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Birkat Cohanim: Difference between revisions
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# If one is in front of the Cohanim one should face east (the front of the Shul). <Ref> Biur Halacha 128:24 D”H Aval </ref> | # If one is in front of the Cohanim one should face east (the front of the Shul). <Ref> Biur Halacha 128:24 D”H Aval </ref> | ||
# One shouldn’t look at the hands of the Cohanim during Birkat Cohanim and so one should face downward <Ref>S”A 128:23 </ref> or cover one’s face with a talit. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 128:92, Tefillah KeHilchata 14:49 </ref> However, nowadays that the Cohanim wear the Talit over their hands one may look at the cohanim. <Ref>Siach Tefillah (Shaar 5, 1:2) [See also Rav Herschel Schacter’s opinion at yu.edu.]. However, the Piskei Teshuvot 128:55 writes that one should still not look at the Cohanim so as not to get distracted. </ref> | # One shouldn’t look at the hands of the Cohanim during Birkat Cohanim and so one should face downward <Ref>S”A 128:23 </ref> or cover one’s face with a talit. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 128:92, Tefillah KeHilchata 14:49 </ref> However, nowadays that the Cohanim wear the Talit over their hands one may look at the cohanim. <Ref>Siach Tefillah (Shaar 5, 1:2) [See also Rav Herschel Schacter’s opinion at yu.edu.]. However, the Piskei Teshuvot 128:55 writes that one should still not look at the Cohanim so as not to get distracted. </ref> | ||
===Answering Amen and Baruch Hu Baruch Shemo=== | ===Answering Amen and Baruch Hu Baruch Shemo=== | ||
# The congregants should answer "Amen" after each of the three berachot said in bircat Cohanim.<ref>As such: "Yevarechecha Hashem v'yishmerecha --Amen-- Ya'er Hashem panav elecha v'yichunecha --Amen-- Yisa Hashem panav elecha v'yasem lecha shalom --Amen--. Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3</ref> | # The congregants should answer "Amen" after each of the three berachot said in bircat Cohanim.<ref>As such: "Yevarechecha Hashem v'yishmerecha --Amen-- Ya'er Hashem panav elecha v'yichunecha --Amen-- Yisa Hashem panav elecha v'yasem lecha shalom --Amen--. Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3</ref> | ||
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* Rav Ovadyah Yosef in Sh”t Yabea Omer 7:12 writes that one doesn’t have to stop in middle of [[Amidah - Shemonah Esrei|Shemonah Esrei]] in order to listen to Birkat Cohanim (based on the above two reasons), however, if one wanted to one should do so in between the Brachot. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman in Halichot Shlomo 10:3 writes that in deference to those who hold that there’s also a mitzvah for those being blessing one should stop to listen. | * Rav Ovadyah Yosef in Sh”t Yabea Omer 7:12 writes that one doesn’t have to stop in middle of [[Amidah - Shemonah Esrei|Shemonah Esrei]] in order to listen to Birkat Cohanim (based on the above two reasons), however, if one wanted to one should do so in between the Brachot. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman in Halichot Shlomo 10:3 writes that in deference to those who hold that there’s also a mitzvah for those being blessing one should stop to listen. | ||
* Chazon Ish (Dinim VeHanhagot 4:29), Igrot Moshe 4:21(2), Shevet HaLevi 3:15, and Halichot Shlomo 10:3 (note 18 adds that one should listen from the beginning of the Bracha that the cohanim make before Birkat Cohanim.) all hold that one should stop and listen for Birkat Cohanim. See also Avnei Yishfah (Tefillah pg 205) quoting Rav Elyashiv and Sh”t Teshuvot VeHanhagot 2:77 who say that one shouldn’t stop to listen to Birkat Cohanim. </ref> If one stopped to listen to Birkat Cohanim one should not answer Amen. <Ref> Tefillah KeHilchata 14:51 based on Sh”t Shevet HaLevi 3:15, and the Imrei Yosher in name of the Chazon Ish writes not to answer Amen. Tefillah KeHilchata 14:51 writes that if one is saying [[Amidah - Shemonah Esrei|Shemonah Esrei]] together with the Shaliach