The Priestly Blessing
The Torah sets out the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:23-27) in a simple passage:
The L-RD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
“The L-RD bless you and keep you;
the L-RD make His Face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the L-RD lift up His Countenance upon you and give you peace.” ‘
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
What is a blessing? The Hebrew word for bless is the word barack (ברכ), meaning to kneel, kneel down, salute, congratulate. We find this Hebrew word used other places in Scripture. Genesis 24:11 reads, "Then he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening, the time for the going out to draw water." Numbers 6:27 reads, "So they will put My Name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." When a husband proposes to his bride traditionally he kneels down and presents a gift, or dare I say, he "blesses" her. In Hebraic sense once a blessing is given it can never be taken away.
Three times the Holy Name of G-d is mentioned in the blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). In Exodus 20:7, we are commanded, "You must not take the Name of HaShem your G-d in vain, for Hashem will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain." In Hebraic sense we can read this, You must not use His name uselessly. The Holy Name of G-d is sacred. Observant Jews deem any written document with G-d's name precious. Holy books containing His Name are not to be treated carelessly, left face down, placed beneath other less sacred books, and never taken into a bathroom. Everything about our Creator is Holy. It is common to refer to G-d as HaShem (The Name). A name is never a name in Hebrew, it is a persons essence, their character, it is what makes you you. The Hebrew word for name (שמ), shem, is closely related to the Hebrew word neshemah (נשמה), soul. Genesis 2:7 uses this word for the life breath that the Holy One breathed into Adam, "Then Adonai Elohim formed them man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life--so the man became a living being." Our Father in Heaven is the One who Is and who was and who is to come. He is everlasting, The One who causes being.
The Hebrew word for "keep" is the word "shamar" (שמר), meaning to keep, watch, guard, preserve. Genesis 2:15 reads, "Then Adonai Elohim took the man and gave him rest in the Garden of Eden in order to cultivate and watch over (shamar) it." After the fall, "He expelled the man; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He had cherubim dwell along, with the whirling sword of flame to guard (shamar) the way to the Tree of Life. We find the word "shamar" several places throughout the scriptures. It is ideal to guard, protect, watch over, or keep things that are important and meaningful to us. Deuteronomy 4:40 it is clear that if we know and take to heart that HaShem is G-d and there is no other then, "You must keep (shamar) His statutes and His commandments, which I am commanding you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land that HaShem your G-d is giving you for all time."
Panaw (פניו) is the Hebrew word that is translated as "face" in the second line of the blessing (v.25) and "countenance"(v.26). In Exodus 33:14 we find the same word in it's plural form, "My presence (panim) will go with you and I will give you rest". The Presence of HaShem went before the Children of Israel by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel day and night according to Exodus 13:21 and His Presence continued to do this during the near 40 years of their wanderings in the wilderness. The wholeness, all of the "faces", of G-d traveled and camped with and among His people. The "light" (איר) "or" in Hebrew, of His face is that same light that lead the way for the Children of Israel. This would be the same light of Genesis 1:15 that was made to serve as luminaries in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. The true light, coming into the world, giving light to every man. Before there was light there was chaos and in light, there is order. In the light of HaShem's face there is harmony, purity, love, sustenance, and friendship.
Chanan (חנן) is the Hebrew word translated as "gracious" in the Priestly Blessing. Chanan means to show favor, be gracious, grant mercy. One might compare the Hebrew word chanah (חנה) which means encamp, bend down.
The third line of the blessing (v.26) ensures HaShem to "lift up" His Countenance, or His Face towards you. "Nasa" (נשא) is the Hebrew root for lift up. Nasa can also be translated as carry, take, bear, removing weights, firm up.
Shalom (שלום) , one of my very favorite words, means completeness, soundness, welfare, absence of conflict, and of course, peace. Shalom finds its root in the Hebrew word shelem (שלם) meaning to be complete, make amends, finish, make good, restitution, and to restore to its original state. When we greet someone with "Shalom" it's quite different than "hello". When we pray, and please continue to, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" we are asking for G-d to restore her, make the land whole again. In essence, we are praying for Yeshua to return home and truly make Jerusalem complete.
My amplified version of the priestly blessing after diving in to the Hebrew text,
"HaShem, The Infinite being, Who Was, Is, and Always Will Be, the One who causes being, (may He) kneel before you presenting gifts, and guard you with a hedge of protection;
(may) HaShem illuminate the wholeness of His Being toward you, bringing you order and harmony, providing you with love, sustenance, and friendship;
(may) HaShem lift up from you ANY and ALL burdens and carry them for you AND He will carry the wholeness of His Being toward you AND set all in place for you to be whole and complete.
Happy Day!
Shalom!