HANDS AND BLESSING

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well, and that everyone had a nice Yomtov.

Mazal Tov to Esther Miriam on her birthday this Shabbos. Wishing you to continue developing nicely in both gashmius and ruchnius and with much joy! You bring us all much nachas.

We wish Mommy long life on the Yohrtzeit of Meme, also on Shabbos. Her neshamah should have an Aliyah. We all remember Meme with much fondness.

Mazal Tov to Penina and Avi for the move to their new home. Wishing you to continue moving michayil el chayil in both gashmius and ruchnius.

In this week's Sedra, Naso, we learn about the Priestly Blessing, and I saw an interesting dvar Torah from the Rebbe's father Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, and it also demonstrates how precise Torah is with everything.

It says in Shulchan Aruch HaRav that the Kohanim should raise their HANDS to shoulder level for the Priestly Blessing, and that they should raise their right hand a little higher than their left. (Orach Chaim 128:20)

The Zohar explains that "when the Kohanim spread their FINGERS down here on earth it arouses the Shechinah above to descend and rest on the Jewish People. There are other instances when this applies, and this is the reason for Lulav and Shofar being done with the FINGERS. (Vol 3 145a)

Questions:

1. Why is the right hand raised higher than the left?
2. What is the connection to the Mitzvos of lulav and shofar and fingers?
3. Rosh Hashanah (shofar) comes before Sukkos, (lulav) and so why does the Zohar mention lulav before shofar?

Answer to 1 and 3:

The right hand symbolises chesed (kindness) and the left, gevurah (restraint and judgement).

The Zohar comments on the verse in Shir Hashirim 'His left hand was under my head, His right arm embraced me', saying that this hints at the Festivals of Tishrei where the left hand refers to Rosh Hashanah, a time of Judgement, and the embrace of the right arm refers to Sukkos, an outpouring of of joy and revealed kindness.

And just as with the Priestly blessing, which is to draw down G-d's kindness into the world (right side) and therefore the right hand is dominant, so too the Zohar mentions lulav (kindness and right) before shofar (judgement and left)

What has lulav and shofar to do with hands? - answer to 2 above

• The halachic measures to do with these mitzvos all are described with a tefach (the width of a hand)
• There are 3 verses in the Priestly Blessing, 3 sounds to the shofar, and 3 wavings of lulav in each direction
• Gematria. Lulav is 68, shofar is 586 which adds up to 654. The Priestly blessing introduction 'koh tevarechu' has gematria 653+1. So they are equal

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and much blessing