The Father and the Rebellious Son
A father was once so furious with his son's insolent, irresponsible behavior that he banished the young man from the house.
But at nightfall, the temperature dropped, and the youth, without proper clothing, was cold and miserable. He knocked on the door of a neighbor’s house, hoping the man would speak to the father and convince him to provide a proper coat.
The neighbor, with the best of intentions, agreed to help. He approached the father. "Have pity on your son! Clothe him for the cold."
The father, not missing a beat, responded, “Yes, do me a favor—allow me to provide a coat for my son.”
The neighbor blinked. What in the world did that mean?
The father, seeing his confusion, explained. “You think I don’t want to help him? I’m his father! There’s nothing I want more than to help him.”
“But because of his laziness and arrogance, I’m forced to act like this. It is for his own good that I am strict with him.”
“So, if you want to help, don’t come to me. Speak to the boy! Tell him to get his act together. Then I will happily give him whatever he needs."
The Task of the Kohanim
God told Moses to instruct his brother Aaron and his sons to bless the Jewish people: “This is how you should bless the Israelites. Tell them: May God bless you and watch over you…” (Num. 6:23)
At first glance, this daily blessing, Birkat Kohanim, appears to be a prayer to God, asking for His protection and grace. But here's the question: Why do the Kohanim turn to face the people when they say this blessing? Shouldn't they be facing God as they plead on behalf of the people?
Like the father in the parable, God wants the best for Israel. He would love to bless us—but we need to be deserving of that blessing. That is why the Kohanim face the people. They’re not just praying to God; they’re urging us to be deserving of God’s blessing.
God's command to Aaron echoes the father’s words to his neighbor: "This is how you should bless the Israelites: Tell them!" Turn to the people and tell them to make themselves worthy. Then, "God will bless you and watch over you"—they will deserve God's blessing and protection.
As the Midrash puts it: “God told Moses: Before you command Me regarding My children, command My children regarding Me!” (Rashi on Num. 28:2)
Before we start blaming the world for our troubles, we should first take a hard look at ourselves. How many of our problems did we bring upon ourselves?
