The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction (; translit. birkat kohanim), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew nesiat kapayim), rising to the platform (Hebrew aliyah ledukhan),Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) s.v. Birkat Kohanim, page 109; Gold, Avi, Birchas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 28–29; Jastrow, Marcus. "A Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature" (Choreb, 1926) s.v. "dukhan" p. 285 dukhenen (Yiddish from the Hebrew word dukhan – platform – because the blessing is given from a raised rostrum), or duchening, is a Hebrew prayer recited by Kohanim (the Hebrew Priests, descendants of Aaron). The text of the blessing is found in Numbers . It is also known as the Aaronic blessing.
According to the Torah,. Found in Parshat Naso, the 35th Weekly Torah portion of the annual cycle. Aaron blessed the people, and YHWH promises that "They (the Priests) will place my name on the Children of Israel (the Priests will bless the people), and I will bless them". Chazal stressed that although the priests are the ones carrying out the blessing, it is not they or the ceremonial practice of raising their hands that results in the blessing, but rather it is God's desire that the blessing should be symbolised by the Kohanim's hands.
Even after the destruction of the Second Temple, the practice has been continued in Jewish synagogues, and today in most Jewish communities, Kohanim bless the worshippers in the synagogue during shacharit prayer services.Shulchan Aruch OC 128.
Biblical source and text
Leviticus and Deuteronomy and mention Aaron or the other priests blessing the Israelites.
The text to be used for the blessing is specified in : "And the spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: In this way you shall bless the children of Israel; you shall say to them: May the bless you, and keep you; May the make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May the lift up His face to you, and give you peace. So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
This is the oldest known Biblical text that has been found; amulets with these verses written on them have been found in graves at Ketef Hinnom, dating from the First Temple Period.
The Hebrew text of the blessing is:
Use of the blessing to ward off evil
Extrabiblical evidence such as the two silver Iron Age amulets found at Ketef Hinnom, contemporary Phoenician and Punic amulets and bands, and blessing inscriptions from the southern Levant have shown that the language of the Priestly Blessing derived from a broader tradition of apotropaic text, which was often inscribed on metal and worn in order to provide protection against evil.
Variations of this blessing are frequently encountered in mortuary and religious settings, foreshadowing early Jewish commentaries linking the blessing to the concept of death. Although specific words in the Priestly Blessing are commonly found in the Bible, the syntactic sequences in which they occur suggest parallels not to other biblical passages, but to blessing inscriptions from late Iron Age southern Levant. In particular, it has been suggested that the enigmatic instruction to "put [YHWH's] name on the Israelites" in reflects an ancient practice of physically wearing the deity's name and blessing for protection against evil., a review of
In Hebrew law and custom Details of the Priestly Blessing Only Kohanim (males aged 13 or older, in direct patrilineal descent from Aaron) may perform the Priestly Benediction. The blessing should be performed only in the presence of a minyan – even if the Kohanim themselves must be included for a total of ten.Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 90 & 94; Elbogen, Ismar, Jewish Liturgy: A comprehensive history (orig. 1913, English translation 1993, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society) page 64, citing Mishna, Megillah 4:4. All Kohanim present must participate, unless disqualified in some way.Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 90; but a Kohen is required to recite the blessing only once in a day, so a Kohen may refuse a request to perform the blessing a second time in the same day. If a Kohen does not wish to participate, he must leave the sanctuary for the duration of the blessing. A Kohen may be disqualified by, e.g., being under the influence of alcohol,Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 94; for this reason, the blessing is not performed in the afternoon service of a festival (as distinguished from a fast), Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) pages 109–110; Sperling, Abraham, Reasons for Jewish Customs and Traditions [Ta-amei Ha-Minhagim] (orig. 1890, English translation 1968, New York, Bloch Publishing Co.) page 67 (citing Orakh Hayyim 129:1) having a severe speech impediment, blindness, having taken a human life, having married a disqualifying wife (such as a divorcée),Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 94–95. or the recent death of a close relation.Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 95; the length of the period depends on the deceased relation. A Kohen who is on bad terms with the congregation or who is unwilling to perform the ritual should not perform it.