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Laws of Birkat Kohanim – Chapter 14 of the Laws of Prayer

Introduction and Structure of the Laws of Prayer in the Rambam

Instructor:

Hello rabbis, we’re going to put away the TikTok, we’re going to sit down to learn, and learn the laws of Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing), Laws of Prayer and Birkat Kohanim chapter 14. Finally we’ve arrived at Birkat Kohanim.

And we gave a yasher koach (well done) to our donor, Rabbi Yoel Wertzberger. The donors are our shiur (lesson), in this shiur and in all other shiurim, everyone should follow his example. It’s a segulah (spiritual remedy), everyone who follows Rabbi Asher becomes wealthy, as it goes. And also whoever follows the scholars becomes a scholar. Everyone should follow whatever they want.

Yes, so what did we talk about? Yes, the laws of Birkat Kohanim. So we’re learning the fourteenth chapter of the laws of prayer, it’s the last two chapters of the laws of prayer. What does prayer and Birkat Kohanim mean? And we learned a nice few, the first there nine or ten chapters were about prayer, and afterwards there were a few about Torah reading, and now we’re going to learn about Birkat Kohanim.

I think it’s three chapters about Torah reading, let’s see. From… from 8, let’s see. Wait, let me jump here. Ah, sorry. I saw this. Ah, I saw it in the list, no? I saw it in the list. The Rambam had a chart, what is this? We saw in the Rambam there was a chart, what is this?

More or less, from 11, sorry. Ah, so it was still the synagogue. So I mixed it up. Until chapter 10 was the laws of prayer. Afterwards 11 is the synagogue. From 12 to 13, so only two chapters, are the laws of Torah reading. 14 and 15 are the laws of Birkat Kohanim.

The Connection Between the Parts: The Community

So the connection actually, the connection is the community. That is, that the community prays together in the synagogue. Because as long as one prays individually there’s no Torah reading, no laws of the synagogue, no Birkat Kohanim. The Kohanim (priests) need to bless the people there where they are, and the Torah reading needs to be there where the people are. The people come to shul to pray, and then it’s inserted. Or perhaps one comes, perhaps one comes to learn and then prays, I don’t know. Perhaps one comes for Birkat Kohanim. But by us when we duchen (perform the priestly blessing) on Yom Tov (holidays) the people come when we duchen, no? It’s more like, one comes to receive the blessing. I can’t say that one comes to hear a shiur, but yes, one brings the children.

A Question on the Rambam’s Approach: Why Doesn’t He Begin with the Foundation?

So yes, it’s very interesting, when the commentators don’t ask, we also ask, we’re also among the commentators, we don’t need to wait for the commentators to ask, that the Rambam doesn’t begin here the way he would have begun at the beginning “a positive commandment to bless Israel.” It says so in the Sefer HaMitzvot (Book of Commandments), in the list of commandments, a commandment to bless Israel. Here in the count of commandments at the front of the law it also says to bless Israel every day. In other places it doesn’t say every day, here in places it says yes, here in places it doesn’t say. It’s similar to the laws of prayer, seemingly he could have begun similar to the laws of prayer, that there’s a commandment to bless Israel, there’s a commandment to bless Israel every day, and it was inserted into prayer. But it doesn’t look like, one doesn’t see from the inside, he begins immediately, when one says Birkat Kohanim, at Shacharit (morning prayer), it’s a musaf (additional service) for such and such a day. It seems somewhat that he’s not explaining the connection, that is the connection of Birkat Kohanim with prayer in general. What’s going on here?

Discussion About the Abarbanel’s Answer

Student:

And you don’t know, you know, right? You know yes? Or you already told me this, because the people are there.

Instructor:

Okay, the people are there, but it’s interesting that he doesn’t begin with the verse as you say, as he begins many mitzvot. He begins as if you know that you’ve already been in shul, yes, I’m talking here to the prayer-goers, you’ve already been in shul and you’ve seen the Kohen read, also remember yourself, and he tells you such and such and such is the law, standing duchan from Shacharit… So says the Abarbanel, it doesn’t completely fit with the way of the Rambam, I don’t agree. The Abarbanel argues that’s how they began from the mitzvot, it’s higher to reading of the Shema, it began reading of the Shema, in the morning and evening, before he what began…

And the Abarbanel has an answer, about this Charles said, he has a commentary by the Rambam a piece from his responsa, and he says that sometimes when the Rambam is something that everyone knows, he only begins with the detailed laws, but it’s admitted, but the Mishnah can tell you, because the Mishnah says novelties, but the Rambam will tell you every commandment, so I know, but the fact is, he sees I that he assumes that you already know that here the Torah to Moshe never said that there’s Torah, he only said details within it, not sure he explained that, could be it was simply with him, he didn’t hold everything, so the Rambam was also flesh and blood, does the Rambam say such a simple explanation? One must think, one must think. It can’t be that the Rambam was also a human being.

Student:

There’s no difference. Or there is a difference, it’s the same idea. There’s no difference. Okay, this is already deep Torah.

Student:

No, he shows the world his vulnerability, to show that…

Instructor:

Why does he show? Should he really?

Student:

Okay, no, that’s completely different. Okay, let’s learn though, in the little. Okay, yes, learn before that. Or should I teach you?

Is Birkat Kohanim a Daily Obligation?

The Foundation of the Question

Instructor:

Okay, so, in the Torah it says that the Kohen is commanded to bless Jews. And many times when it says in the Torah that there’s a commandment that must be done, and it doesn’t say a time when it should be done, one does it every day. Like tzitzit (ritual fringes), tefillin (phylacteries).

Student:

Okay.

Instructor:

Reading of the Shema it says clearly, because it says “when you lie down and when you rise.”

Student:

Right, that is indeed daily.

Instructor:

But also tefillin and all these other things are every day, because every day the person does everything every day, as he puts on clothes, he goes out of the house.

Student:

Right.

Instructor:

But nevertheless, it could actually be, it could be as we learned by prayer, it’s not simple that there’s a daily obligation.

Student:

Right, ah, ah, it could be that the reason why one must do it every day could even be that it’s rabbinic.

Instructor:

Yes, it’s not simple that it’s rabbinic.

The Ashkenazic Custom as Proof

It’s not simple that a person who missed Birkat Kohanim, simply that he was nullifying a commandment the same way as someone was nullifying the commandment on Pesach. It’s a commandment, and the maximum that one can do it is when every day when Jews come to shul. And the Jews do indeed come to shul. It could be that sometimes there weren’t synagogues and study halls, and there was only the Temple, and only in the Temple did they duchen, and in the other places there was indeed a community, and it didn’t work out.

Or… the great, let’s say clearly, the great proof for the reasoning about Birkat Kohanim that it’s not really an obligation like a positive commandment every day is from us Ashkenazim, that we’ve conducted ourselves for a long time not to duchen except on Yom Tov, only at Musaf of Yom Tov.

Student:

But they’re very upset about nullifying the commandment, as it looks on the surface.

Instructor:

Everyone held that it’s not a daily obligation. It’s an obligation when one can, and the Ashkenazim said, “We can’t, we’re in exile, we don’t have the strength from service.”

Student:

We don’t have strength to give a blessing to Jews? You can give a blessing to another Jew.

Can a Kohen Fulfill Birkat Kohanim Outside of Prayer?

Instructor:

So that already has to do with the other question, that if a Kohen wishes a Jew not when it’s Yom Tov when he says the blessing of the Torah, he meets a few Jews and he tells them “may He bless you,” is he fulfilling with this a positive commandment? Seemingly one would say yes.

Student:

Seemingly.

