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Birkat Cohanim: Difference between revisions
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# 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. <Ref>Biur Halacha 128:4 </ref> | # 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. <Ref>Biur Halacha 128:4 </ref> | ||
# When a Cohen goes up to bless the congregation, it is as if the Cohen is also being blessed. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 128:2, Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294</ref> | # When a Cohen goes up to bless the congregation, it is as if the Cohen is also being blessed. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 128:2, Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294</ref> | ||
==When is Birkat Cohanim said?== | ==When is Birkat Cohanim said?== | ||
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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== | ==Things that may 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> | # 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'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 1</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'Birkat 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 birkat cohanim. <ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 319</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 birkat 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 birkat Cohanim until the effects of the wine have worn off <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 4</ref> | #A Cohen who drank a revi'it of wine at any time should not do birkat Cohanim until the effects of the wine have worn off <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 4</ref> | ||
#A Cohen who recited the birkat Cohanim and went to another synagogue and found the congregation in the midst of prayer, before birkat Cohanim, should partake in that minyan's birkat Cohanim. A Cohen may recite the birkat Cohanim several times during the day.<ref> Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 11</ref> | |||
# If a cohen who already performed birkat cohanim finds himself in another shul which is going to do birkat cohanim, he doesn't violate the biblical commands if he doesn't do birkat cohanim another time. However, if he does do birkat cohanim a second time, he should make a new bracha prior to the birkat cohanim. <ref>S"A 128:3, Mishna Brurah 128:11</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 birkat Cohanim. Him and all his descendents are "Challalim" and may not do Birkat Cohanim (because they are not considered Cohanim).<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 322 Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 5</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 birkat Cohanim. Him and all his descendents are "Challalim" and may not do Birkat Cohanim (because they are not considered Cohanim).<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 322 Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 5</ref> | ||
# A sick person who is attatched to a catheter, which holds his urine under his clothing, may do birkat 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> | # A sick person who is attatched to a catheter, which holds his urine under his clothing, may do birkat 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> | ||
