Daf 147b (דַּף קמ״ז ע״ב)

Rabbi Shimon said (אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): in these three verses (בְּהָנֵי תְּלַת קְרָאֵי), their beginning is Yod, Yod, Yod (רֵישֵׁיהוֹן יו״ד יו״ד יו״ד): Yevarechecha, Ya’er, Yissa (יְ״בָרֶכְךָ, יָ״אֵר, יִ״שָּׂא). All of them are to show complete faith (כֻּלְּהוּ לְאַחֲזָאָה מְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָא), and to bring blessing from Atika to whoever is in need (וּלְאִתְבָּרְכָא מֵעַתִּיקָא מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ). Yod, Yod, Yod—this is for Ze’ir Anpin to be blessed from Atika of all (יו״ד יו״ד יו״ד, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין מֵעַתִּיקָא דְּכֹלָּא). And because of this: “May Hashem bless you” above, and “guard you” below, and so with all of them (וּבְגִין כָּךְ יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ לְעֵילָּא, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ הוּא לְתַתָּא, וְכֵן כֻּלְּהוּ).

And a Tanna taught before Rabbi Shimon (וְתָאנֵי תָּנָא קָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן): whoever is distressed by a dream (הַאי מַאן דִּמְצָעֵר בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ), let him come at the time when the Kohanim spread their hands (לֵיתֵי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנֵי פַּרְסֵי יְדַיְיהוּ), and say: “Master of the world, I am Yours, and my dreams are Yours…” (וְלֵימָא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי שֶׁלָּךְ וַחֲלוֹמוֹתַי שֶׁלָּךְ וְכוּ׳). Why (אֲמַאי)? Because at that time mercies are present in all the worlds (מִשּׁוּם דְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ רַחֲמֵי בְּעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ), and whoever offers his prayer in his pain, judgment is turned for him to mercy (וּמַאן דְּיִבְעֵי צְלוֹתֵיהּ בְּצַעֲרֵיהּ, אִתְהַפָּךְ לֵיהּ דִּינָא לְרַחֲמֵי). “As it is written: ‘And they shall put My Name’” (בְּמִדְבַּר ו׳, וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי). What is “and they shall put My Name” (מַהוּ וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי)?

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): they shall arrange it (יְתָּקְּנוּ), as it is written: “And they shall place them, each man over his service and over his burden” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, וְשָׂמוּ אוֹתָם אִישׁ אִישׁ עַל עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְאֶל מַשָּׂאוֹ) (Numbers 4). To arrange in their blessing that the crowns of the right be to the right, and the crowns of the left to the left, as is fitting (לְאַתְקְּנָא בְּבִרְכָתְהוֹן כִּתְרִין דִּימִינָא לִימִינָא, וְכִתְרִין דִּשְׂמָאלָא לִשְׂמָאלָא, כַּדְּקָא חֲזֵי). For it is necessary that they not err in them, but that all be set in order, so that supernals and lower ones be blessed (דְּבַעְיָא דְּלָא יִטְעוּן בְּהוֹן, לְאַתְקְּנָא כֹּלָּא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין). And if they do so (וְאִי יַעַבְדוּן הָכִי), what is written (מַה כְּתִיב)? “And I will bless them” (וַאֲנִי אֲבָרַכֵם) (Numbers 6). For whom (לְמַאן)? For those Kohanim (לְאִינּוּן כַּהֲנֵי). As it is written: “He who blesses you is blessed” (וּמְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָּרוּךְ) (Bereshit 27), and it is written: “And I will bless those who bless you” (וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ) (Bereshit 12). They bless the people, and I will bless them (אִינּוּן מְבָרְכִין לְעַמָּא, וַאֲנָא אֲבָרֵךְ לְהוּ). And therefore it is written: “And they shall put” (וּלְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב וְשָׂמוּ), and not “they shall say” or “they shall mention” (וְלָא כְּתִיב יֹאמְרוּ, אוֹ יִזְכְּרוּ).

It was taught (תָּאנָא): any Kohen whom the people do not love (כָּל כֹּהֵן דְּלָא רַחֲמִין לֵיהּ עַמָּא), must not spread his hands (לָא יִפְרוֹס יְדוֹי). And there was an incident with one Kohen who stood and spread his hands (וְעוֹבָדָא הֲוָה בְּחַד כֹּהֵן דְּקָם וּפָרִיס יְדוֹי), and before he finished, his bones were withered (וְעַד דְּלָא אַשְׁלִים, אִתְעָבִיד תִּלָּא דְּגַרְמֵי). Why? Because he did not bless with love (מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא בְּרִיךְ בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא). Another arose and spread his hands and blessed (וְקָם אַחֵר וּפָרִיס יְדוֹי וּבָרִיךְ), and that day was rectified (וְאִתְתָּקַּן הַהוּא יוֹמָא). Every Kohen who does not love the people, or the people do not love him (כָּל כֹּהֵן דְּהוּא לָא רָחִים לְעַמָּא, אוֹ עַמָּא לָא רַחֲמִין לֵיהּ), must not spread his hands to bless the people (לָא יִפְרוֹס יְדוֹי לְבָרְכָא לְעַמָּא). As it is written: “He that has a good eye shall be blessed” (טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ) (Proverbs 22). Do not read “shall be blessed” (אַל תִּקְרֵי יְבוֹרָךְ), but “shall bless” (אֶלָּא יְבָרֵךְ).