Instructor:

I don’t know, because it could be that it was established at a certain time. That it’s not like that, the verse says ‘thus shall you bless,’ it can’t be that the holy tongue is indispensable, it’s indispensable that it should be in a certain ‘in the way,’ ‘in the style,’ it can’t be that it’s just so it should be blessed, it’s also a commandment to bless a Jew, I don’t know, I remember in halacha I think one can make a blessing when one wants to bless Jews, but that’s not a blessing that’s unnecessary or something. Which blessing? You mean ‘to bless His people Israel,’ that one makes? Do we have a blessing in the world at all, I don’t know. But it could be that that’s the order, but on the contrary, ‘in practice’ it could be yes that it is when one can. It’s not something really an obligation every day.

The Sephardic Approach and the Satmar Rav

The others, those who introduced it later in the Land of Israel, one conducts oneself in places that one reads, that one says Birkat Kohanim every day, they do look at it really like a daily commandment. It’s interesting, the Rebbe of blessed memory, the Satmar Rav, after whom I’m named Yoel, writes that there were those who wanted to establish that one should indeed begin in exile to say every Shabbat, every day. Every day or every Shabbat. Only Maharish Ashpart, who was great in his generation, the Satmar Rav mentioned him a few times, that the great zealot suspected that the new enactment comes from Sabbateans, or I don’t remember the ‘details,’ and it was nullified.

Yes, and he brings it out that we are we like ‘lenient’ in a Torah matter, I don’t know, we we don’t do so many times the commandment of Birkat Kohanim, because we we want to make a ‘statement’ that we we don’t follow any wicked people. It’s interesting, in Satmar there’s one time when only Satmar duchens, and that’s Shabbat Chol HaMoed (intermediate days of the festival). The Satmar Rav was in the Land of Israel, and there he comes, he saw the duchening, and he was the Jerusalem rabbi, there were a few things that he held that as Jerusalem rabbi automatically he tries to conduct with the customs of Jerusalem, customs of the Shelah HaKadosh. He began to duchen. It’s interesting because on one hand he’s the great zealot, he’s the rabbi of the zealots, may one yes sometimes sometimes duchen. There is indeed a reasoning for Shabbat Chol HaMoed, I don’t remember exactly, something with the mikveh (ritual bath), something Torah-level.

Discussion About Mikveh and Shabbat

Student:

Mikveh? That’s what I heard, that it’s something a… I don’t remember, something a piece of Torah. Okay, let it go. Something because Yom Tov falls on Shabbat one doesn’t duchen. That’s the custom. One doesn’t pray?

Instructor:

Yes, one only doesn’t say the… one doesn’t pray! No, one doesn’t pray. The Sephardim don’t pray regularly. One prays Shabbat Yom Tov Shacharit on Shabbat. Certainly?

Student:

I remember that in Satmar one doesn’t pray.

Instructor:

That’s completely in tractate Taanit. No, one does pray. One doesn’t ask for the sick, but one prays. Perhaps in Satmar, perhaps not everywhere.

I’ll tell you. If I remember, there’s the custom of Ashkenaz that one doesn’t pray when it’s Shabbat. And the answer is, that one can’t go to the mikveh before prayer, and on Shabbat one may not go to the mikveh, so one doesn’t pray when it falls on Shabbat. Yes, it could be in Satmar it’s different, yes, but that’s the custom for the most part. And something what does this have to do with Shabbat Chol HaMoed?

Student:

I’m not sure. Ah, he says here that today the Chassidim anyway don’t go to the mikveh before Shabbat, so one can already pray even on Shabbat.

Instructor:

Why on Yom Tov does one pray yes?

Student:

Because it’s more calm, it’s such a thing, it’s such a segulah. Shabbat Chol HaMoed is also calm, it’s such a segulah. It makes sense.

Instructor:

Okay, we’re now learning the Chassidim in Tzfat. The Chassidim need to pray only on Shabbatot and holidays. We’ll perhaps also… but already, that’s the law. Okay, but for our matter, the main thing is, I think the Rambam agrees that one should indeed conduct oneself to pray every day, like the law, the Ashkenazic custom.

When Does One Duchen – Shacharit, Musaf, Mincha, Neilah

Student:

Yes. Shacharit, Musaf, and Mincha, and Neilah.

Instructor:

I can’t agree. Shacharit, Musaf, and Neilah one prays. But… that’s as far as one can, except when there’s a chance that one has already gotten drunk. But at Mincha “there’s no raising of hands,” even at Mincha the day has already passed. Mincha is usually after the meal of Shabbat afternoon or of Yom Tov afternoon.

Student:

In the name of your family, he’s talking about a whole week.

Instructor:

Ah, every day? Ah, only at Shacharit, not at Mincha? Ah, even on fast days when one may not drink, “there’s no raising of hands at Mincha,” a decree – Mincha of a fast day because of Mincha of every day. Yes, at Mincha one doesn’t pray. On fast days more people keep with the order of Mincha in the study hall, and one should think that… yes, as you say, they already made an enactment that at Mincha one doesn’t pray on the fasts. Which fast it seems to me not at Mincha, specifically… like at Mincha Neilah, such as Yom Kippur and a public fast. But a fast that doesn’t have Neilah, such as Tisha B’Av that falls on a fast.

Raising of Hands at Mincha and the Order of Duchening

Raising of Hands at Mincha – The Rule and the Exceptions

The Basic Rule: At Mincha One Doesn’t Duchen

Instructor:

Shacharit, Musaf, Neilah, one duchens. But it’s important when one can, except when there’s a chance that one has already gotten drunk. But at Mincha there’s no raising of hands, because at Mincha all the people have already eaten. Mincha is usually after the meal of Shabbat afternoon or of Yom Tov afternoon. He’s talking about a whole week, every day.

Student:

Ah, only at Shacharit, why not at Mincha?

Instructor:

And even on a fast day when there’s no drinking, there’s no raising of hands at Mincha, a decree – Mincha of a fast day because of Mincha of every day.

Yes, at Mincha one doesn’t duchen. Because on a fast day more people keep with the order of Mincha in the study hall, and they should think that… yes, that one can indeed duchen at Mincha. So they already made an enactment that at Mincha one doesn’t duchen, even on a fast.

The Distinction Between Fasts With Neilah and Without Neilah

On which fast yes, and on which fast doesn’t one duchen at Mincha specifically? In what case are these words said? On a fast that doesn’t have Neilah, such as Tisha B’Av and the Seventeenth of Tammuz, since their Mincha prayer is close to sunset. Tisha B’Av and the Seventeenth of Tammuz one prays Mincha late.

The point is this, Neilah is a prayer that one adds between Mincha and sunset. The simple meaning, usually one prays Mincha before plag hamincha, because the Rambam said that ideally one must pray Mincha before plag hamincha. But it could be that he means to say, the point is that it’s the last prayer. There’s no prayer between Mincha and nighttime. Therefore it comes out this appears like Neilah. It doesn’t look like a regular Mincha. Therefore it won’t be confused with Mincha of a weekday. It looks like the Neilah of a fast.

So Mincha of Tisha B’Av and the Seventeenth of Tammuz used to be so, and it’s still there in the places where they do it. It’s interesting, because it seems that the Rambam didn’t think that we conduct ourselves that one puts on tallit and tefillin at Mincha of Tisha B’Av. Therefore one tends to pray a bit early, not close to sunset. He does say that one must do it close to sunset. The word is that there’s no prayer between this and sunset.

And also one sees at Mincha of a fast, our custom is indeed to say “Aneinu” at Mincha. It’s indeed a Mincha of a fast, so one catches it. When there’s Mincha and Neilah, that’s not Mincha, everyone knows clearly that this isn’t the prayer of the fast.

