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Birkat Cohanim: Difference between revisions
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==When is Birkat Cohanim said?== | ==When is Birkat Cohanim said?== | ||
# Birkat 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 Birkat Cohanim. <ref>Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 1)</ref> | # Birkat 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 Birkat Cohanim. <ref>Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 1)</ref> | ||
# Therefore, during a fast day which doesn't have [[Ne'ilah]] (like [[Tish'a B'av]] (the ninth of av) or | # 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 birkat Cohanim during mincha, since we are not worried about the Cohanim being intoxicated if they are fasting. <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 2</ref> | ||
# There is no Birkat Cohanim at night. <ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 339</ref> | # There is no Birkat Cohanim at night. <ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 339</ref> | ||
# Birkat Cohanim is only said if there is a minyan and the minyan includes the Cohanim. <ref>S"A 128:1, Mishna Brurah 128:2</ref> | # Birkat Cohanim is only said if there is a minyan and the minyan includes the Cohanim. <ref>S"A 128:1, Mishna Brurah 128:2</ref> | ||
==Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Cohanim== | ==Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Cohanim== | ||
# 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. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294</ref> | # 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. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 294</ref> | ||
# Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai instituted that the Cohanim should not go up wearing sandals or any type of shoe | # The Cohanim who are going to say Birkat Cohanim must remove their shoes, whether or not they are leather. <Ref> Gemara Sotah 40a writes that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai instituted that the Cohanim should not go up wearing sandals or any type of shoe for two reasons: 1) out of respect to the congregation not to go before them with dirty shoes and 2) so that a Cohen doesn't have to tie his shoes during Birkat Cohanim and then appear as if he's a Pasul Cohen. This halacha is codified in Rambam 14:6 and S"A 128:5. Chida in Machzik Bracha 128:7 writes that this halacha applies even to non-leather shoes. Kaf HaChaim 128:28 and Halacha Brurah 128:16 agree. </ref>However, those communities in Chutz LeAretz who have a minhag not to remove their shoes if they say Birkat Cohanim from the floor without going up on the duchan have what to rely on.<ref>Yafeh Lelev 128:29 is lenient for Cohanim to wear shoes if they don't go up on the duchan. Although Kaf HaChaim 128:107 disagrees, Halacha Brurah 128:17 says that there's what to rely upon. Yachava Daat 2:13 writes that one who finds it hard not to take off their shoes may rely on the Yafeh Lelev so as not to lose this mitzvah entirely, however, those who want to fulfill mitzvot in the best way should remove thier shoes. </ref> | ||
# 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. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 299, Rambam Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim 15:11 based on the gemara in Sota 38b. </ref> | # 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. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 299, Rambam Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim 15:11 based on the gemara in Sota 38b. </ref> | ||
#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". When the shaliach tzibbur calls to them "cohanim", they turn their faces to the people, spread out their fingers, and lift up their hands shoulder high.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3, S"A 128:10</ref> | #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". When the shaliach tzibbur calls to them "cohanim", they turn their faces to the people, spread out their fingers, and lift up their hands shoulder high.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Birkat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3, S"A 128:10</ref> | ||
