Birkas Kohanim, the Avos, and the soul's levels

בענין ברכת כהנים.

Concerning the matter of Birkas Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing).

The Sefas Emes turns to explain the inner structure of the Kohanim's blessing.

הג' ברכות הם בחי' ג' אבות.

The three berachos correspond to the aspect of the three Avos.

The three blessings of Birkas Kohanim parallel Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.

ועמ"ש בפ' תולדות כי יש ג' ברכות בכל מכל כל.

And see what is written in Parshas Toldos, that there are three blessings: "bakol," "mikol," "kol" ("with all," "from all," "all").

He cross-references his teaching on the three expressions of blessing associated with the Avos — bakol, mikol, kol.

ופרשנו שם כי מכל הוא ברכה נפרדת.

And we explained there that "mikol" ("from all") is a separated blessing.

"Mikol" denotes a blessing that is somewhat detached, set apart from its source.

בכל הוא דבוק יותר בשורש.

"Bakol" ("with all") is more attached to the root.

"Bakol" is a blessing more closely bound to its supernal source.

כל הוא שורש מקור הברכה עצמו.

"Kol" ("all") is the root, the very source of the blessing itself.

"Kol" is the blessing in its purest, source form — the wellspring of all blessing.

והם בחי' נפש רוח נשמה.

And they correspond to the aspects of nefesh, ruach, neshamah.

These three grades of blessing map onto the three ascending levels of the soul: nefesh, ruach, and neshamah.

והנה יברכך הוא בחי' יצחק ז"ש רש"י ואברכך בממון שהיא ברכה נפרדת קצת.

Now, "May Hashem bless you" is the aspect of Yitzchak; this is what Rashi means, "and I shall bless you" — with wealth — which is a somewhat separated blessing.

The first blessing, "Yevarechecha," corresponds to Yitzchak and to material wealth, which (per Rashi) is the more "separated" tier of blessing, like "mikol."

ושם כתיב ואברכך ז"ש אלקי יצחק ע"ש.

And there it is written "and I shall bless you," and this is "the God of Yitzchak" — see there.

The phrasing of blessing in Yitzchak's account ties this first berachah specifically to Yitzchak.

והתחיל בברכה זו כי שורש הברכות נמסרו ביד יצחק ולכן כתיב כאן וישמרך שצריך שמירה שלא יהי' לעשו אחיזה בזה.

And it begins with this blessing because the root of the blessings was handed over into Yitzchak's hand; and therefore it is written here "and He shall guard you," for it requires guarding, so that Esav should not have a grip on it.

Since the source of the berachos passed through Yitzchak (who blessed Yaakov), this tier needs the safeguard "v'yishmerecha" to prevent Esav — Yitzchak's other son — from seizing a hold on the material blessing.

ומה"ט ברכת יצחק אינה דבוקה כ"כ בשורש מצד חלק עשו.

And for this reason Yitzchak's blessing is not so attached to the root, on account of the portion of Esav.

Because Esav has a share in Yitzchak's line, this first blessing is the most "separated" from the source, hence its need for protection.

יאר פניו הוא הארה מן השורש בחי' אברהם בכל.

"May He shine His face" is an illumination from the root, the aspect of Avraham — "bakol."

The second blessing, "Ya'er Hashem panav," radiates light from the source, corresponding to Avraham and the closer tier "bakol."

ישא הוא בחי' נשמה מדתו של יעקב איש תם.

"May He lift" is the aspect of neshamah, the trait of Yaakov, "the wholesome man."

The third blessing, "Yisa Hashem panav," is the highest, neshamah-level, corresponding to Yaakov, the complete and whole one.

שלים.

Complete.

Yaakov is the "shalem," the perfected one whose blessing is fully bound to the root.

ועיקר ברכת כהנים להיות בנ"י מוכנים לקבל הברכה כמ"ש ושמו את שמי כו' כי כביכול הקב"ה מוכן תמיד לברך את בני ישראל כמ"ש טוב בעיני ה' לברך את ישראל רק שיהיו כלים לקבל הברכה ולכן היא בנשיאות כפים לרמוז שהם מוכנים לקבל הברכה כמ"ש שאו ידיכם קודש.

And the essence of Birkas Kohanim is for Bnei Yisrael to be prepared to receive the blessing, as it is written, "and they shall place My Name," etc.; for, as it were, Hashem is always ready to bless Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "it is good in Hashem's eyes to bless Yisrael" — only that they be vessels to receive the blessing; and therefore it is with the lifting of the hands (nesias kapayim), to allude that they are prepared to receive the blessing, as it is written, "lift your hands in holiness."

The Kohanim do not create the blessing — Hashem is always ready to bless — their role is to make Bnei Yisrael into fit vessels to receive it. The raising of the hands itself symbolizes this readiness to receive, echoing "se'u yedeichem kodesh."

ובביהמ"ק היו מתעלין ביותר אל השורש כמ"ש במשנה במקדש היו הכהנים נושאים כפיהם למעלה מראשיהן כו'.

And in the Bais Hamikdash they would ascend even more toward the root, as is stated in the Mishnah: in the Mikdash the Kohanim would raise their hands above their heads, etc.

In the Bais Hamikdash the connection to the source was greater still, expressed by the Kohanim lifting their hands even higher — above their heads — reaching toward the root of blessing.

וג' ברכות הנ"ל הם ג' דרגות להעלות הגוף לנר"נ כמ"ש:

And the three blessings mentioned above are three stages to elevate the body to nefesh-ruach-neshamah, as written.

The three berachos form a ladder lifting the physical self upward through the soul's three levels — nefesh, ruach, neshamah — back toward its root.

Summary: The three blessings of Birkas Kohanim correspond to the three Avos, to the three expressions of blessing (mikol, bakol, kol), and to the soul's three levels (nefesh, ruach, neshamah). The first, "Yevarechecha," is Yitzchak's tier of material blessing — the most "separated" and therefore needing the safeguard "v'yishmerecha" against Esav; "Ya'er" is Avraham's radiant tier; "Yisa" is Yaakov's complete, neshamah tier bound to the root. The Kohanim's real role is to make Bnei Yisrael fit vessels to receive Hashem's ever-ready blessing, with the lifted hands signaling that readiness and elevating the body through the three grades of the soul.