Student:

I wanted to say that it’s actually a bit different, that when it’s the type where there are many prayers, Ne’ilah, and one sits in the beis medrash (study hall) a lot. But on another fast day one comes to the beis medrash for Mincha (afternoon prayer) and Maariv (evening prayer), because one doesn’t want to come during the fast. How we’ve exhausted ourselves. Even if one usually comes to Mincha earlier, as the Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) said that one should do Mincha earlier l’chatchila (ideally), but on a fast day one comes to the beis medrash at the end of the day to pray Mincha and Maariv, and then comes home.

Maggid Shiur (Lecturer):

No, the distinction is, anyway for tefillas Ne’ilah (the Ne’ilah prayer), what is it? Mincha happens… Mincha is earlier, because one must do Ne’ilah afterwards. Yes, there aren’t few people, on the contrary, the pious people.

The point is that it’s like, he brings the leshonos (language/formulations) from the Geonim (Geonim: the great Torah scholars from the period after the Talmud), one is ma’arich (extends) at Mincha b’tachanunim (with supplications). The Mincha of a fast day one makes a bit of a situation, because it is a fast day. It looks a bit like Ne’ilah, so it shouldn’t get mixed up with the Mincha of the whole year. When there is Ne’ilah, then it’s just a regular Mincha, because at Ne’ilah one makes the Ne’ilah drasha (sermon), and if not one does it at Mincha. That’s essentially the distinction.

Yom Kippur – Duchening at Mincha

Now, but since the whole thing with the duchan (priestly blessing) at Mincha on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is only like a takana (enactment), it’s only that Mincha of the whole year, therefore the halacha (Jewish law) is that a kohen (priest) oleh l’duchan b’Mincha shel Yom HaKippurim (goes up to the duchan at Mincha of Yom Kippur). All the Geonim didn’t know that he was transgressing. He does go l’duchan. L’duchan means apparently… I mean that l’duchan means the… duchan is a bimah (platform), the steps of the bimah. Simply one went to duchan.

Student:

Ah, what you want is one who is obligated…

Maggid Shiur:

It’s a stage. A duchan is a sort of stage. Nu, what is the meaning of duchan? What does b’duchna (on the duchan) mean? I don’t know. Makom meyuchad (a special place)? I don’t know. But we didn’t learn in hilchos (laws of)… Rabbeinu Yonah (Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi) has a duchan, like when a person has a stage. But we didn’t learn in hilchos beis haknesses (laws of the synagogue) that there is a duchan. I don’t know. This should appear in the building in chapter 1. That one should perhaps build a duchan? I don’t know.

If since on Yom Kippur we know that he doesn’t get drunk, there’s a reason nosai es kapav (that he should duchan), v’im yirtzu nos’im panecha se’es (and if they want to duchan they duchan), lo amrinan posul hoil u’pikei’ach hu hayom (we don’t say he’s disqualified because he’s alert today). Since if it were truly a normal day a drunk kohen goes and one removes him, not removes him, even just so, because the reason is that one removes because of drunkenness, so one begins. On Yom Kippur we know that he’s not drunk, so therefore he should also be removed, apparently, one shouldn’t need to make an extra halacha. But there’s a problem with removing him, because one might think posul hu (he’s disqualified), and one should distinguish him, distinguish him like we saw by yachid hakorei baTorah (an individual who reads from the Torah), a kohen, very good, the kohanim are the kohanim. Yes, there’s a virtue of not removing him, a virtue that you shouldn’t remove him this time, because you know he’s not drunk.

Student:

There’s also no concern, you’re saying not, there is a concern, there is indeed a concern with thinking about duchening at Mincha every day, but there’s also a concern with thinking that he’s not a kohen, and the kohanim, as we saw, are kohanim, are not a Jew, not a portion, no kohen, one must, it could be that he’s disqualified, he’s a chalal (chalal: one who is disqualified from being a kohen), if it were truly that he’s not a kohen.

Maggid Shiur:

So therefore, duchening on Yom Kippur already.

The Order of Nesias Kapayim in the Diaspora

Terminology: Birkas Kohanim, Nesias Kapayim, and Duchan

Now the order, when one duchens, and how it works, how nesias kapayim (raising of hands), kesser (crown). By the way, the Rambam (Maimonides) doesn’t call it birkas kohanim (priestly blessing), he calls it nesias kapayim, raising the hands, because then one raises the hands, interesting. So keitzad nesias kapayim b’gevulin (how is nesias kapayim in the diaspora)? That means we’re going to learn that there is, there is a…

I understand that the true thing is birkas kohanim, the blessing that the kohanim give to Jews. Nesias kapayim is how one holds the hands, and duchan is the place where one stands. We call it duchening, the Rambam calls it nesias kapayim. But apparently the correct best definition is birkas kohanim, the blessing that the kohanim bless, which is not the blessing, the birkas hamitzvah (blessing over the commandment) that he says, but rather Yevarechecha etc. (May Hashem bless you and guard you – the blessing of the kohanim), that’s how kohanim bless. But I don’t know, these are all leshonos (terms) for how one calls something, there’s no nafka mina (practical difference).

B’gevulin vs. Beis HaMikdash

The thing is like this, and we’re going to learn soon that there’s an order of birkas kohanim in the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) how it goes. But it’s interesting that apparently the essence is in the Beis HaMikdash, and later it became, or besides that there’s also b’gevulin (in the diaspora). But the Rambam begins with the order of birkas kohanim b’gevulin, that means how one duchens during davening (prayer). Generally in the whole world. Afterwards he’ll say how the order is in the Beis HaMikdash.

The Order Step by Step

He says like this, what is the order? Keitzad nesias kapayim u’kabalas (how is nesias kapayim), how is it? It goes like this, b’eis shehigi’a shaliach tzibbur l’avodah (when the prayer leader reaches avodah), the shaliach tzibbur comes to the blessing of avodah, when he says “Retzei” (Be favorable). Interesting, l’avodah k’she’omer Retzei (to avodah when he says Retzei), that means the same thing, right? Birkas Retzei is the birkas avodah (blessing of the Temple service). Perhaps he means to say right at the beginning of the blessing, perhaps that’s the point, k’she’omer Retzei, the first word.

Then he does like this, kol hakohanim ha’omdim b’veis haknesses ne’ekarim mimkomam (all the kohanim standing in the synagogue move from their place), all the kohanim standing in shul go away from their place, v’holchim v’olim l’duchan (and they go and ascend to the duchan). They go up to the, by the way, the duchan. What is the duchan? We don’t know. The Rambam says that there is a duchan. Something is a place where one stands there and blesses the Jews.

Student:

Do you want to check the word duchan?

Maggid Shiur:

No, I don’t have time. I’m saying that everyone knows what it means.

Student:

No, everyone knows what it means, but certainly…

Maggid Shiur:

Soon we’ll see how it says “k’neged haheichal” (opposite the sanctuary), we’ll go see how it is, yes? V’omdim sham pneihem k’neged haheichal (and they stand there with their faces opposite the sanctuary), one sees that the duchan is there in the heichal, in front of the heichal, v’achoreihem k’lapei ha’am (and their backs toward the people), they stand opposite the heichal. It could be duchan simply means where one duchens, I don’t know, where one blesses. It’s not a halacha that one must have a stage or something like that. Duchan means some certain kind of furniture, I don’t know. It’s not a term of… Everything could be, but it’s not me’akev (indispensable), certainly not me’akev, because then it would be me’akev that the Rambam would have needed to have a duchan. There’s a makom l’zeh (place for this). There’s a makom l’zeh, yes. There’s a makom l’zeh, yes. It’s called that perhaps because in the Beis HaMikdash there was a duchan, and one already knows that in a normal shul there’s a duchan. One must check, I don’t have time, we need to move today. It’s the end of the day, it’s going to take forever.