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 111, citing the Zohar, Naso 147b, and the Kohanim themselves preface the blessing with their own prayer, thanking God for commanding them "to bless his people, Israel, with love." It is customary that, once the Kohanim are assembled on the platform, the cantor or prayer leader will prompt them by reciting each word of the blessing and the Kohanim will then repeat that word. Apparently this prompting is done to avoid errors or embarrassment if any of the Kohanim should be ignorant of the words of the recitation. However, if there are a number of kohanim, they may say the first word of the blessing ("Yevarekhekha") without the prompting, presumably to demonstrate their familiarity with the ritual.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 111; The Orot Sephardic Weekday Siddur (1994, NJ, Orot Inc.) page 178; Elbogen, Ismar, Jewish Liturgy: A comprehensive history (orig. 1913, Engl.transl. 1993, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society) page 63 ("The priests did not begin on their own, but the precentor had to call out the blessing before them, and this custom has become so deeply rooted that it is regarded as a rule of the Torah. (citing Sifre, Numbers, sec. 39)" If the prayer leader is a Kohen himself, he does not prompt the other Kohanim in the blessing. Instead, a non-Kohen is designated with that task, and the leader remains silent. The Gemara advises that a person who is troubled by a dream should reflect on it when the Kohanim recite their blessing. This practice is still done in many Orthodox communities, primarily in communities that perform the ritual only on Festivals.cf. The Complete ArtScroll Siddur (Ashkenaz ed., 2nd ed. 1987, Brooklyn) page 923; Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 43 & 69. It is also recited at bedtime.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 112; Elbogen, Ismar, Jewish Liturgy: A comprehensive history (orig. 1913, Engl.transl. 1993, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society) page 64; The Complete ArtScroll Siddur (Ashkenaz ed., 2nd ed. 1987, Brooklyn) page 295. Both uses derive from the , telling of 60 armed guards surrounding Solomon's bedchamber to protect him from "night terrors"; the 60 letters in the Hebrew text of the Priestly Blessing are similarly said to defend against night terrors. In many communities, it is customary for congregants to spread their tallitot over their own heads during the blessing and not look at the Kohanim. If a man has children, they will come under his tallit to be blessed, even if they are quite old. The (unattributed) basis of this custom is to deemphasize the role of the Kohanim: they are simply a vehicle by which God "place[s] [His] name upon the children of Israel". A tradition common among Ashkenazim rests on the basis that during the recital of this blessing the Shekhinah becomes present where the kohanim have their hands in the "shin" gesture, so that gazing there would be harmful.See, e.g., Leonard Nimoy, Live Long and Prosper (Shekhinah descends and looking at it would seriously injure or kill person); Birkhat Kohanim ("the Divine Presence would shine on the fingers of the Kohanim as they would bless the Jews, and no one was allowed to look out of respect for God"). In the case where no Kohanim are present in the synagogue, or in communities where the kohanim do not bless the community in this prayer, the hazzan will read the prayer verse by verse, and the congregation will respond after each verse with "ken yehi ratzon" (May it be God's Will). This response is used instead of "Amen", because the hazzan is merely "mentioning" the blessing, essentially quoting it rather than actually performing the ritual.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 110; Gold, Avi, Bircas Kohanim (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 95; The Orot Sephardic Weekday Siddur (1994, NJ, Orot Inc.) pages 178 & 181. However, some congregations (including Chabad) do indeed respond "Amen". This response is also employed on days and times when the Amidah is repeated but the Kohanim do not recite the priestly blessing.Nulman, Macy, Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 110 However, according to Abudirham, since the Priestly Blessing is not a conventional benediction (that would begin with "Blessed are You ..."), but rather a prayer for peace, ken yehi ratzon is the more appropriate response at all times.Sperling, Abraham, Reasons for Jewish Customs and Traditions [Ta-amei Ha-Minhagim] (orig. 1890, English translation 1968, New York, Bloch Publishing Co.) pages 62–63.
As with many Jewish practices, customs regarding many of the above points may vary widely between countries, communities, and even synagogues.
Other uses of the text The text of the Priestly Blessing is also used by Jewish parents to bless their children on Friday night before the Shabbat meal. It is usually prefaced, for boys with a request for God to make the children like the sons of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh—who are remembered because they never fought with each other, according to tradition. For girls the traditional request is God to make them like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, the Matriarchs of the Jewish people. Similarly, some rabbis will say the blessing to a boy at his bar mitzvah or to a girl at her bat mitzvah. It also may be said before a long journey, and some people will write it out and wear/keep it as an amulet.During the First Temple period, people wore as amulets silver scrolls on which the Birkhat Kohanim was inscribed, as described in the article Ketef Hinnom. It is often used in the liturgy as the first section of Torah to be read in the morning after reciting the blessing before studying Torah.
Times performed