below.

The blessing suggests a certain measure of guarantee in that it unveils that which is already there, albeit in concealed potential.”

God also said that He would put His name in Jerusalem forever (2 Chronicles 33:7) and He did!

One of my favourite places to go in Jerusalem is just a ten-minute walk from where I lived. In Hebrew it is known at ‘the Tayelet,’ the promenade. It is also known as the Hass promenade. It is a beautiful place, with shrubs and trees, and paths winding down

the hill. The view from the top of the promenade is absolutely stunning. You look down into the City of David. On the right, you look at the Mount of Olives and on the left, what has often termed nowadays Mount Zion although the Biblical Mount Zion (the

Temple Mount) is straight ahead, rising up from the City of David.

shin

The three hills have valleys between them, being the Kidron Valley, the Tyropean Valley and the Hinnom Valley. When you look down, you can see that these valleys together form the letter ‘shin.’ God did indeed put His name in Jerusalem. And it is

still there!

Linda Morris

May 2026