June 9, 2025|י"ג סיון ה' אלפים תשפ"ה The Power of Unity: Exploring Tefilla and Bracha Through Birkat Kohanim By Rabbi Jonathan Muskat

The last day of school is always challenging, both for teachers and students. Everyone is restless, eager to transition into summer, and the atmosphere is charged with a mix of excitement and impatience. To address this, I decided to forgo formal teaching with one of my classes and instead played a Kahoot review game. However, to make it engaging, there had to be stakes. So, I offered bonus points for the final exam: five points for first place, four for second, and so on. That instantly raised the intensity because, as many of you know, high school girls will go to extraordinary lengths for even a single extra point.

As we played, I added a little dramatic flair to the proceedings, calling out rankings and injecting some playful pressure. “Atara is in first place,” I teased at one point. “Let’s see if she can keep her cool under pressure!” The tension was palpable, especially for one particularly nervous student who really wanted those extra points. Eventually, unable to contain herself, she stood up in the middle of the game and exclaimed, “Shir ha’ma’alot mi’ma’amakim kraticha Hashem!” She recited a perek of Tehillim out loud in front of the whole class to steady her nerves, and, believe it or not, she won the game. So next time you are playing a Kahoot against someone…

This humorous yet sincere moment was a reminder of the power of tefilla, how instinctively we can turn to God in moments of need. Yet, for many of us, experiencing that power consistently can be a struggle. Tefilla often feels like a routine. The words are in Hebrew, and their themes can feel repetitive. Day after day, week after week, we recite the same prayers, with only slight variations for special occasions. For many, the speaking parts of tefilla, when we actively engage, are easier to connect with. But Chazarat HaShatz, the repetition of the Amidah, presents a unique challenge. We’re not speaking, and we’re not hearing anything new. How do we make this meaningful? How do we experience Chazarat HaShatz as something more than a passive moment in the service?

This week’s parsha, which contains Birkat Kohanim, provides a window into these questions. Two aspects of Birkat Kohanim stand out: Why is it recited during Chazarat HaShatz and not at the conclusion of the silent Shemoneh Esrei? And why does Sim Shalom, the final blessing of the Amidah, follow Birkat Kohanim rather than precede it? Shouldn’t we conclude the entire Shemoneh Esrei and then recite Birkat Kohanim?

To address these, we must first explore a foundational distinction: the difference between a tefilla and a bracha. At first glance, the difference may seem simple. A tefilla is a prayer where one asks God for something, while a bracha is a blessing bestowed by one person upon another. But this distinction doesn’t fully capture the depth of these concepts, especially when we consider that people can also pray for others. So, what truly differentiates a tefilla from a bracha?

Tefilla is an act of creation. It is the heartfelt plea of a person in need, a request for something entirely new. It stems from a place of vulnerability, where the petitioner, like a pauper at the door, relies solely on God’s compassion. Even Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest of prophets, prayed to God as va’etchanan, begging for divine grace. The power of tefilla lies in its ability to appeal to God’s infinite compassion, creating potential for new realities.

A bracha, by contrast, is an act of extension. It builds upon what already exists, amplifying or enhancing blessings that have a foundation. As Rabbenu Bachaye explains, the word bracha shares a root with berecha, meaning “pool,” which signifies a source of abundance that flows from its origin. Similarly, the Ramban teaches that a bracha cannot create something entirely new but can only expand upon an existing foundation. The miracles of Eliyahu and Elisha exemplify this, where blessings amplified limited resources rather than creating them from nothing.

This distinction sheds light on Birkat Kohanim. As a bracha, it enhances and amplifies existing blessings. It cannot stand alone but must build on a foundation. This explains why it is recited during Chazarat HaShatz. The silent Shemoneh Esrei, while powerful, represents individual prayer. Each person stands before God as an individual petitioner, bringing their unique needs and vulnerabilities. But Birkat Kohanim requires the communal foundation of Chazarat HaShatz, which represents Tefillat HaTzibbur, the prayer of the congregation as a unified whole.

Rav Soloveitchik highlights the distinction between tefilla b’tzibbur (prayer with a minyan) and Tefillat HaTzibbur (the prayer of the community). When we daven with a minyan, each individual prays their own tefilla, albeit in the presence of others. This is powerful, as communal prayer carries added merit. But Tefillat HaTzibbur transcends this. During Chazarat HaShatz, the shaliach tzibbur represents the entire congregation, invoking the collective merit and covenantal relationship between God and His people. It is this communal unity that serves as the proper foundation for Birkat Kohanim.

We see a parallel to this in the dedication of the Mishkan. After Aharon HaKohen performed the communal offerings, the korbanot tzibbur, he blessed the people with Birkat Kohanim. The blessings came only after the communal sacrifices, underscoring the idea that bracha builds upon the foundation of a spiritual act of communal unity.

This understanding also clarifies the placement of Sim Shalom after Birkat Kohanim. Sim Shalom is our response to Birkat Kohanim, reflecting its themes of harmony, balance, and unity. It encapsulates the physical blessings of yevarechecha, the spiritual illumination of ya’er Hashem panav eilecha, and the ultimate blessing of shalom, the integration of the physical and spiritual into a harmonious whole. By placing Sim Shalom at the conclusion, we pray to God that these blessings of shalom, of harmony and wholeness, that we heard in Birkat Kohanim, shall be ever present in our lives.

This brings us back to Chazarat HaShatz. What makes this part of tefilla so significant is not what we do but what we are. During the silent Shemoneh Esrei, we each approach God as different individuals, with varying levels of concentration and devotion. But Chazarat HaShatz is about being present as part of a tzibbur. It’s about unity, about standing together as equals, regardless of our individual spiritual states. In that moment, we are one body, represented by the shaliach tzibbur who offers prayers on our behalf.

This communal unity is the foundation for the blessings of Birkat Kohanim. The bracha is not just about individual success or well-being but about the collective flourishing of the community. It is a blessing of shalom, a harmony that encompasses the physical, spiritual, and communal dimensions of our lives.

As we conclude, I want to challenge all of us to think about how we approach tefilla, both individually and collectively. When we gather here each Shabbat morning, let it be a time of inspiration and connection, not just on a personal level but also as a community. Let’s make the quieter moments of tefilla, like Chazarat HaShatz, an opportunity to focus on the collective, to reflect on our shared identity as a tzibbur.

At your Shabbat tables, I encourage you to discuss this drasha. Reflect on the dual nature of tefilla, as a personal plea to God and as a communal act of spiritual unity. Consider how we can better connect to both dimensions in our prayers. And perhaps, through this reflection, we can deepen our sense of purpose in tefilla and strengthen our bond as a community. And hopefully going forward, we can each commit to do better and be better when we walk into the mikdash m’at, this shul, to live up to the ideal of what our tefillot should be.

May we merit to experience the blessings of Birkat Kohanim, blessings of abundance, illumination, and peace. And may our collective prayers inspire us to bring more unity, harmony, and holiness into our personal lives and the lives of this beautiful community.