Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Orach Chaim/128
Laws of the Priestly Blessing
128: Laws of the Priestly Blessing and which are the Matters which Disqualify a Priest.
1 There is no priestly blessing in the absence of ten. And the priests are counted within the minyan.
And a non-priest should not perform the blessing even with (other priests) (in the 2nd chapter of Ketubot, folio 24, that a non-priest transgresses a positive commandment) (and Tosafot, Chapter "All Writings", Rabbi Isaac didn't know what prohibition is there with a non-priest who ascends, and perhaps with other priests, and this needs investigation).
2 Any priest who is not disqualified, if he does not ascend the Duchan, even though he transgressed one positive commandment, it is as if he has transgressed three positive commandments, if he was in the synagogue when the prayer-leader called out "Cohanim!" or it they told him to ascend or to wash his hands.
3 If he has ascended once that day, he does not transgress, even if they told him "ascend".
4
When the priests do not want to ascend the Duchan, it is necessary for them to wait outside the synagogue only while the prayer-leader calls out "Cohanim!". But in order that they should not say that they are disqualified, they have the custom not to re-enter the synagogue until after the priestly blessing has concluded.
5
The priests should not ascend the Duchan with shoes, but with stockings they are permitted.
[And some are strict if they are from leather] [Aguddah, Chapter "He Who Reads the Scroll"] [and in a few places they are accustomed to be lenient].
6 Even though the priests have already performed the morning hand-washing, they wash their hands again up to the joint between the hand and the forearm. And the Levite should pour water onto their hands, and before this the Levite should wash his hands. (And the Levites do not have the custom to wash their hands first; rather, they rely on their morning hand-washing).
7 If the priest has washed his hands in the morning and has recited the blessing "Upon washing the hands", he should not repeat the blessing when he washes his hands for the priestly blessing.
8 When the prayer-leader begins "Retzeh...", every priest in the synagogue leaves his place to ascend the Duchan. And even if he will not arrive there until the prayer leader will finish "Retzeh", it is fine. But if he did not move from his place during "Retzeh", he should not ascend anymore.
9 When the priests leave their places to ascend the Duchan [Rashi and Tosafot and Ran wrote that he should not recite it until standing before the Ark, and the Beit Yosef wrote the same], they recite: "May it be the will before You, Lord, our God, that this blessing with which You have commanded us to bless Your people, Israel, should be a perfect blessing and there should not be any obstacle and transgression in it from now on and for evermore." And they draw out this blessing until the conclusion of "Amen" of the thanksgiving blessing from the mouth of the congregation.
10 They stand on the Duchan, their faces towards the ark and their backs towards the congregation and their fingers folded into their palms until the prayer-leader completes "Modim". And then, if they are two, [the prayer-leader] [in the Tur in the name of Ri and Maimonides] calls out to them "Cohanim!"
Gloss: And he should not recite "Eloheinu velohei avoteinu, etc". And some say that they do say it in an undertone up to the word "Cohanim", and then he says it out loud (Tur in the name of Ri and Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg). And then he goes back to saying "Am k'doshecha ka'amur" in an undertone. And that is the custom in these countries.
And they turn their faces towards the congregation. And if he is one, he does not call out to him, he just turns his face of his own accord.
11 When they turn their faces towards the congregation, they recite the blessing "...who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron and commanded us to bless His people, Israel, with love".
12 They lift up their hands to shoulder height and they lift up their right hand slightly higher than the left one and they stretch out their hands and divide their fingers and arrange them into 5 apertures: between the two pairs of fingers – one aperture, and between the index finger and the thumb, and between the two thumbs. And they spread out their palms, so that the centre of their palms is facing the ground and the backs of their hands are facing the sky.
13 The priests start off themselves with the word "Y'varech'cha". Gloss: And some say that the prayer-leader should call out the word "Y'varech'cha" also first [Tur and Ran, Chapter "He Who Reads"; and Haggahot Maimuni] (and that is the custom in all these countries). And afterwards the prayer-leader calls out for them word by word and they answer by reciting each word after him until they will complete the first verse. And then the congregation answers "Amen". And likewise after the second verse. And likewise after the third verse.
14 The blessing may only be recited in the Holy Tongue and in a standing position, and with the palms raised, and out loud.
15 And afterwards, the prayer-leader begins "Sim shalom". And then, the priests return their faces toward the ark and they say "Master of the Worlds, we have done what You decreed us to do. May you do what You have promised us: Look forth from Your holy habitation, from the heavens, and bless Your people, Israel."
Gloss: And they should draw out this prayer until the prayer leader completes "Sim shalom", so that the congregation should answer "Amen" to both of them. And if they cannot draw out for so long, they should say "Adir bamarom, etc.", as below, Chapter 130 (Rashi, Chapter "These are said"; and Haggahot Maimuni).
16 The priests are not allowed to turn back their faces until the prayer-leader will start "Sim shalom". And they are not allowed to bend their fingers until after they will turn back their faces. And they remain standing there and they may not move from there until the prayer-leader will conclude "Sim shalom". And there are those who say that they must wait until after the congregation will conclude to answer "Amen" after the blessing of "Sim shalom". (And so is the custom).
