Ilustration Credit: Chaim File
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
What kind of prayer might the כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל (kohen gadol, High Priest) have said when he was inside the קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים (kodesh ha-kodashim, Holy of Holies) on Yom Kippur?
אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אֱלִישָׁע: פַּעַם אַחַת, נִכְנַסְתִּי לְהַקְטִיר קְטוֹרֶת לִפְנַי וְלִפְנִים, וְרָאִיתִי אַכְתְּרִיאֵ-ל יָ-הּ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת, שֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא,
וְאָמַר לִי: ״יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנִי, בָּרְכֵנִי!״
אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ אֶת כַּעַסְךָ, וְיִגּוֹלּוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ עַל מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, וְתִתְנַהֵג עִם בָּנֶיךָ בְּמִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, וְתִכָּנֵס לָהֶם לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין.״
וְנִעְנַע לִי בְּרֹאשׁוֹ.
R. Yishmael ben Elisha said: Once, I entered to offer ketoret (incense) in the Holy of Holies. And I saw Akatriel Yah, God of Hosts, Who was sitting on a high and lofty throne.
God said to me, “Yishmael, My son, bless Me!”
I said to God, “Let it be Your will that Your mercy will conquer Your anger, and Your mercy should roll over Your attributes, and You should act toward Your children with the attribute of mercy, and enter for them beyond the letter of the law.”
And God nodded God’s head.
- Why would God ask this kohen gadol for a blessing? What does this say about God?
- Does it sound like a blessing for God, or for someone else? How might this be thought of as a blessing for God? What would this teach us about God?
- What message is this story teaching us? Why is this an important message for Yom Kippur?
- What blessing would you give to God if you could? What blessing would you give the Jewish people? Why?
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