Naso -

 Parshat Naso 
Numbers 6:23-26 – "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, bless the children of Israel, saying to them: May God bless you and keep you.  
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  
May God’s face be lifted up to you and give you peace.”

At Fabrangen, we teach that we are a nation of priests all capable of blessing each other.  If we look at Torah not only literally as peshat, but metaphorically as drash, remez and sod, what does the priestly blessing mean to us?  How can we allow the priest within us to bless and experience the spaciousness and timelessness within us and share that with others?  How can we harvest the fruit of that blessing - security, radiance, graciousness, and peace?  There are many paths – the majesty of words, the beauty of music, the steadiness of breath, and the sound of silence.     

May we find the path that is right for us in each moment, as we rise, as we walk along our way, and as we lie down, to help all of us as a nation of priests to experience the blessing of the infinite and eternal within.  

Parshat Naso: Receiving peace

Parshat Naso: Ch. 6:24-26 -       "May God bless you and protect you.

  May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

May God’s face be lifted up to you, and grant you peace."

Numbers Rabbah 11:7 "Shimon ben Halafta said, Great is peace, for no vessel other than peace can receive blessing."
Another teaching:  “Great is peace, for even at a time of war we need peace, as it says, when you draw near to a city to fight against it, you shall proclaim peace to it.”

It is easy to speak of peace at peaceful times, but how much more difficult—and necessary—to pursue peace in the midst of conflict, in the midst of threat and war.

May we find a place of peace in our awareness even in the midst of great aversion and agitation.

(with thanks to Rabbi Toba Spitzer)