17 When they turn their faces, whether at the beginning or at the end, they should only turn towards the right. Gloss: When they descend from the Duchan, they should not touch their soiled shoes, and if they do touch, they should wash their hands for any prayer which they will pray afterwards (Aguddah, Chapter "If He Was Reading").
18 The one who calls out "Cohanim!" should not call out "Cohanim!" until the congregation has finished saying "Amen" to the "Modim" blessing. And the priests may not commence reciting the blessing: "Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron" until the leader has finished calling out the word "Cohanim!". And after the priests have recited the blessing: "Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron", they may not begin "Yevarech'cha" until the entire congregation have finished saying "Amen" which they answer after the blessing: "Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron". And likewise, they may not start a word until the leader will finish calling out that word. And the congregation does not answer "Amen" until the priests will finish reciting the blessing. Gloss: And the priests should not start "Master of the Worlds, etc." until the congregation will finish saying "Amen" (Beit Yosef).
19 The prayer-leader may not answer "Amen" after the priestly blessing.
20 If the prayer-leader is a priest: if there are other priests present, he should not perform the priestly blessing. (And they should not tell him to ascend or to wash his hands, but if they did tell him, he must ascend for he transgresses a positive commandment if he does not ascend) (Mordecai, Chapter "He Who Reads Stands"; and Haggahot Maimuni, Chapter 15 of Prayer; and Agur). And even if there is no priest but him, he should not perform the priestly blessing, unless he is sure that he will return to his prayer without being distracted; for if he is sure with that, since there is no priest present but him, he should perform the priestly blessing so that the practice is not neglected. And how should he do? He should move the position of his feet a little during "Retzeh" and should say until "ul'cha na'eh l'hodot". And he should ascend the Duchan and should perform the priestly blessing and someone else should call out for him. And the Chazzan concludes "Sim shalom". And if the one who calls out has concentrated throughout the prayer-leader's prayer from beginning to end, it is better that the one who calls out should finish off "Sim shalom".
21 The priests are not allowed to sing the priestly blessing with two or three tunes because there is reason to be concerned for confusion of the mind. And they should only sing one tune from beginning to end.
22 We try that the one who calls out should be an Israelite. And when the hazan is a priest, an Israelite should stand near him and should call out "Cohanim!" and call out to them and the hazan stands and is silent.
23 At the time that the priests bless the congregation, they should not look and should not distract their mind, but their eyes should be downward like he's standing in prayer. And the congregation should have intent to the blessing and their faces should be toward the faces of the priests and they should not look at them. Gloss: And also the priests should not look at their hands. Therefore, the custom is to let down the tallit over their faces and their hands are outside of the tallit. And there are places where the custom is that their hands are inside the tallit so that the congregation should not look at them. (Beit Yosef).
24 The people who are behind the priests are not included in the blessing. But in front of then and on their sides, even a partition of iron does not block. And behind them also, if they have no other choice, such as the people that are in the fields that are busy with their work and cannot come, they are included in the blessing.
25 A synagogue where they are all priests: If there are only 10 people present, they all ascend the platform. Whom do they bless? Their brothers that are in the fields. And who answers "Amen" after them? The women and the children. And if there are more than ten people present, those more than the ten should ascend and bless and the ten answer "Amen" after them.
26 At the time that they bless, one should not say any verse, but should be silent and have intent to the blessing. Gloss: And still, now, that the priests prolong a lot with melodies, it is also the custom to recite verses, and as was explained above, Chapter 57, regarding Barechu. But it us better not to say them (his own words).
27 A priest may not add from his mind more than the three verses of the priestly blessing. And if he added, he transgresses "You should not add".
28 A priest who has performed the blessing and afterwards went to a different synagogue and found a different community that has not yet reached the priestly blessing can perform the blessing another time.
29 A priest who has not yet prayed and he found a community that are praying performs the blessing and the prayer does not inhibit him.
30 One who has a blemish on his face or on his hands, such as that they are tetterous or akumot or bent [tetterous means a type of white plague. And Rashi explained: "lentles in the foreign language; akumot – curved; bent – to their sides". And Rabbi Nissim explained: "akumot – that his hand was curved backward; bent – that he cannot partition his fingers"], should not perform the blessing because the congregation looks at it. And the same law applies to one who has blemishes on his feet in a place where they ascend the platform without stockings. And likewise, one who's mucus descends onto his beard or that his eyes pour down tears – and likewise, one who is blind in one of his eyes – should not perform the blessing. And if he was a familiar figure in his city, that is, that they are used to him and all know that he has that blemish, he should perform the blessing, and even if he's blind in both of his eyes. And anyone who resided in the city thirty days is called "a familiar figure in his city". And only in his city. But if he goes by chance to a different city, and stayed there thirty days – not. And even if he didn't come to dwell there, to be from the men of the city, but he came to be a teacher or a scribe or a servant there for a year or half a year, he is considered "a familiar figure in his city" by 30 days.