V’omdim sham pneihem k’neged haheichal, they stand there, yes, v’achoreihem k’lapei ha’am, v’etzbe’oseihem kfufos l’soch kapeihem (and their fingers are bent into their palms), their fingers are folded together. That’s the point. He’s not yet doing nesias kapayim, that’s what he means to say, right? They’re alerting the congregation that it’s coming. He says clearly, he didn’t say he’s doing nesias kapayim, he said he’s not doing nesias kapayim. Nesias kapayim one does with open fingers, and also with raised hands, but he doesn’t even open the fingers for the congregation before it comes.

Ad sheyashlim shaliach tzibbur hoda’ah (until the prayer leader completes hoda’ah), until he finishes birkas hoda’ah, which is birkas modim (the blessing of thanksgiving). And then “machazirin pneihem k’lapei ha’am” (they turn their faces toward the people), they turn around to the congregation, and “poshtin es yedeihem” (they spread out their hands), they open their fingers, and “magbihin yedeihem k’neged kiseifeihem” (they raise their hands opposite their shoulders), they raise their hands opposite their shoulders that high, “u’maschilim l’vareich” (and they begin to bless), and they begin to say “Yevarechecha”.

Note: Finger Position

During davening there were also halachos that the Rambam didn’t say how one should hold the fingers. We notice birkas kohanim so strongly because essentially… But it’s not me’akev. It’s probably about eimah v’yirah (awe and fear), it’s more a topic of eimah v’yirah. But here it’s strongly not clear what the reason is. In any case, one opens the fingers. Okay. Now, today’s kohanim have customs how exactly one opens the fingers.

What is a “Duchan”? – An Unresolved Question

Discussion About the Concept “Duchan”

Student:

Perhaps one can say that one relies specifically on the word “Yevarechecha”. But perhaps when one wants to make a beis midrash enactment, one should indeed make a special stage like you want, like “Levi’im b’duchnam” (Levites on their duchan). There’s a special place where one has a kisei shel Eliyahu (chair of Elijah the Prophet), one has a shtender (lectern) for the rav (rabbi). There’s a nice desk. This is especially designated for the kohanim. It’s certainly not a sin to make, but fulfilling the mitzvah would have been stated in the halacha.

Maggid Shiur:

But it’s called “l’duchan”, and where is the duchan? It’s not at all such a simple meaning. Duchan is a certain place.

Student:

No, it was only in the Beis HaMikdash there was a duchan.

Maggid Shiur:

But you say “Levi’im b’duchnam”. Before that one says, hello, before that one knows you “Levi’im b’duchnam”. The duchan is the Levites’ field, it’s one of the services that they took down the benches from the ankles. About that one says “Levi’im b’duchnam”. What about the kohanim? I don’t know. Okay.

Student:

Haven’t you found in the meforshim (commentators) duchan to be some place? Duchan?

Maggid Shiur:

I haven’t found in meforshim. Okay.

Student:

No, they stood in a makom meyuchad (special place). I haven’t seen any… No one says that there’s such a place.

Maggid Shiur:

You’re a better researcher, but…

Student:

No, but do a search “duchan” in Beis HaMikdash. It doesn’t say.

Maggid Shiur:

No, I don’t want to, I don’t have time. Okay. I didn’t say, I only said perhaps the Aruch (Aruch: a classical lexicon) brings the duchan. Yes, the Aruch brings that they said there the same thing as the… No, no, it’s not the topic. It takes quickly, you’re saying one must follow through.

So he says, that’s how he holds.

Student:

You turn to the other chavrusa (study partner), you don’t go down quickly. Okay, you don’t go down. It’s part of the game.

Maggid Shiur:

Here he says… I can’t shoot you, I don’t want to shoot you. He doesn’t say. He would have had to bring. He says, “duchan hu makom amidas hakohanim” (duchan is the place where the kohanim stand). So he brings from the Perush HaMishnayos (the Rambam’s commentary on the Mishnah). They don’t bring. They bring everything Perush HaMishnayos. Ah, but others interpret that the duchan is the bimah, but it doesn’t fit. So, not clear. Eh, good, the congregation knows. In short, the Rada (R’ David Altschuler), R’ David, R’ David, someone with an ayin, didn’t know. Okay, in short, it’s not clear, one must do better research. It seems that in the Beis HaMikdash there was such a place, and it doesn’t seem that there was such a place in the beis midrash.

And the Beis HaMikdash, soon we’ll see later, he indeed says seriously, by the Beis HaMikdash it’s not a normal, there’s a duchan. But what duchan means no one knows. It’s devash v’chalav (honey and milk – an expression meaning unclear/confusing). Okay.

Order of Reciting Birkas Kohanim – The Shaliach Tzibbur Prompts Word by Word

In short, now, how does the Yevarechecha go? They don’t say it themselves. The shaliach tzibbur makri osam milah b’milah (prompts them word by word). He tells them word by word.

Why must he have someone? She’ne’emar “emor lahem” (as it says “say to them”). It’s very interesting. The simple meaning of “emor lahem” means that Moshe should say to Aharon how he should bless. The chachamim learn from this that every time one should say before the kohanim every word. They say “Yevarechecha”, “Yevarechecha”.

I understood that the shaliach tzibbur makes himself like Moshe Rabbeinu. Yes, to explain. Just as it says “Ko sevarchu es bnei Yisrael emor lahem” (Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, say to them), the kohanim should say to them, not they should say to the kohanim. “Emor lahem” l’Yisrael (to Israel), I mean that’s how he interprets it.

“Ko sevarchu es bnei Yisrael”, they should bless. “Emor lahem”, this speaks Moshe to Aharon. He says, “Say this, with this nusach (text/formula)”. “Emor lahem” is like “leimor” (saying/to say).

Anyway, the derasha says that this is that one should say to the kohanim, one should tell them afterwards. Soon we’ll see a Chabad peshat (explanation) on this. It’s indeed something that one was afraid of making an error. It was a matter of making an error.

One wanted, as we’ll see soon in the next chapter, the kohanim are not the mevarchim (those who bless). It’s only the Oibershter who gives the brachah. He only gives the, he only gives the words. He says, he passes on the words. The kohen, he tells him the words. They shouldn’t mean anything, they do nothing.

Okay, I don’t know. It could be it has something with the shaliach tzibbur, some job the chazan needs, one inserted you into Shemoneh Esrei, so what’s going on? The chazan will have some connection? Something is so disconnected with the shaliach tzibbur.

Anyways… About them saying it b’shem Hashem (in God’s name), because the Rambam says later that one pronounces it with the Shem Hashem (God’s name), as if you see that Yevarechecha etc. the Oibershter says so, and therefore they pronounce His name, because they speak mishmo (in His name).

Order of the Verses, Amen, and the Transitions

Ad she’mashleemim pasuk rishon (until they complete the first verse), and one finishes amen after the first verse. V’chozer shaliach tzibbur u’makri osam pasuk sheini (and the prayer leader returns and prompts them the second verse), therefore a second verse, every word by word onim (they answer), ad she’mashleemim pasuk sheini v’chol ha’am onim amen (until they complete the second verse and all the people answer amen), v’chein pasuk shlishi zeh ha’mahalach da (and so the third verse, this is the procedure).

