Commentary on Parashat Nasso, Numbers 4:21-7:89
Every week, Julie Seltzer, artist and Torah scribe, bakes a challah depicting an aspect of the week’s Torah portion.
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May he Lord deal kindly and graciously with you. May the Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace. (Number 6:24-26)
יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ
יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ
יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם
These hands represent the position that Kohanim hold their hands when saying the priestly blessing. The idea is to have five spaces, or lattices, between the fingers (based on a line from Song of Songs: “Peering through the lattices”).
challah
Pronounced: KHAH-luh, Origin: Hebrew, ceremonial bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Torah
Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.
