Blessings in the singular – Naso
When so much of Judaism is in the plural (“Forgive us”), why is the priestly blessing (Num.7:24) in the singular (“The Lord bless thee”)?
There is an explanation given by the Chafetz Chayyim, who differentiates between the people as a whole and the individuals who make it up. The kohanim love the whole of the Jewish people and they also love every individual. They want God to bless the nation; they also want each of its members to be blessed.
An individual may be eccentric and individualistic, with habits and opinions with which other people do not agree, but no-one is without their own place in the world and in the Divine favour.
