ויקרא, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ב

On the day of the Tabernacle's dedication, the sacrificial service reaches its climax when Aaron finishes offering the special series of sacrifices and turns to bless the Israelites. This profound moment transfers the atonement and mercy achieved on the altar directly to the entire nation. The motivation for this blessing stems from Aaron's deep personal concern. Observing that the Divine fire had not yet descended upon the altar, he feared that his past involvement with the Golden Calf had not been fully forgiven. He realized that complete atonement depended on his act of blessing the people, making the blessing an integral part of the atonement process itself [אור החיים, חומש קה״ת].

When raising his hands for the benefit of the Israelites [רבנו בחיי], commentators differ on his exact posture. Some suggest he faced his open palms directly toward the people [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר], while others believe he lifted his hands upward toward heaven [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, רמב״ן]. A subtle spelling anomaly in the text, where the word for hands is written in a singular form, leads to specific physical traditions for the blessing. It indicates either that the right hand should be held slightly higher than the left [תורה תמימה, רקנאטי, פרדס יוסף], or that both hands must be pressed tightly together so they appear as a single hand [תורה תמימה, פענח רזא].

Regarding the actual words spoken, the primary approach among commentators is that Aaron recited the familiar Priestly Blessing. Although the specific text of this blessing is recorded later in the Book of Numbers, it is alluded to here and detailed later [מזרחי, גור אריה]. Some explain that the command in Numbers was chronologically given before these events [רמב״ן, ביאור יש״ר]. Another perspective suggests that Aaron spontaneously offered this blessing from his own heart, and God subsequently approved, establishing it as a permanent Commandment for future generations [ברכת אשר]. A contrasting view maintains that Aaron did not recite the official Priestly Blessing at all, but rather offered a spontaneous prayer with his hands spread to heaven, much like King Solomon did during the Temple's dedication [רמב״ן]. For those who identify the words as the Priestly Blessing, its three parts perfectly mirror the three types of sacrifices just offered. The prayer for protection corresponds to the sin offering, guarding the people from future failure. The prayer for God to make His face shine corresponds to the burnt offering, and the prayer for peace corresponds to the peace offering [פענח רזא, קיצור בעל הטורים].

A debate arises regarding the exact sequence of events as Aaron concludes his duties. One approach argues that the narrative is not strictly chronological; Aaron finished the service, stepped down from the altar, and only then lifted his hands to bless the nation [אבן עזרא, חזקוני, אור החיים]. A second approach maintains that the order is precise: Aaron stood upon the altar to bless the people immediately after completing the sacrifices, and only descended afterward [מלבי״ם, העמק דבר, ביאור יש״ר]. Finally, while the narrative lists the sin, burnt, and peace offerings, it noticeably omits the grain offering that was also presented. This omission occurs either because the text focuses exclusively on sacrifices brought for atonement [ריב״א], or because the grain offering is considered a secondary element whose sole purpose is to validate the primary sacrifices [הטור הארוך].