31 If the custom of the place is that the priests let down a tallit over their faces, even if there are several blemishes on his face and on his hands, he should perform the blessing. Gloss: And only if his hands were inside the tallit. But if they are outside, the tallit doesn't help for his hands.
32 If his hands were painted with woad and puah [woad and puah – meaning: types of dyes], he should not perform the blessing because the congregation looks at them. And if the occupation of the majority of the city is such, he should perform the blessing.
33
One who doesn't know how to pronounce the letters, for example, that he says alephs as ayins and ayins as alephs and so on, should not perform the blessing.
34
A child who has not brought two hairs does not perform the blessing by himself at all. But with priests who are adults, he does perform the blessing to learn and to get used to it. And one who has brought two hairs performs the blessing even by himself. And still, this is only by chance, and not steadily, until his beard will become full, for then, he could perform the blessing even by himself, steadily. And anyone who reached the years when it is fitting for his beard to become full, even if it has not become full, we call him as if his beard has become full (and see above, Chapter 53, Paragraph 8).
35 A priest who has killed a person, even unintentionally, should not perform the blessing, even if he repented. Gloss: And there are those who say that if he repented, he performs the blessing. And we can be lenient for penitents so as not to "lock the door" in front of them, and so is the custom [his own words, for it is not worse than an apostate; and so it seems from Haggahot Maimuniyyot] [Tur; Rashi and many decisors; Agur and Beit Yosef].
36 If he circumcised an infant and he died, he performs the blessing. And if the people are murmuring after him that he's a bloodshedder, since the matter has not been verified, he should perform the blessing.
37 An apostate accused of idolatry should not perform the blessing. And there are those who say that if he repented, he performs the blessing (and so is the main view). And if he was forced, according to all he performs the blessing.
38
If he drank a revi'it of wine at once, he should not perform the blessing. If he drank it in two sips, or that he put a little water into it, it is permitted. And if he drank more than a revi'it, even if it's diluted, and even if he drank it in several sips, he should not perform the blessing until his wine will be removed from him.
39
If he did not have any of the matters that prevent the performance of the blessing, even though he is not meticulous with mitzvoth and all the people are murmuring after him, he performs the blessing [for other sins do not prevent the performance of the blessing].
40 A priest who married a divorcée should not perform the blessing and we do not behave toward him with sanctity, even to read the Torah first. And even if he divorced her or she died, he is unfit until he will renounce all benefit from the women who are prohibited for him by the authority of the public.
41 If he became defiled by a corpse that is not one of the seven "corpses of mitzvah", he is unfit for the "platform" and for all advantages of the priesthood until he will repent and commit no longer to become defiled by corpses. (There are those who say that one who has a daughter who apostatized to idolatry or committed adultery, we are no longer obligated to sanctify him, for her father did she profane) Mordecai, Chapter "The Proceedings were Finished".
42 One who is profaned does not perform the blessing.
43 After the seven days of mourning, one performs the blessing. And during the seven days of mourning, he should exit the synagogue at the time that they call out "Cohanim!". Gloss: And there are those who say that the entire time of the mourning, even until 12 months upon his father and upon his mother, he doesn't perform the blessing (Mordecai, end of Chapter "He who Reads Stands"; and Haggahot Maimuni); and so is the custom in these provinces.
44
A priest, even though he is single, performs the blessing.
Gloss: And there are those who say that he does not perform the blessing, for he who lives without a wife lives without joy; and he who blesses should be with joy [Mordecai, Chapter "He who Reads Stands"]. And the custom is that he performs the blessing even though he is not married. And nevertheless, one who wants to not perform the blessing, we don't protest against him; just that he shouldn't be in the synagogue at the time that they call out "Cohanim!" or they tell them to wash their hands. It is the custom in all these provinces that the blessing is only performed on yom tob because then they live with the joy of yom tob; and he who has a good heart shall bless; unlike on other days, even on the Sabbaths of the year, when they are occupied with thoughts on their livelihood and on the interruption of their labor. And even on yom tob, the blessing is only performed at the prayer of musaf; for that is when they exit the synagogue and they will rejoice with the joy of yom tob [his own words]. And every shaharith and musaf at which the blessing is not performed, the emissary of the congregation says "Our God and the God of our fathers, etc.," as above, end of Chapter 127. And on Yom Kippur, the blessing is performed like on yom tob. And there are places where the blessing is performed at neilah. And there are places – even at shaharith.
45
These are the words at which the priests turn to south and to north: "He should bless you"; "and He should keep you"; "upon you"; "and He should be gracious unto you"; "upon you"; "to you"; "peace".
Gloss: And the custom is that they prolong with the melodies of these words because each one of them is the end of a blessing by itself. And they say "Master...", as is explained in Chapter 130, at the time that they prolong with the melodies of the words that are at the end of the verses, meaning: "and He should keep you"; "and He should be gracious unto you"; "peace". And the one who calls out should not say "Master, etc." [Responsum of Rabbi Yaakov Levi, No. 148]. It is forbidden to be served by a priest, even at this era, for it's like misusing a consecrated thing, if he did not forgive regarding that [Mordecai, Notes of Gittin].