Connecting “Sim Shalom” to Birkas Kohanim

When the Three Verses Are Completed

When one finishes all three verses, the prayer leader begins the last blessing of the prayer, which is Sim Shalom. The last blessing is Sim Shalom [Grant Peace], I think that one says on a simple level Sim Shalom, it appears it’s connected to Birkas Kohanim [the priestly blessing], one says that this is “v’yasem lecha shalom” [“and grant you peace” – the final words of the priestly blessing], it ends with “v’yasem lecha shalom,” one requests a blessing that the peace and blessing should actually be fulfilled, which contains the same language, “or panecha” [the light of Your face], these are similar phrases from Sim Shalom with, with “ki b’or panecha nasata lanu” [for in the light of Your face You gave us], these are the same phrases.

The Priests After Completing the Blessing

And the priests turn their faces toward the holy, the priests turn back their faces toward the holy/east and their backs toward the people, and afterwards they bend their fingers, meaning they turn around still with their fingers open, and they close them in the front. And they stand there in their place until the blessing is completed, which blessing? Sim Shalom, yes, until the end of the blessing of the Amidah, in every prayer and in every place, and they return to their places.

Similarity to the Law of Steps After Shemoneh Esrei

It’s very similar to the halachah [Jewish law] of when one steps back after the silent Amidah. One must take leave from the place of prayer. Not to run away, not like a child fleeing from school.

But it could be as I said that Sim Shalom is essentially a blessing on the priestly blessing, it’s connected. But both are connected, so therefore one remains there until the end of the… until the whole thing. Each time they call it, not that one should suddenly stand and not leave in a rush, and one should suddenly stand as when one departs from a king, but the matter is… okay.

General Rules of Order and Timing – “Not to Interfere with One Another”

Afterwards, a similar law we learned by the Torah reading, that the reader calls the priests until the amen is completed from the mouth of the congregation. Yes, and by us this comes with saying “Kohanim” over the congregation. Yes, and one calls up so that all should hear the… Yes. One must wait for the amen to be completed from the congregation. When does one call this? This is after the service of the priests, when the priests come, that they should already be there ready.

Yes, as one says “yomru” [they shall say], the reader, the prayer leader.

No, the same thing, one calls the priests, and they should already know that they come on their own, even if they are there.

And the priests are not permitted to turn their faces until the amen is completed from the mouth of the reader. He must say “Yevarechecha,” and they must wait until it’s completed, not that he should say “Yevarechecha” and already begin amen.

And the congregation does not answer amen until the blessing is completed from the mouth of the priests. Everything is given time.

Upon Whom Does One Answer Amen?

No, but this is also very important, perhaps this is to show that we say amen on the priests’ blessing, and the prayer leader is only the one who says before the priests, and we say amen on the prayer leader too. We’re not blessing twice, we’re blessing once.

Okay, good. But there should be an order there, one should not interrupt the other. Very important. Perhaps one will make a law for a study partnership, that we should, I don’t know if it will work.

Why? We should also not answer or speak until the other finishes the blessing. I don’t know, it’s not instituted.

And the priests do not begin with another blessing until the amen is completed from the mouth of the congregation. Yes, also, he doesn’t say “Yevarechecha,” the congregation says amen, he waits until they finish saying amen. And if there is one who extends the amen, they need not wait for him.

The Prayer Leader Does Not Answer Amen

And the prayer leader is not permitted to answer amen after the priests. Ah, here is a law. The prayer leader doesn’t say amen. Why? Lest his mind become confused, and he will not know which blessing to prompt them, whether the second or third verse. Amen after each and every blessing. So he’ll say amen, and the blessing is for him, it’s fitting for him to say amen. But he’ll say amen, he’ll forget whether he’s holding at “Yevarechecha” or at “ya’er” [may He shine], and therefore he should not say amen.

Very good, because we say that he stands there so the priests can know, I assume that the prayer leader is a guarantor of the congregation. What happens that the priests may not be drunk, what happens that the prayer leader indeed shouldn’t drink? Okay.

The Enactment of Rabbi Yochanan – Without Shoes

Ah, another law, more laws. And the priests are not permitted to turn their faces from the congregation until the prayer leader returns to Sim Shalom. That means, they don’t turn around until he begins Sim Shalom. Also apparently, as if the congregation shouldn’t run away, because all part of the… the sum total of all these laws are, one should be calm, one doesn’t run, one finishes, next step, next step. And he should not divert his attention to move his feet from his place until the prayer leader completes Sim Shalom, he shouldn’t move away.

How have they already learned this once, even if they already went? Perhaps here he says it’s a positive commandment, now he makes it from… and so on, one says some… one says some, bends their fingers from their, not I their inside. He also took it. He doesn’t open, doesn’t close his fingers and turn around. One asks what one does yes, we see what one doesn’t do.

Very interesting. Rabbi Yochanan instituted that the priests should not ascend to the platform in their sandals, he shouldn’t go with their shoes. Rather they stand barefoot, they should go barefoot. The reason for this is, because it’s also the honor of the congregation, first of all perhaps the shoes are dirty. And also it could be that he tied his shoe, and he delayed.

Isn’t there someone who says that because in the Temple the priests went barefoot? It doesn’t say so here. Here it says that it says in the Gemara [Talmud], because of the honor of the congregation. When Rabbeinu Asher [a medieval Talmudic authority] said another explanation that he’ll tie them, and meanwhile one will think that he’s disqualified. It doesn’t say, it doesn’t look like, I don’t know. Anyway, so is the custom that one goes without shoes, I think this is an enactment of Rabbi Yochanan.

The Prohibition of Looking – The Priests and the Congregation

Very good, now, when the priests bless the people it’s so, they should not look at the people… very interesting, he shouldn’t look at the congregation. And they should not divert their attention, it says their faces toward the congregation, but he shouldn’t look that way, but he doesn’t look directly. No good, he doesn’t look directly. And they should not divert their attention, rather their eyes toward the ground like one standing in prayer. He should look at the ground.

The Rambam’s Reason – So They Should Not Divert Their Attention

No, it’s one of the Rambam’s that this is so that they should not divert their attention, so it says in the next one explicitly. He shouldn’t look at the congregation, he starts thinking about the congregation too much. He blesses them, but he doesn’t look. He’s like one praying, he looks down.

And all the people are not permitted to look at the faces of the priests when they bless, so that they should not divert their attention. So it says, so that he shouldn’t divert attention, he shouldn’t look at the priests, ah, the priest has a nice face here. Understandably.

Rather all the people should concentrate to hear the blessing, and direct their faces toward the faces of the priests, one asks of him, but they don’t look at their faces.

Discussion – The Rambam Versus Other Reasons

In other places it says what everyone knows that one may not look because the Divine Presence rests on the fingers, one shouldn’t look. But here it says it fits very much with what you’re saying, that the Almighty blesses, it comes through the priests, but it’s not about the priest, there’s no matter to look at him. Not that Moshe Yankel the priest gives you a blessing and he gives you over good things. The Almighty gives.

I hear what you’re saying, you’re the prompter. But the Rambam didn’t bring the thing that the Divine Presence is here. The Rambam brings the reason simply that it’s “so as not to divert attention.” It could be that it’s connected, because the Divine Presence lies in the priests.

Ah, it could be that the Divine Presence… distracted I mean, from the words and looking at the priest. Yes. The custom is that the priests put their prayer shawl over their heads and so on. People do so, but this is already so one shouldn’t look. But according to the Rambam it’s a different thing. According to the Rambam it’s so one shouldn’t wage war, one shouldn’t become distracted. Okay, it can also be to help for that.

