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Birkat Cohanim: Difference between revisions
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# 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, out of respect to the congregation <Ref> Gemara Sotah 40a, S"A 128:5 </ref> | # 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 <Ref> Gemara Sotah 40a, S"A 128:5 </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</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, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 11</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'Bircat 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'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 3, S"A 128:10</ref> | ||
#If only one Cohen is blessing the people, he should turn around after the shaliach tizbbur finishes the bracha of "hatov shimcha" and 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.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 8, S"A 128:10</ref> | #If only one Cohen is blessing the people, he should turn around after the shaliach tizbbur finishes the bracha of "hatov shimcha" and 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.<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 8, S"A 128:10</ref> | ||
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# 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". <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 6, S"A 128:16</ref> | # 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". <ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 6, S"A 128:16</ref> | ||
# The cohanim should not return to their places until the shaliach tzibbur finishes "sim shalom" and some say until the congregation finishes answering Amen.<Ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 4, S"A 128:16</ref> | # The cohanim should not return to their places until the shaliach tzibbur finishes "sim shalom" and some say until the congregation finishes answering Amen.<Ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 4, S"A 128:16</ref> | ||
#The Cohanim are not allowed to add any other blessings to the bircat Cohanim. "<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 12</ref/>Doing so constitues "Bal Tosif".<ref>Deuteronomy(Devarim) 4:2</ref> | |||
#When the priests turn their faces to the community to bless them, and when they turn their faces from the community after blessing [them], they should turn only to the right. Similarly, any turns which a person makes should always be to the right<ref>Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 14, Halacha 13</ref/> | |||
#A Cohen who recited the bircat Cohanim and went to another synagogue and found the congregation in the midst of prayer, before bircat Cohanim, should partake in that minyan's bircat Cohanim. A Cohen may recite the bircat Cohanim several times during the day.<ref> Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 11</ref> | |||
==Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Shaliach Tzibbur== | ==Procedure of Birkat Cohanim for the Shaliach Tzibbur== | ||
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# Because of the opinion that there is also a mitzvah for the Yisraelim to receive the Bracha if one is in Shul when the Cohanim were called one may not leave until after Birkat Cohanim. <ref> Piskei Teshuvot 128:2 </ref> Even if one already heard Birkat Cohanim that day, it's improper to leave the Shul when the Cohanim get up for Birkat Cohanim. <ref>Kaf HaChaim 128:149 </ref> | # Because of the opinion that there is also a mitzvah for the Yisraelim to receive the Bracha if one is in Shul when the Cohanim were called one may not leave until after Birkat Cohanim. <ref> Piskei Teshuvot 128:2 </ref> Even if one already heard Birkat Cohanim that day, it's improper to leave the Shul when the Cohanim get up for Birkat Cohanim. <ref>Kaf HaChaim 128:149 </ref> | ||
# The Tzibbur should stand during Birkat Cohanim and listen to every word with intent. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 128:51, Tefillah KeHilchata 14:48 </ref> However, a sick or old person may sit during Birkat Cohanim. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 298 </ref> | # The Tzibbur should stand during Birkat Cohanim and listen to every word with intent. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 128:51, Tefillah KeHilchata 14:48 </ref> However, a sick or old person may sit during Birkat Cohanim. <Ref> Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 298 </ref> | ||
# If one is slightly behind the Cohanim one is not included in the Bracha, however, if one is standing directly on the side, one is included in the Bracha, yet, one should face the Cohanim. < | # If one is slightly behind the Cohanim one is not included in the Bracha, however, if one is standing directly on the side, one is included in the Bracha, yet, one should face the Cohanim. Even if there is a partition - even an iron wall - between the Cohanim and the people who are being blessed, since they are facing the Cohanim, they are included in the blessing.<ref>S”A 128:24, Biur Halacha D”H Aval, Rambam, Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Tefillah U'Bircat Cohanim, Chapter 15, Halacha 8</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> | # 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> | ||
==Things that prevent a Cohen from doing Birkat Cohanim== | ==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), 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'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 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 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.<ref>Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah Volume 1, page 322</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.<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> | # 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> | ||
===Answering Amen and Baruch Hu Baruch Shemo=== | ===Answering Amen and Baruch Hu Baruch Shemo=== | ||
