By Marco Del Monte
Taken from a lesson by Rav Yona Metzger Shalit”a
In this week's parashah we find the famous text of the Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing. In the middle of the blessing we find the word “Yaer”, “may He cause to shine”, wishing that Hashem may shine His “Face” upon us. The great commentator Baal Haturim points out a very singular detail: he tells us that the word “יאר”, “Yaer”, meaning "may He cause to shine", when read backwards gives the word “ראי”, meaning "mirror".
How can we explain this commentary? Rav Metzgher recounts, in order to understand this explanation, the episode of the parting of the Red Sea. During the parting of the Red Sea, according to the Midrash, the sea did not merely split in two; rather, twelve paths opened up, one for each specific tribe. The surprising thing, as the teachers explain, is that the "walls" of water separating the tribes were completely transparent, so as to allow each of the tribes to see the others. What is the connection between this midrash and our verse? Rav Metzgher brings a further Chassidic story that sheds light on the meaning of all this. In a village there lived a Rav who met with every single poor person in order to provide them with a token to collect money for Tzedakah from the community coffers. One day he noticed the absence of a poor man who had come for many years to collect his allowance. He asked: "How is it that Izik has not shown up this year?" Another needy person replied: "Dear Rav, Izik has finally become rich." The Rav continued: "And has he helped you now?" The poor man replied with a gesture of denial. The Rav then presented himself at Itzik's house. Izik was very surprised and welcomed the Rav with all honours. The Rav brought Izik in front of the window and asked him: "What do you see?" Izik replied: "People passing by." Then the Rav brought him in front of the mirror and said to him: "What do you see now?" "I see myself," Itzik replied.
The Rav then said: "Both the window and the mirror are made of glass, only the mirror is coated with silver (note that *kesef* in Hebrew denotes both silver and money): when your eyes did not have the coating, you could see others, now you see only yourself." And this is the great teaching of Birchat Cohanim: it is fundamental to "illuminate" (*ya'er*) others, always being transparent, pure, holy. Just as at the Red Sea, each undoubtedly had their own path, their own part, their own role, in general their own individuality, but always with their gaze towards others, without selfishness. This is what the teachers teach us, that is, to place our eyes on the text and on ourselves, always reading the word as *ya'er* (may He illuminate), without blurring that transparency which might lead to reflecting only our own image. Perhaps this is precisely one of the meanings of the commandment read on Shavuot: do not make images for yourselves to worship them!
With the wish that we may always look at the world through the window!
Shabbat Shalom Umevorach!
Translated from the Italian with Google Gemini. The Italian text is the original.