Birkat Cohanim

From Halachipedia
Birkat kohanim.jpg

The Mitzvah of Birkat Cohanim nowadays

  1. The Mitzvah of Birkat Cohanim is biblical (Deoritta) even nowadays, in all places at all times. [1] It is based on the pasuk "דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר, כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: אָמוֹר, לָהֶם" meaning "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you must bless the Israelites". [2]
  2. The Mitzvah isn’t strictly obligatory, but rather a Mitzvah which is an opportunity to fulfill a positive command similar to Tzitzit. [3]
  3. The Ashkenazic minhag outside Israel is not to do Birkat Cohanim except at Mussaf of Yom Tov because Birkat Cohanim should be done when people are relaxed and not bothered by work. [4] Throughout Jewish history, some have made a great effort to change this minhag (in order to fulfill this biblical Mitzvah) and were unsuccessful. [5]
  4. Some have the practice not do Birkat Cohanim when Yom Tov falls out on Shabbat, however, the poskim strongly disapprove of this and urge to discontinue this practice without causing conflict. [6]

Upon whom is the mitzvah of Birkat Cohanim?

  1. Most rabbinic authorities assume that the mitzvah is upon the Cohanim while a minority opinion assumes that there’s a mitzvah both upon the Cohanim and the Yisraelim who are being blessed. [7]
  2. If a Cohen is in shul and isn’t called up to do the Birkat Cohanim, strictly he isn’t obligated to do Birkat Cohanim (certainly, it’s appropriate and correct to do so) however, once a Cohen is asked to do Birkat Cohanim he violates the biblical command by refusing. [8]
  3. When a Cohen goes up to bless the congregation, it is as if the Cohen is also being blessed. [9]

When is Birkat Cohanim said?

  1. Bircat Cohanim is done in Shacharit, Musaf, and Ne'ilah. It is not done during Mincha because perhaps the Cohen drank wine, and a Cohen who is intoxicated may not do Bircat Cohanim. [10]
  2. Therefore, during a fast day which doesn't have Ne'ilah (like Tish'a B'av (the ninth of av) or shiv'a asar b'tamuz (the 17th of tamuz) we do bircat Cohanim during mincha [11]
  3. There is no Bircat Cohanim at night. [12]

Cohanim washing their hands before Birkat Cohanim

  1. The kohanim need to wash their entire hands for birkat kohanim, even on Tisha Be’av on which one can’t wash past the knuckles. Only Levim who regularly wash their own hands before washing the kohanim’s, can wash on Tisha Be’av before washing the kohanims' hands. [13]

Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Cohanim

  1. Even if there is no platform, the cohanim should still go up to bless the congregation. Therefore if the one leading the prayers is the only cohen present, he should bless "Birkat Cohanim" from where he is standing, and he doesn't need to move to the platform. [14]
  2. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai instituted that the Cohanim should not go up wearing sandals or any type of shoe, out of respect to the congregation [15]
  3. By the time the Sheliach Tzibur arrives at the blessing of "Retzeh", the Cohanim must make a motion towards doing the mitzvah. If the Sheliach Tzibur finished the blessing of "Retzeh", and said the word "Modim" before a cohen made this motion, that cohen may not go up to do birkat cohanim. [16]
  4. The Cohanim should stand there, facing the heichal, with their backs to the congregation. They hold their fingers closed, against their palms, until the sheliach tzibur completes the blessing of "hatov shimcha". [Then,] they turn their faces to the people, spread out their fingers, and lift up their hands shoulder high.[17]
  5. If only one Cohen is blessing the people, he should begin reciting the blessing alone. Afterwards, the sheliach tzibur says the words of birchat cohanim one word at a time and Cohen repeats each word after the shaliach tzibbur, as explained below.[18]
  6. If there are two or more Cohanim present, they do not begin reciting the blessing until the sheliach tzibur calls them, saying the word “Cohanim”. [19]
  7. One of the measures ordained by Ezra is that the priests should not ascend to the duchan wearing sandals. Rather, they should stand barefoot[20]
  8. If the only cohen in the tzibur is the Sheliach tzibur, and he is using a siddur and will therefor not be confused and will be able to continue in his tefila after birkat cohanim, he should move his feet during the bracha of "Retzeh", and then go do birkat cohanim, so that the tzibur will not miss out on this special blessing. But if there is another cohen who can do birkat cohanim, the sheliach tzibur should not go. [21]
  9. If the sheliach tzibur forgot to do bircat coahanim, and he started the blessing of "Sim Shalom", as long as he did not finish the blessing of "Sim Shalom", if he remembers he can go back. But if he finished the words "Hamevarech et amo yisrael basahalom"(the end of "Sim Shalom"), he can no longer go back. And even though there are those who say that you can do birkat cohanim after the prayers are finished, it is better not to do it. (Safek brachot lehakel- when we have a doubt about blessing we should be lenient, and not say the blessing)[22]
  10. If a person can not pronounce his letters correctly, for example if he says his "Ayin's" like "Alephs" and his "chet's" like "caf's", he is still allowed to do birkat cohanim, because nowadays that is how everyone pronounces them. However if he happens to be in a place where they are very meticulous about correct pronounciation, he should not do birkat cohanim. There are those who say that if a person is in a place that they are meticulous, but all the people know that this person can not pronounce their letters the "corect" way, or if they pronounce it a different way (for example: if an ashkenazi, who has different letter pronunciations, is in a sephardic shul), he may do birkat cohanim. This is the accepted minhag. [23]
  11. A Cohen who has a defect, blemish, or deformity, on his face or his hands should not do birkat cohanim, because the people will look at him and be distracted. However if he is "Dash B'Iro", meaning that he is had a blemish for at least 30 days and the whole tzibur knows that he has this blemish, there is no worry that people will look at him, and he may do birkat cohanim. Nowadays, since the Cohanim cover themselves with a talit during the blessing, there is no worry that people will look at him, and any Cohen who has a blemish on his hands or face may do bircat cohanim. [24]
  12. A Cohen is forbidden marry a divorcee or a convert. If he does, his child has the title of a "Challal", and this child may not do bircat Cohanim. Him and all his descendents are "Challalim" and may not do Bircat Cohanim.[25]
  13. A sick person who is attatched to a catheter, which holds his urine under his clothing, may do bircat Cohanim as long as his outer clothes are clean, and there is no bad smell coming out of him. [26]
  14. The cohanim should be careful not to continue the next blessing until the congregants have finished saying "Amen"[27]
  15. At the end of bircat Cohanim, the Cohanim should not turn back around (so that their backs are facing the congregation), nor should they put their hands down and close their fingers, until the sheliach tzibur begins the beracha of "Sim Shalom" [28]

Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Shaliach Tzibbur

  1. The Sheliach Tzibur should say the words of birkat cohanim one word at a time and the cohen should repeat each word after the shaliach tzibbur. [29]
  1. ↑ Sefer HaChinuch (378), Shaar HaTzion 128:131*, Yalkut Yosef (Tefillah vol 2, pg 217)
  2. ↑ Bamidbar 6:23
  3. ↑ Dvar Avraham 1:31
  4. ↑ Rama 128:44. For other reasons to explain the Ashkenazi minhag see Bet Yosef 128 quoting the Sefer Chasidim, Sh”t Zera Emet 3:13, and Sh”t Bet Efraim 6
  5. ↑ Aruch HaShulchan 128:64
  6. ↑ Mishna Brurah 128:165, Sh”t Igrot Moshe 3:18, 5:15
  7. ↑ Biur Halacha 128 intro, Sefer Charedim 12:18, Igrot Moshe 4:21
  8. ↑ Biur Halacha 128:4
  9. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294
  10. ↑ Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 1)
  11. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 2
  12. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 339
  13. ↑ Rabbi Mansour on dailyhalacha.com
  14. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294
  15. ↑ Gemara Sotah 40a, S"A 128:5
  16. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 299
  17. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3
  18. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 8
  19. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 8
  20. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 6
  21. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 311
  22. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 315
  23. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 318
  24. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 319
  25. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 322
  26. ↑ Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 319
  27. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 5
  28. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 6
  29. ↑ Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3
Retrieved from "http://localhost:80/index.php?title=Birkat_Cohanim&oldid=5506"