Birkat Cohanim: Difference between revisions

# 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, Kitzur S"A 100:3</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>