It was taught (תָּאנָא), Rabbi Yitzchak said (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): come and see what is written regarding that wicked one Bil‘am (בֹּא וּרְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב בְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע דְּבִלְעָם). At the time when he was given over to bless Yisrael (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְּמְסַר לֵיהּ לְבָרְכָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), he would look with an evil eye (הֲוָה מַשְׁגַּח בְּעֵינָא בִּישָׁא), in order that the blessing not endure (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְקְיָּים בִּרְכָתָא). And he would depend his words on that evil eye (וַהֲוָה תָּלֵי מִלּוֹי בְּהַהוּא עֵינָא בִּישָׁא), as it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “The saying of Bil‘am the son of Beor” (נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנוֹ בְּעוֹר) (Numbers 24). What is “the son of Beor” (מַאי בְּנוֹ בְּעוֹר)? From that one who hated them more than all the people of the world (מֵהַהוּא דְּהֲוָה סָאנֵי לְהוּ יַתִּיר מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). “The saying of the man with the shut eye” (וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתוּם הָעָיִן)—meaning, he shut the good eye from them (דְּסָתִים עֵינָא טָבָא מִנַּיְיהוּ), in order that they not be blessed and that the blessing not endure (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְבָּרְכוּן, וְלָא יִתְקַיֵּים בִּרְכָתָא).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): so it surely is (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), for it is found that the opening of the eye is for blessing (דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח פְּקִיעָא [ס״א: דְּאִשְׁתְּכַחוּן פְּקִיחָא] דְּעֵינָא לְבָרְכָא). As it is written (דִּכְתִּיב): “Open Your eyes” (פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ) (Daniel 9), in order to bless (בְּגִין לְבָרְכָא). And in the blessing of Rav Hamnuna Sava (וּבִרְכָתָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא), thus he said (הָכִי אָמַר): “Kudsha Berikh Hu shall open His eyes upon you” (קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִפְקַח עֵינוֹי עֲלָךְ). But concerning that wicked one it is written (וּבְהַהוּא רָשָׁע כְּתִיב): “shut of the eye” (שְׁתוּם הָעָיִן) (Numbers 24), so that they not be blessed by his hand (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְבָּרְכוּן עַל יְדוֹי). And Rabbi Yitzchak said (וְאָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק): because of this, the Kohen who blesses with a good eye, his blessing endures (בְּגִין כָּךְ כַּהֲנָא דְּבָרִיךְ בְּעֵינָא טָבָא, בִּרְכָתֵיהּ אִתְקְיָּים). But he who does not bless with a good eye, it is written (וּדְלָא מְבָרֵךְ בְּעֵינָא טָבָא, כְּתִיב): “Do not eat the bread of him that has an evil eye, and do not desire his delicacies” (אַל תִּלְחַם אֶת לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן, וְאַל תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו) (Proverbs 23)—meaning, do not seek from him a blessing at all (כְּלוֹמַר, אַל תִּבְעוּ מִנֵּיהּ בִּרְכָתָא כְּלָל).

Rabbi Yose said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), it is written: “But Hashem your God would not listen to Bil‘am…” (כְּתִיב, וְלֹא אָבָה יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם) (Deuteronomy 23). “To listen to Bil‘am”—it should have said to Balak (לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם, אֶל בָּלָק מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ), for Balak was the one who did everything (דְּהָא עָבִיד בָּלָק כֹּלָּא). What is to Bil‘am (מַהוּ אֶל בִּלְעָם)? Rather, because he shut his eyes (אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּהֲוָה סָתִים עֵינוֹי), in order that Yisrael not be blessed (בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְבָּרְכוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל).

It was taught, Rabbi Yose said (תָּאנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): Kudsha Berikh Hu said to Bil‘am (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבִלְעָם): “Wicked one (רָשָׁע), you shut your eyes so that My children not be blessed (אַתְּ סָתִים עֵינַךְ בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְבָּרְכוּן בָּנַי). I will open My eyes (אֲנָא אַפְקַח עֵינָי), and every word you say I will turn into blessing” (וְכָל מִלִּין דְּתֵימָא, אֶהֱפֹךְ לְהוּ לְבִרְכָאן). This is what is written: “But Hashem your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because Hashem your God loved you” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיַּהֲפֹךְ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה כִּי אָהֵבְךָ) (Deuteronomy 23). And because of this it is written: “He that has a good eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor” (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, טוֹב עַיִן הוּא יְבוֹרָךְ כִּי נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּל) (Proverbs 22). What is “his bread” (מַהוּ מִלַּחְמוֹ)? As we have established: “The bread of his God, of the most holy things” (כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִיב, לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו מִקָּדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים) (Leviticus 21). This implies that from the most holy things goes forth the bread of his God (מַשְׁמַע דְּקָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים לֶחֶם אֱלֹהָיו נָפַק מִנֵּיהּ). And because of this: “for he gives of his bread to the poor” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כִּי נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּל). It was taught (תַּנְיָא): how beloved are Yisrael before Kudsha Berikh Hu (כַּמָה חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), for the supernals are not blessed except because of Yisrael (דְּעִלָּאֵי לָא מִתְבָּרְכֵי אֶלָּא בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל).