Our Parasha Naso is the longest portion in the Torah, yet within its many verses lies one of the shortest and most powerful messages ever given to humanity: the Birkat Kohanim — the Priestly Blessing.
“May God bless you and protect you.
May God shine His face upon you and be gracious to you.
May God lift His face toward you and grant you peace.”
At its heart, this is not just a blessing – it is a roadmap to a life of purpose, connection, and inner peace. It reminds us that divine blessing is not only about receiving, but also about being lifted. When God “lifts His face” toward us, He reminds us that each of us matters infinitely, no matter how small or hidden we may feel.
Rav Aryeh Levin, known as the “Tzaddik of Jerusalem,” was once walking hand in hand with a prisoner from the Russian Compound. A passerby whispered, “Look at that man with the criminal!”
But Rav Aryeh turned to him and said, “You see a criminal, I see a soul. When someone is down, that’s when he needs you to walk beside him the most.”
Rav Aryeh didn’t just visit prisoners – he visited the sick, comforted the lonely, and stood at the side of those the world had forgotten. Time and again, he would say, “When you lift someone else’s spirit, you raise your own.”
He had the power to lift heads, to see holiness in those no one else would look at. Like the Kohen blessing the people, he didn’t look down, he looked up, and lifted others with him.
Parashat Naso reminds us that the greatest blessings are not about wealth, status, or power – they are about being seen, lifted, and reminded that we are worthy.
The Hebrew word naso itself means “to lift.” The parasha begins with the command to “lift the heads” of the sons of Gershon—those who carried the sacred parts of the Mishkan. Even those whose job was behind the scenes had their names counted, their roles valued.
In life, we are called not only to receive blessings—but to be the blessing that lifts others. A kind word. A listening ear. A hand stretched out to someone who feels invisible. That is naso in action.
Let us ask ourselves: Who can I lift this week? Who needs a smile?
Sometimes the smallest act becomes the blessing that changes everything.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Refael Cohen