There is a teaching in the name of R. Jose, saying: When the priest spreads forth his hands it is forbidden to look at them,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 16a. for the reason that the Shekinah is hovering over his hands. R. Isaac remarked: ‘Inasmuch as one is unable to see the Shekinah, as it says, “for man shall not see me and live” (Ex. 33, 2), to wit, not whilst alive but only in death, what matters it then if one looks at the priest’s hands?’ Said R. Jose: ‘It matters because the Divine Name is reflected in the fingers of the priest’s hands, so that although people cannot see the Shekinah they ought not to look towards the hands of the priests, as that would indicate irreverence towards the Shekinah.
We have learnt that when the priests hold their hands outspread [in blessing], the congregation should be in fear and awe, and realize that it is a time of favour in all the worlds when the upper and lower worlds are being blessed, and there is everywhere an absence of Rigour. It is a moment when the undisclosed aspect of the Ancient of Ancients is being revealed as Microprosopus (Lesser-Figure), and thus peace prevails then everywhere.
2The first 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation. A teacher taught in the presence of R. Simeon: Whoever is in distress on account of a dream should recite during the time the priests spread forth their hands the following:1T. B. Berachoth, 55a. “ O Master of the world, I am Thine and my dreams are Thine….” For that is a propitious moment, and if one then offers up prayer in his distress, Rigour is turned for him into Mercy. ’
תָּאנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא פְּרֵיס יְדוֹי, אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְעַמָּא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, מִשּׁוּם דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא בִּידוֹי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אִי הָכִי, כֵּיוָן דְּלָא חָמָאן מַה אִכְפַּת לְהוּ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב (שמות ל״ג:כ׳) כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי, בְּחַיֵּיהוֹן לָא חָמָאן, אֲבָל בְּמִיתָתְהוֹן חָמָאן. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מִשּׁוּם דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא רְמִיזָא בְּאֶצְבְּעָן דִּידוֹי, וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְדַחֲלָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא חָמָאן שְׁכִינְתָּא, לָא בָּעָאן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּידַיְיהוּ דְּכַהֲנֵי, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּכְחוּן עַמָּא חֲצִיפָאן לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא.
There is a teaching in the name of R. Jose, saying: When the priest spreads forth his hands it is forbidden to look at them,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 16a. for the reason that the Shekinah is hovering over his hands. R. Isaac remarked: ‘Inasmuch as one is unable to see the Shekinah, as it says, “for man shall not see me and live” (Ex. 33, 2), to wit, not whilst alive but only in death, what matters it then if one looks at the priest’s hands?’ Said R. Jose: ‘It matters because the Divine Name is reflected in the fingers of the priest’s hands, so that although people cannot see the Shekinah they ought not to look towards the hands of the priests, as that would indicate irreverence towards the Shekinah.
תָּאנָא, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנָא פְּרֵיס יְדוֹי, צְרִיכִין עַמָּא לְמֵיתַב בִּדְחִילוּ, בְּאֵימָתָא, וְלִינְדַע דְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, עִידָן רְעוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, וּמִתְבָּרְכָן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְלֵית דִּינָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ. וְהוּא שַׁעֲתָא, דְּאִתְגְּלֵי סְתִימָא עַתִּיקָא דְּעַתִּיקִין בִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְאִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלָמָא בְּכֹלָּא.
We have learnt that when the priests hold their hands outspread [in blessing], the congregation should be in fear and awe, and realize that it is a time of favour in all the worlds when the upper and lower worlds are being blessed, and there is everywhere an absence of Rigour. It is a moment when the undisclosed aspect of the Ancient of Ancients is being revealed as Microprosopus (Lesser-Figure), and thus peace prevails then everywhere.
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּהָנֵי תְּלַת קְרָאֵי רֵישֵׁיהוֹן יוֹ"ד יוֹ"ד יוֹ"ד, יְ"בָרֶכְךָ יָ"אֵר יִ"שָּׂא. כֻּלְּהוּ לְאַחֲזָאָה מְהֵימְנוּתָא שְׁלֵימָא. וּלְאִתְבָּרְכָא מֵעַתִּיקָא מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. יוֹ"ד יוֹ"ד יוֹ"ד, לְאִתְבָּרְכָא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין מֵעַתִּיקָא דְּכֹלָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ יְבָרֶכְךָ יְיָ לְעֵילָּא, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ הוּא לְתַתָּא, וְכֵן כֻּלְּהוּ. וְתָאנֵי תָּנָא קָמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הַאי מַאן דִּמְצָעֵר בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, לֵיתֵי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּכַהֲנֵי פַּרְסֵי יְדַיְיהוּ, וְלֵימָא רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֲנִי שֶׁלָּךְ וַחֲלוֹמוֹתַי שֶׁלָּךְ וְכוּ'. אֲמַאי. מִשּׁוּם דְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ רַחֲמֵי בְּעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ, וּמַאן דְּיִבְעֵי צְלוֹתֵיהּ בְּצַעֲרֵיהּ, אִתְהַפָּךְ לֵיהּ דִּינָא לְרַחֲמֵי.
2The first 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation. A teacher taught in the presence of R. Simeon: Whoever is in distress on account of a dream should recite during the time the priests spread forth their hands the following:1T. B. Berachoth, 55a. “ O Master of the world, I am Thine and my dreams are Thine….” For that is a propitious moment, and if one then offers up prayer in his distress, Rigour is turned for him into Mercy. ’