By Rabbi Joshua (teleologically known as The Hoffer) Hoffman [z"l]
On the third day of his journey to bring his son as a sacrifice to God, Avraham tells the two young men accompanying Yitzchak and him until now, " Stay here by yourselves with the donkey, while I and the lad willgo up to here ( 'ad koh) : and we will bow down and we will return to you " Bereishis, 22:5). Rabbi Yissochor Frand, in a talk on parshas Lech Lecha, cited an enigmatic midrash, which brings the opinion of Rabbi Nechemiah that in the merit of Avraham saying "koh'" ( here) the Jewish people merited the mitzvah of the blessing of the kohanim, which is introduced in the Torah by the words " so (koh) shall you bless the children of Israel" ( Bamidbar, 6:23). What is the connection between Avraham's comment to his young men and the blessing of the kohanim to the people? Rabbi Frand cites the explanation of Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Yadler, in his commentary to the Midrash Rabbah, Tiferes Tziyon, whch connects the two verses mentioned in the midrash to another verse which uses the word ' koh,' namely, the verse in parshas Lech Lecha in which God tells Avraham to count the stars, and tells him, ' so( koh') will be your offspring' ( Bereishis, 15:).
Rabbi Yadler explains that according to the midrash in parshas Naso, the priestly blessing includes in its formulation all possible physical and spiritual blessings, no matter what the priests themselves have in mind when they say the words. How are the priests able to incorporate all of thee blessings in their words without investing them with such content? The midrash answers that they are able to do this through the merit of Avraham saying 'ad koh,' or until here. what Avraham meant to say, explains Rabbi Yadler, is that even though sacrificing his son would seem to place the divine promise of '' so shall be your offspring" into question, explains that when Avraham took Yitzchak to bring him as a sacrifice, he said that even though he didn't understand what would now happen with God's promise of ' so shall be your offspring,' he would still keep on walking with Yitzchak and lead him to his sacrifice, and leave the details to Hashem. So, too, when the kohanim pronounce the words introduced by the words ' so shall you bless the children of Israel,' they do not understand the wider implications of the words they will be saying, but trust in God to deliver the blessings included in the formula they will recite.
I would like to offer a different explanation, rooted in Rabbi Yadler's connection of the word 'koh' mentioned in connection with the akeidah and the priestly blessings with that mentioned in parshas Lech Lecha.
Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohein Kook, in his commentary to the siddur, Olas Reiyah, writes that what particularly distinguished Avraham in the test of the akeidah was the great love with which he went to carry out God's command, from the beginning until the time when he was told to bring an animal sacrifice in place of Yitzchak ( the interested reader is referred to an article by Rabbi Shalom Carmy, " Paradox, Paradigm and the Birth of Inwardness: On R.Kook and the Akeda" in the volume Chazon Nachum, pages 459-579, for an extended presentation and analysis of Rav Kook's approach to the akeda). Rav Kook's son, Rav Tzvi Yehuah, adds, that the mesirus nefesh, or self-sacrifice, of Avraham exhibited at the akeidah consisted not only of his willingness to give up his portion in this world, which was embodies in his son, but his portion in the next world, as well, which was also embodied in his son. Why did God have such a special relationship with Avraham? God Himself articulated the reason, as recorded earlier in parshas Vayeira. Before destroying Sedom, God , " Shall I conceal from Avraham what I do, and Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him? For I have cherished him and his household after him that they keep the way of God, doing charity and justice, in order that God might bring upon Avraham that which he had spoken of him" ( Berishis, 18: 17-19). Avraham's love for God, then, entailed no personal interest at all. His desire for offspring was ultimately part of his love for God, enabling him to further God's plan for the world. Thus, when God told him to bring his child as a sacrifice, he preceded to comply, with love, to carry out God's plan for the world. His love for his son was a result of his love for God, and he viewed God's promise of 'so will be your offspring' within this context.
Before delivering the formula of the priestly blessing, the kohanim recite a blessing in which they say that they were commanded by God to bless the Jewish people with love. R. Zadok HaKohain of Lublin explains that any expression of human love must be expressed within the context of divine love, because, otherwise, it can go awry and lead to disastrous consequences. Thus, before the kohanim, whose task is to pursue peace and spread love among the Jewish people, bless the people with all possible blessings, as incorporated in the formula of the priestly blessing, they first pronounce a blessing to the effect that God has commanded them to bless the Jewish people with live. Human love is thus incorporated in divine love, so that all human endeavors are seen, ultimately, within the context of divine love, as means of reaching that ultimate level of connection with God. This is what Avraham achieved through the akeidah, and that is why he Jewish people merited the priestly blessing as a result.