Tzibbur one should answer Amen. </ref> | * Chazon Ish (Dinim VeHanhagot 4:29), Igrot Moshe 4:21(2), Shevet HaLevi 3:15, and Halichot Shlomo 10:3 (note 18 adds that one should listen from the beginning of the Bracha that the cohanim make before Birkat Cohanim.) all hold that one should stop and listen for Birkat Cohanim. See also Avnei Yishfah (Tefillah pg 205) quoting Rav Elyashiv and Sh”t Teshuvot VeHanhagot 2:77 who say that one shouldn’t stop to listen to Birkat Cohanim. </ref> If one stopped to listen to Birkat Cohanim one should not answer Amen. <Ref> Tefillah KeHilchata 14:51 based on Sh”t Shevet HaLevi 3:15, and the Imrei Yosher in name of the Chazon Ish writes not to answer Amen. Tefillah KeHilchata 14:51 writes that if one is saying [[Amidah - Shemonah Esrei|Shemonah Esrei]] together with the Shaliach Tzibbur one should answer Amen. </ref> | ||
==Things that prevent a Cohen from doing Birkat Cohanim== | |||
# 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 they all know that he can't pronounce the letters correctly), he may do birkat cohanim. This is the accepted minhag. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 318 </ref> | |||
#Similarly, a stutterer or one who speaks unclearly, whose words cannot be understood by everyone, should not recite birkat Cohanim<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 1</ref> | |||
# 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. <strong>Nowadays</strong>, 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. <ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 319</ref> | |||
#A Cohen who drank a revi'it of wine at any time should not do bircat Cohanim until the effects of the wine have worn off <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 4</ref> | |||
# 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 (because they are not considered Cohanim).<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 322 Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 5</ref> | |||
# 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. <ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 319</ref> | |||
==Minhag of thanking Cohanim== | ==Minhag of thanking Cohanim== | ||
# There is a minhag that after Bircat Cohanim, the congregants should go to the Cohanim and say "Chazak U'baruch" or "Yashar Koach". Even though they were obligated to do what they did, they still could have made themselves exempt by leaving. Therefore, it is fitting to praise them.<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 338</ref> | # There is a minhag that after Bircat Cohanim, the congregants should go to the Cohanim and say "Chazak U'baruch" or "Yashar Koach". Even though they (the Cohanim) were obligated to do what they did, they still could have made themselves exempt by leaving. Therefore, it is fitting to praise them.<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 338</ref> | ||
# At the conclusion of Birkat Cohanim, some have the practice to thank the cohanim for the Brachot and the cohanim respond Tzivku LeMitzvot. However, some authorities advise avoiding having the Cohanim respond these words. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 128:60, Aruch HaShulchan 128:24, Sh”t Har Tzvi 62 </ref> However, saying Yasher Koach or thank you isn’t an issue. <Ref>Nesiut Kapim KeHilchata (Chap 9 note 53) writes that the Cohanim saying the "Yashar Koach" isn’t an issue. Piskei Teshuvot 128:48 writes that saying "Thank you" isn’t an issue. </ref> | # At the conclusion of Birkat Cohanim, some have the practice to thank the cohanim for the Brachot and the cohanim respond Tzivku LeMitzvot. However, some authorities advise avoiding having the Cohanim respond these words. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 128:60, Aruch HaShulchan 128:24, Sh”t Har Tzvi 62 </ref> However, saying Yasher Koach or thank you isn’t an issue. <Ref>Nesiut Kapim KeHilchata (Chap 9 note 53) writes that the Cohanim saying the "Yashar Koach" isn’t an issue. Piskei Teshuvot 128:48 writes that saying "Thank you" isn’t an issue. </ref> | ||
