Individual greatness serves the collective

בענין סמיכות ברכת כהנים לפרשת נזירות להודיע כי גם הפרטים המתעלין מבני דורם.

Regarding the juxtaposition of Birkas Kohanim (the priestly blessing) to the passage of nezirus (the Nazirite) — to make known that even the individuals who rise above the people of their generation.

The Torah places the Nazir, who elevates himself above others, right next to the priestly blessing, to teach a lesson about such exceptional individuals.

נזיר קודש לה'.

"A Nazir, holy to Hashem" (Bamidbar 6:8).

The Nazir attains a personal level of kedushah, set apart and consecrated to Hashem.

אעפ"כ צריכין לבטל מעשיהם הטובים אל הציבור ולידע כי יצאו מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו.

Even so, they must subordinate their good deeds to the community, and to know that they have left the collective only in order to teach about the entire collective.

Even an elevated individual must perform bittul (self-nullification), recognizing that his greatness is not for himself — he stands apart only so that his example can lift up all of Klal Yisrael.

וכמו כן הכהנים שנבחרו מבנ"י להיות מיוחדים לעבודת המקדש אעפ"כ הכל הי' בעבור הכלל שימשיכו הברכה לכלל ישראל.

And likewise the Kohanim, who were chosen from among Bnei Yisrael to be set apart for the avodah of the Mikdash — even so, all of it was for the sake of the collective, so that they would draw down the blessing to all of Klal Yisrael.

The same principle applies to the Kohanim: their distinction exists entirely to serve the whole nation, channeling Hashem's blessing to every Yid.

ואהרן הכהן זכה למצוה זו בכח זה הביטול כדכתיב וישא אהרן כו' ידיו אל העם ויברכם וכ' חז"ל שזכה מכאן לב"כ.

And Aharon HaKohen merited this mitzvah through the power of this bittul, as it is written: "And Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them" (Vayikra 9:22), and Chazal say that from here he merited Birkas Kohanim.

Aharon earned the privilege of blessing Bnei Yisrael precisely because of his self-nullification — he directed his entire being toward the people.

שהכניס כל כחו לכלל ישראל.

For he poured all of his strength into Klal Yisrael.

Aharon held nothing back for himself; he invested his whole spiritual power into the nation.

וזהו ידיו אל העם.

And this is the meaning of "his hands toward the people."

The verse's phrasing — lifting his hands toward the people — expresses that his energy flowed entirely outward to them.

והבין כי מאתם הוא כח עבודתו.

And he understood that the strength of his avodah came from them.

Aharon recognized that the very power of his service was drawn from the collective — his greatness was rooted in the nation he served.

וע"ד הלצה י"ל סיום הפסוק וירד מעשות החטאת.

And by way of a homiletical reading, one may explain the end of the verse: "and he came down from performing the chatas (sin-offering)" (Vayikra 9:22).

The Sefas Emes offers a creative reading of the verse's conclusion, playing on the word "vayered" ("he came down").

כי וירד הוא לשון רידוי וממשלה כמו וירד מים אל ים.

For "vayered" can connote rulership and dominion, as in "and he shall rule (v'yerd) from sea to sea" (Tehillim 72:8).

The same root can mean "to descend" or "to rule" — the Sefas Emes draws on the second sense to reinterpret the verse.

לומר שבכח פעולה זו של נשיאות ידיו אל העם השליטו הקב"ה וירד בכח זה יותר מבכח גוף עשיית חטאת ועולה ושלמים:

To say that through the power of this act — lifting his hands toward the people — HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave him dominion, and he "ruled" through this power more than through the actual performance of the chatas, olah, and shelamim offerings.

Aharon's act of selfless blessing granted him greater spiritual authority than even the sacrificial avodah itself — because true greatness comes from bittul and devotion to the whole of Klal Yisrael.

Summary: The Torah juxtaposes the Nazir to Birkas Kohanim to teach that an elevated individual — Nazir or Kohen — must nullify his greatness toward the community; he is set apart only to uplift the whole nation. Aharon merited the priestly blessing precisely through this bittul, drawing his strength from Bnei Yisrael, and through this selfless devotion he gained greater spiritual dominion than through the sacrificial service itself.