(כב) וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת ידו [יָדָיו] אֶל הָעָם וַיְבָרְכֵם וַיֵּרֶד מֵעֲשֹׂת הַחַטָּאת וְהָעֹלָה וְהַשְּׁלָמִים.
(22) And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings.
Rashi states on this Pasuk ויברכם: ברכת כהנים יברכך, יאר, ישא:
When Ahron was blessing the people he was saying the Text of the priestly blessing or Birkat Cohanim. (See Below)
The Nitivat Shalom , N.S. asks on this Pasuk;
Q: Why does it mention that Ahron lifted his hands? The idea is that he blessed them. If the essence is the blessing why is it referred to as the lifting of the hands in general, until this day ?
Ahron helps support his brother by lifting his hands. Moshe's hands play a key role in the battle versus Amalayk. On understanding is that they serve as motivation to the Jews fighting below looking to the leader in every generation for inspiration and guidance.
The N.S. writes that we have unnecessary/extraneous wording in the pasuk. Q:Why does it say Avraham sent his arm? It should say he picked up the knife.
A:Avraham had to command his arm to reach out and grab the knife because his entire body was devoted to Chessed (Kindness) his arm would not want to hurt another human. So Avraham had to command his arm to grab the knife and so the pasuk points this out. His arm was an instrument through which he affected the world.
Rabbi Yaakov Emden in his Siddur writes that it is a Minhag Yisroel to bless the children Friday night placing both hands on the child. In the Vilna Gaon's Siddur it also mentions the Minhag of giving a Bracha, however there it says you should only place the right hand on the child.
The pasuk we say when blessing the children on Shabbos Night is connected to Yackov blessing his grandchildren. We also say the Birkat Cohanim from parsha Nasso as part of the blessing.
N.S. : The text of the Bracha for the Birkat Cohanim mentions blessing with Love specifically, this is not found in the text of any other bracha, it also singles out the holiness of Ahron .
Both of these are connected to blessing the people in general. If the Cohen does not have love for the people and the people don't have love for him then the blessing is not as affective. This is why love and through the holiness of Ahron are mentioned. They are guidelines to achieving and receiving Bracha.
Two Roles of the Priesthood - Rav Kook
The function of the kohanim is not only to serve in the Temple. The kohanim are also expected to teach and elevate the people, as it says, "From the kohen's lips they will guard knowledge, and they will seek Torah from his mouth" (Malachi 2:7). These two roles are interrelated, since the source for their spiritual influence on the people originates in the holiness of their service in the Temple.
There is one duty of the kohanim that combines both of these roles: the priestly blessing. This blessing is part of the Temple service, and at the same time, reflects their interaction with the people. The kohanim recite the blessing with outstretched arms, a sign that their efforts to uplift the people are an extension and continuation of their holy service in the Temple.
From the Wikipedia Entry. Priestly Blessing. Ketef Hinnom.
Priestly Blessing
This is the oldest known Biblical text that has been found; amulets with these verses written on them have been found in graves in dating from the First Temple Period, and are now in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Various interpretations of these verses connect them to the three Patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobor to three attributes of God: Mercy, Courage, and Glory.
Ketef Hinnom
In 1979 two tiny silver scrolls, inscribed with portions of the well-known apotropaic Priestly Blessing of the Book of Numbers and apparently once used as amulets were discovered by a 13 year old boy by accident.
They were found in one of the burial chambers. The delicate process of unrolling the scrolls while developing a method that would prevent them from disintegrating took three years. They contain what may be the oldest surviving texts from the Hebrew Bible . (Tanach)
Significance of the Discovery
The 2004 team described the scrolls as "one of most significant discoveries ever made" for biblical studies. Apart from their significance for our knowledge of the development of the Hebrew alphabet, the scrolls "preserve the earliest known citations of texts also found in the Hebrew Bible and ... the earliest examples of confessional statements concerning Hashem ." The reference to Hashem as "Rebuker of Evil," found in later incantations and amulets associated with Israel, is evidence that these artifacts were also amulets.
Birkat Kohanim a convergence of ritual and text. What is the interplay between the two?
What is the role of our hands in the world? In a literal (Opposable thumbs) and figurative sense.
What are some answers to the N.S. original question?
What type of character traits do we look for in a leader?