One Priest Versus Two or More

Now, let’s go further. “If there was one priest blessing,” if there’s only one priest, “he begins to bless on his own,” he begins on his own.

What does “begins to bless” mean? The blessing itself? Or he begins to say “Yevarechecha”? “To bless,” he makes a blessing. He makes the blessing “to bless His people Israel with love.” No, yes, I didn’t catch it, it’s funny.

“The prayer leader prompts him word by word like two.” Ah, “and if there were two or more,” if there are more than two priests, “they do not begin to bless,” they don’t say the blessing in one piece, they wait until the prayer leader calls “Kohanim,” “and they answer and say Yevarechecha.”

Difficulty in the Rambam’s Language

I don’t understand. Didn’t we say that they wait for him to prompt? The prayer leader must prompt them the blessing. What does “and they answer and say Yevarechecha” mean? They say “Yevarechecha”? Perhaps they say plainly that the first word they say yes on their own?

When there’s one priest, the prayer leader doesn’t call out “Kohanim,” and he begins to say the blessing. He begins on his own, because he carries the burden alone. I would have thought, when there’s a choir, someone needs to control it so, and then the prayer leader must say. Yes, but I don’t understand the language “and they answer and say Yevarechecha.” It appears from the Rambam that the first word “Yevarechecha” is not prompted. He should say “Yevarechecha” only from “Hashem,” the prayer leader begins to say ahead. That means “and they answer and say,” they say on their own.

He doesn’t say that they say the blessing “Blessed are You, God.” The priests are… no, but also it appears so, the prayer leader only says “Kohanim,” and the priest says on his own “Yevarechecha.” He doesn’t only say further from “Hashem.” This appears from the Rambam, it’s not clear. “And he prompts them word by word according to the order that we informed.” Aha. I don’t know what the explanation is, what the sound is. I don’t know.

Summary

Okay, until here we learned how the priestly blessing works at home, in the study hall. About the blessing of “to bless His people Israel with love” he didn’t say.

What? He didn’t say.

Birkas Kohanim: Laws and Customs – Part 4

The Question of the Blessing on Birkas Kohanim by the Rambam

So it sounds. Soon we’ll see what it says in the second piece. He didn’t say anything yet about that blessing. They bring, there are those who learn that this means the blessing, but it’s not clear. It could be, there are those who say that there isn’t any… what is there that needs to be mentioned?

The Rambam doesn’t mention the blessing at all. He says “to bless,” he means he’ll say “Yevarechecha.” Perhaps not, perhaps the Rambam held that there’s no blessing on this, I don’t know. Does he bring a blessing on it at all? It doesn’t say. As far as I know not. The Rambam said to learn only his books. As far as I know there’s no such blessing on it at all.

Okay.

The Order of Birkas Kohanim in the Temple

Timing and Raising of Hands

Now it’s so, “How is the priestly blessing in the Temple?” How does the priestly blessing go in the Temple? In the Temple there’s a different order. Not by us, in the borders it goes a whole order, after the thanksgiving one says the priestly blessing. In the Temple it goes differently.

“The priests ascend to the platform after they complete the service of the morning daily offering.” After the morning daily offering, immediately comes the platform. “And they raise their hands above their heads.” That means, in the borders one only raises opposite their shoulders, but in the Temple one raises above the head. This is the simple understanding as we learned.

“Except for the High Priest who does not raise his hands above the headplate.” The High Priest does yes only opposite his shoulders, because he doesn’t want the hands to be higher than the headplate. It says so in the Shulchan Aruch, yes.

The Prompter

“And one prompts them word by word.” Ah, there is yes a prompter. “One,” not a prayer leader, but just someone from the priests or someone from… I don’t know who the “one” is. “One,” someone. Someone is the prompter. Yes. It’s also not clear who it is. It’s the same one who stirs the blood on Yom Kippur so it shouldn’t congeal.

Okay.

Answering Amen in the Temple

incidental, so it’s automatically, generally it’s within the limits as we can do it, until the three verses are completed, and they answer Amen. Until the three verses are finished. But here it’s different, there’s one distinction here. By other limits they say Amen after each verse, but in the Temple, one answers Amen after each and every blessing, and also after the one blessing, the psalm of the day, and when he finishes, they say Amen, they say “Blessed is Hashem, God of Israel, from this world to the next world.” Interesting, it’s a longer version.

Okay, now, and after something that we do in the Temple, when we do it as it’s written.

The Explicit Name in the Temple

The Rambam’s View Regarding the Explicit Name

The pilgrims don’t say in the Temple, yes, or it goes up to the Temple, in the Temple, yes, but the pilgrims don’t say in the Temple, and it’s a thing, it’s a word, a unique word that says explicitly Yud and Hei and Vav and Hei, and this is the Explicit Name mentioned everywhere.

The Rambam, this is the view of the Rambam, the dispute with the view of Rashi and others who held that the Explicit Name is the Name of 42 letters, or other Names. The Rambam says that when it says the Explicit Name it means the Name that we say with the four letters. He doesn’t say how we say it, he only says that it’s something that we pronounce the letters, not with a substitute name.

In the Provinces – With a Substitute

But in the province, in the rest of the cities, not in the Temple, they say it with a substitute, they say it with a substitute, and it’s A-D, that means like we say A-D, yes. For they don’t mention the Name as it’s written except in the Temple alone. Only in the Temple do they say the Name as it’s written.

After Shimon HaTzaddik

And from the death of Shimon HaTzaddik, already a very long time ago, yes, Shimon HaTzaddik was from the remnants of the Great Assembly, the Kohanim stopped blessing with the Explicit Name even in the Temple. Why? So that it wouldn’t be learned by one who is unworthy. It’s interesting, it has a secret. He’s afraid of the… it has a destructive power like one can destroy the world with it.

The Rambam’s View in Moreh Nevuchim – Respect, Not Magic

No, actually, it’s not clear, because the Rambam, what does it mean here? Perhaps the simple explanation is that it looks like one can do magical things with Names, kill with a Name, one can do things. That’s the simple explanation.

But the holy Rambam in his book, the law that I’ll tell you, the holy Rambam in his book Moreh Nevuchim Part 1 Chapter 61, if I remember, he elaborates that it’s not true, there’s no such thing as a Name that you say and something happens. Normal people understand things. One must understand that it’s more a matter of respect. That’s the plain meaning in the Rambam, and the Rambam goes on to explain that it’s a matter of respect.

Therefore the early Sages would teach this Name to their students and worthy sons once every seven years, even one who is worthy, I must only teach it, one of the things the Rambam says, you shouldn’t think it was actually kept secret forever. You shouldn’t think it’s because one can do something, all this is greatness for the honored and awesome Name, it’s a virtue. A virtue of respect, we don’t speak of it much, we conceal it, we don’t make it heard to simple people.

No, but the Rambam doesn’t learn apparently that it can be harmful, because it doesn’t look that way from his language here. What’s the matter of respect that we don’t speak of it? I don’t know clearly, one must understand this. Like the prohibition of saying the Name of Hashem in vain, it’s the Explicit Name, one shouldn’t say it at all, it’s the Explicit Name, if a simple person learns this he’ll go around saying the holy Name in vain, he shouldn’t know about it at all.

But the words, the Rambam doesn’t teach you the word, the essence is the understanding, to understand what he means. And this was also only taught, yes, like this for two thousand years, we learn this just like this, fearfully, we learn this only once in seven years, that’s what the Rambam means to understand.

Okay. I looked back at my shiur that I learn every week. Okay. Look, this is a greatness for the great and awesome Name, we say it only once in seven years, all the other years they should think it’s frightening.

