What is "Barech Hashem Cheilo" referring to?
Rashi: When Moshe foresaw that twelve B'nei Chashmonai and Elazar would take on the Greek army comprising tens of thousands of troops, he Davened "Barech Hashem Cheilo... Mechatz Mosnayim Kamav u'Mesanav... ".
Ramban #1: It is referring to their numbers - a prayer that the tribe of K'has should not diminish when they enter the Kodesh. 1
Ramban #2 (citing Targum Onkelos), 2 Seforno and Targum Yonasan 3 : It is referring to their property 4 - a prayer for their wealth 5 to increase. 6
Makos 12a: It teaches us that, if a Kohen who served is found to be a Chalal (his mother was forbidden to Kehunah, or he descends from such a Kohen), Bedi'eved his Avodah is Kosher
Ramban: See Bamidbar, 4:18, 19.
Ramban: Following the mention of the Ketores in the previous Pasuk, it is referring to the B'rachah that accompanies the bringing of the Ketores - as the Gemara states in Yoma, 26a - See Ramban. See also Ba'al ha'Turim on Pasuk 9, DH 'Yasimu Ketorah'.
Ramban (citing the Sifri): From this Pasuk, Chazal extrapolated that the majority of Kohanim were wealthy.
Targum Yonasan: With reference to the Levi'im, who give the Kohanim T'rumas Ma'aser - See Na'ar Yonasan and Nos'ei K'lei Yonasan.
Ramban: As in Bamidbar 31:9.
Seforno: That the Levi'im should succeed financially with a minimum amount of effort on their part, in order to be free to study and teach Torah.
See Torah Temimah, note 35.
What is the significance of the juxtaposition of "Barech Hashem Cheilo" to "Yasimu Ketorah be'Apecha"?
Yoma, 27a: It teaches us that the Ketores caused the Kohen who brought it to become rich. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 34.
What is "u'Fo'al Yadav Tirtzeh" referring to?
Seforno and Targum Onkelos: It is a Tefilah that Hashem should accept their Avodah in the Beis-Hamikdash with goodwill. 1
Targum Yonasan: 'Accept the Korban that Eliyahu the Kohen will bring on Mount Carmel'. 2
Refer to 33:11:1:4 & 5.
What is the translation of "M'chatz Mosnayim Kamav"?
Rashi and Targum Onkelos: Smite the loins of those who rise against [the Kehunah]! 1
Refer to 33:11:1:5.
Rashi: As in Tehilim, 69:24.
Whom are "Kamav and "Mesan'av" referring to?
Rashi: "Kamav" refers to all those who threaten the Kehunah.
Targum Yonasan: 'Break the loins of Achav, [Eliyahu's] hater, and the altars of the false prophets who stand against him, and do not give the haters of Yochanan Kohen Gadol a leg to stand on.
What are the implications of the words "min Yekumun"?
Rashi: It implies that the enemy should fall and not be able to rise.
Seforno: It implies that all those who threaten the Kehunah should be stopped in their tracks. 1
Targum Yonasan: Refer to 33:11:4:2.
Seforno: Like Korach, whom the earth swallowed up, and King Uziyah, who was struck with Tzara'as - when they threatened the Kehunah Gedolah. See Oznayim la'Torah who elaborates.