Okay.

Basic Laws of Birkat Kohanim – Interpretations of “Ko”

Birkat Kohanim, we’ll… another law, an important law. Ah, until here we learned the order of recitation, the order of Birkat Kohanim. Now we’ll learn laws, basic laws of the details of Birkat Kohanim.

So, one law is, that it must be, yes, in the Holy Tongue, which means even, that means that one must say the Name as it’s written, that’s in the matter of the Temple, but everywhere, anywhere, it must be in the Holy Tongue, as it says in the verse “Ko tevarchu et bnei Yisrael” (Thus shall you bless the children of Israel).

“Ko”, does that mean to say it? “Ko”, “kacha”, like this. “Just as Moshe heard”, because that’s how it was heard to me. Interesting, “just as he heard” it says here, all the other languages say “from the tradition.” “Just as he heard”, ah, perhaps he means to say? Because he doesn’t, it doesn’t say anything in “ko”. “Ko”, means like Moshe showed, ko lacha, “ko”, so “ko” is such a “ko”, he shows.

“Ko tevarchu”, and he makes a whole list of “ko”, yes. “Ko tevarchu” standing, that means standing. How did we learn it? Because Moshe Rabbeinu showed and he said… “Ko tevarchu” when he was standing, or when he said it the first time, I know.

“Ko tevarchu” with raised hands. Ah further, how do we know at all that we raise the hands? It says a verse “And Aharon raised his hands”, but how do we know that this is a law? “Ko tevarchu”, “Ko tevarchu in the Holy Tongue”, “Ko tevarchu face to face”, “Ko tevarchu in a loud voice”. Ezra says that “loud voice” doesn’t mean shouting, it means not “to say in a whisper”. “Ko tevarchu in the Holy Tongue”.

Digression: Holy Tongue by Birkat Kohanim vs. Prayer

Ah, in the Holy Tongue. Why? Because we don’t mention in the Holy Tongue, only in the Holy Tongue. Another thing that perhaps has to do with ko, or another law. “The Kohanim are not permitted anywhere”. Wait, regarding the Holy Tongue didn’t we already see in prayer, that in prayer, if one can pray in a pure language in one language…

Yes, but he won’t answer that back. He learns the verses, the Rambam was exactly, by Kriat Shema the Rambam has it explicitly that one fulfills the obligation in any language. Shabbat prayer in any language. But only Birkat Kohanim must be in the Holy Tongue. There are other things that must specifically be in the Holy Tongue. Yes, because that’s what the Sotah says. But the Rambam doesn’t make any… he only brings the things in their place. Yes, “these are the things said in the Holy Tongue”.

The Prohibition of Adding to Birkat Kohanim – “Lo Tosif”

“The Kohanim are not permitted anywhere to add a blessing to the three verses”. The Rambam says, when the Kohanim bless Jews, it occurred to them that they should add more good blessings. For example a verse. Yes, for example a verse that Moshe Rabbeinu blessed the Jews, “Hashem your God will add upon you like you a thousand times”. It fits very well, “May Hashem bless you”, they blessed, they would multiply, and indeed thank God, so end with praise and thanksgiving after a request for mercy. Not praise and thanksgiving, he should add, “may He add upon you”, he should add, he should give more blessings.

“And if they added to the three verses”, he says that that verse is a… no, no, that’s a merit, that’s a merit. The fourth is, “Hashem your God will add upon you like you a thousand times”, that it should become more. He should add. He brings a verse that says an additional blessing. In short, he says that one shouldn’t add it, “not in a loud voice and not in a whisper, and they have no right to add to the matter”.

Analysis of “Lo Tosif”

Interesting. This is like… like five… like five blessings, five prayers. Usually the Rambam learned that “lo tosif” means that one says the new thing is a mitzvah. Here we see that the Rambam rules yes the “lo tosif” of the Sages, that one shouldn’t add things to a mitzvah. I don’t know, he transgresses a prohibition.

Comparison with “Nachem”

He says like, I remember once, Rav Moshe has a responsum to the people who add to “Nachem makom yenachem etchem”, because they say that one shouldn’t know of any sorrow or whatever it is. What’s the question? It’s not a question. There one goes against the blessing that the Sages established. It’s a bit similar.

Okay, that’s not a question, because this is actually Birkat Kohanim. But this isn’t a law from Moshe at Sinai. This isn’t from the Gemara. Where does it say this? No, it’s already a custom. I already know it’s a law. Okay. It’s people had a problem. I already know it’s not just that people like to add. Not over Torah reading there were ten. We see, yes, that one should add. We see that the Rambam held that one may not do this.

I don’t know. Okay, that’s clear. That’s adding a piece from the Torah. Because his problem is “lo tosifu”. I don’t think so. His problem is “lo tosifu”. It’s like you’re adding a third species, you’re adding another verse. The Almighty commands us to say a verse, but only we start saying things for the sake of, or like a language that the Sages established that one should say in the Hebrew language.

He doesn’t mean that it’s in the category. He doesn’t say in the category of blessings that he says for the Jews. The Rambam will bring this.

Prayers Around Birkat Kohanim – New Law

Yes, look, “and this is the whole matter for us, when he moves his feet to go up to the platform, before he begins”. I ask a question, this is apparently exactly “lo tosif”. Before, “May it be Your will” – he doesn’t bring for the Jews at all, he says a prayer to the Almighty.

Ah, here it says the blessing. Ah, finally here it says the blessing. The Rambam says a new law. Okay, we need to start making a new law. It’s a new prayers around Birkat Kohanim. Blessings, blessing of the Torah. This is the blessing of Birkat Kohanim. Blessing of the prayers. It’s a prayer and a blessing.

Prayer When Beginning to Go to the Platform

So, there are three pieces, and I’ll say it like this: “When he moves his feet to go up”, when he begins to go, he says a prayer, “May it be Your will… that this blessing that You commanded us to bless Your people Israel should be a complete blessing and there should be no stumbling block or sin in it from now until forever”. It’s a prayer that he shouldn’t make any deficiency.

It’s nothing at all. I say it, may my blessing succeed. I say it’s a prayer, it’s a prayer. Like the word “prayer” says many times “answer us and from then”, that sort of prayer. It’s a matter.

Laws of Birkat Kohanim: The Order, Prayers, and Laws

Three Pieces That the Kohen Says During Birkat Kohanim

There are three pieces that he gives like this.

First: Prayer When He Begins to Go – “May It Be Your Will”

When he moves his feet to go up [when he begins to go], he says a prayer: May it be Your will etc. [may it be the will before You etc.]. This is a blessing like this: that this blessing that I bless Your people Israel should be a complete blessing, and there should be no stumbling block or sin in it from now until forever [that the blessing that I bless Your people Israel should be a complete blessing, and there should be no stumbling block or sin in it from now until forever].

That means, I shouldn’t mess it up. It should succeed. The Almighty sends the blessing, and I should succeed in my blessing. It should be a good prayer [prayer]. It should be a piece of prayer, like the prayer leader [cantor] says many times answer us our Father answer us [answer us, our Father, answer us], this is a prayer.

Second: The Blessing of the Mitzvah – “Who Sanctified Us with the Sanctity of Aharon”

It’s interesting like this. And another blessing indeed, before he turns around indeed apparently [at first glance] to face when blessing, but the blessing is already when one is facing… no, no, before is indeed the blessing, before is indeed what he says, before is indeed “who sanctified us with the sanctity of Aharon” [who sanctified us with the sanctity of Aharon].

Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe [Blessed are You, Almighty, our God, King of the universe], he blesses the Almighty, he thanks the Almighty who sanctified us with the sanctity of Aharon. That means, every Kohen [priest, descendant of Aharon] has the sanctity [holiness] of Aharon to be able to bless. And commanded us to bless His people Israel with love [and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love]. The sanctity of Aharon is an acquisition [property] for the sanctity of the Kohen [the holiness of a Kohen].

Yes, but and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love. The with love [with love] fits with the complete blessing [complete blessing], and there should be no stumbling block in it [and there should be no stumbling block in it].

Side Note: Righteous People Mentioned in Blessings

It’s interesting, it’s another two blessings where we mention a righteous person [righteous person] in the blessings. Here is brit milah [covenant of circumcision], in the covenant of Avraham our father [in the covenant of Avraham our father], and here is the sanctity of Aharon. And only by the Torah of Moshe [the Torah of Moshe], by every blessing of the Torah [blessing over the Torah] we don’t say Moshe. We don’t mention. Here there is Aharon, that you should be like Aharon, you should be a lover of peace [one who loves peace], and go bless the Jews. Anyway, with love.

Third: Prayer After Blessing – “We Have Done What You Decreed Upon Us”

And afterwards [and afterwards], yes, it could be that both things are said while not yet facing the congregation [turned to the congregation], because we’re talking here to the Almighty. Like you say, so it shouldn’t have been a mistake [error] of lo tosif [you shall not add], that you shouldn’t stand a blessing not.

And the last thing also, the Rambam [Rambam: Maimonides] says, afterwards he turns his face to the congregation [he turns around to the congregation], and afterwards he gives a standing [and afterwards he gives a standing], all these things before, and he turns his face to the congregation, and then he says another piece. We have done what You decreed upon us [we have done what You said upon us], we have obeyed. That means, do You what You promised us [do You what You promised us], You follow Your part. With us Your promise [promise], which is that the “may He bless you” [He should bless you] should be fulfilled [should be carried out].

And he ends with the verse [verse: Bible verse] “Look down from Your holy dwelling” [look down from Your holy dwelling], which also says such a thing, which asks the Almighty look down and actually bless. Interesting. But the reason [reason] “do with us” [do with us] is the “may He bless you”.

A Question from Commentators

He asks indeed, the commentators [commentators] already ask the question [difficult question], that apparently Baal Tosafot [Tosafot: medieval Talmud commentary], I don’t know exactly whose answer [answer] it is, that he turns away from the congregation, he’s now talking to the Almighty. Back [back], I don’t know how to say. Okay, we’ve indeed encountered the deed [event].

Birkat Kohanim as a Blessing of the Torah

Another interesting law [law], a small note. There are those who look into it that it’s the blessing of the Torah of the Kohanim. How is this a blessing of the Torah? Jews have Kriat Shema [reading of Shema]. But what is the blessing of the Torah? He begins with a prayer that he should pray well, and afterwards he says “who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us” [who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us], and afterwards he has a blessing.

You say very similar to the blessings of Kriat Shema [blessings of Kriat Shema] and blessings of the Torah. All have the thing that a blessing before and after [a blessing before and after], and we say a Torah matter [a Torah word]. By the Rabbis [rabbis] there’s indeed a Gemara [Gemara: Talmud], the “May it be Your will” there is a “May it be Your will”, it says in the Gemara that someone used to say it. It’s not exactly a blessing, a blessing is apparently an obligation [obligation], the Sages [Chazal: the rabbis of the Gemara] established [established] a blessing of the mitzvot [blessing over mitzvot].

Okay. “May He bless you” is indeed also a Torah verse that you read before, like Israel reads before Shema Yisrael [Hear, Israel], and another verse, and we say it indeed after blessings of the Torah. You see indeed that it has something to do. Back. Okay.

Law of Turning Right – Turning to the Right

Now, another interesting law, when they turn [when they turn], yes, when the Kohanim turn their faces to the congregation to bless them [when the Kohanim turn around to the congregation to bless them], we turn out to the world [to the world], or when we turn away from the world, right [right] is important [important]. There’s a thing laws that the poskim [halachic decisors] have brought in, interesting. And not give away the left side, right?

Student: No, but right simply means important, that’s the translation. The right hand of God is raised [the right hand of God is raised]. Right is most people are right-handed, so this becomes a symbol. It’s not such a problem. Right is a symbol of strength, of goodness.

Okay, it looks here like it’s more when it’s a symbolic thing. When the Kohanim do it, that’s the reason. And so all turnings [and so all turnings] means we also generally. When we escort out the child to the chuppah [wedding canopy], one should make a first… we don’t mean a whole… when we turn. When we turn. It comes from the Gemara of the ramp [ramp], of the Kohanim. When we turn, there’s a mitzvah [commandment] to turn to the right.

Discussion: What Does “Turning Right” Mean?

Student: But one goes around from olah, zevach olah ushelamim [olah-offering, shelamim-offering]. Yes, for dvarim shebekedusha [matters of holiness]. When one goes to the mizbe’ach [altar], not when one drives. Not when one drives. They released it, they don’t know the way, they turn right until they arrive. Yes, that’s a different nosa [topic]. Yes. Yes, there’s actually a great machloket [dispute] about what derech yamin [the way of the right] means at all. Anyway, let’s not get into that.

Student: What does it mean? The right side. What could it be? He turns to the right, that’s derech yamin.

He should turn to the yamin. To the yamin. That means derech yamin or to the yamin. It doesn’t say “al derech yamin” [on the way of the right]. Anyway, or must one always go there derech yamin. Kitzur [in short], one can interpret it in different ways. The ikar [main point] is, we want to talk about the yamin.

Birkat Kohanim in the Temple versus in the Provinces

Now we’re learning an interesting thing. They learned, no, they learned that in the… an interesting thing. Bamikdash [in the Temple] they bless Birkat Kohanim bashacharit uvmusaf uvne’ilah [one says Birkat Kohanim at shacharit, musaf, and ne’ilah]. Bashacharit uvmusaf, they’re all tefilot [prayers] of the day. But bamincha [at the mincha prayer] not, when one can become drunk. But bamikdash… all tefilot of the day are mincha and ma’ariv [ma’ariv prayer] basically. Shacharit is together with musaf.

But bamikdash they bless Birkat Kohanim pa’am achat [one time], they only have once. I, achar tamid shel shachar [after the tamid-offering of the morning] one comes and also stands. It didn’t say “bechol yom” [every day]. Very good. “Pa’am achat bayom” [once a day]. They bless Birkat Kohanim. Aval bamedina [but in the provinces] they bless it bechol tefillah chutz mimincha [one says it at every prayer except mincha]. You see, here is one of the things that one does more bamedina than bamikdash. Go understand why. Do you know why?

Student: The kohanim… it’s different.

Ah, earlier I asked, mistama [probably] I remembered from here, I asked who is the makri [the one who prompts] in the Beit Hamikdash.

Who is the Makri in the Beit Hamikdash?

The Rambam says, “Bechol makom mishtadlin sheyeheh hamakra otam Yisrael [in every place they try that the one who prompts them should be a Yisrael], shene’emar ‘ve’amor lahem’ [as it says ‘and say to them’]”. Generally one is not makri them. And he prompts them. One of the kohanim, he says, he is not an omer be’atzmo [sayer himself], he is not an omer lahem [sayer to them]. There’s a gemara in the Beit Hamikdash that perhaps there is someone who is a Yisrael, or one is matriach [one troubles] that a Yisrael should be the ba’al makri [the one who prompts].

Conclusion

Ad kan [until here] are the ikar hilchot Birkat Kohanim [main laws of Birkat Kohanim].