Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Orach Chaim/128

by Yosef Karo

Paragraphs 1-5

1. There is no priestly blessing in the absence of a minyan^[1]. The priests are counted within the minyan. Rema: A non-priest may not perform the blessing even if there are other priests).

2. Any priest, who is not disqualified, if he does not ascend the Duchan^[2], then even though he only transgresses against one positive commandment, it is as if he has trangressed against three positive commandments, if he was in the synagogue when the prayer-leader called out "Cohanim!"^[3] or it they told him to ascend or to wash his hands.

3. If he has already ascended (to perform the blessing) once that day, then he does not transgress if he refuses to do so another time, even if they tell him to ascend.

4. For those priests who 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 to prevent people from saying that the priests 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 wearing shoes, but stockings are permitted. Rema: But some authorities do not allow stockings made of leather; and a few places are lenient about this.

Paragraphs 6-10

6. Even though the priests have already performed the morning hand-washing, they should wash their hands again up to the wrist (namely the joint between the hand and the forearm). A Levite should pour the water onto their hands, and before this the Levite should wash his own hands. Rema: The Levites do not have the custom to wash their hands first; they rely on their morning hand-washing.

7. If the priest had already recited the blessing "Al netilat yada'im"^[4] over the morning hand-washing, then he should not repeat the blessing when he washes his hands for the priestly blessing.

8. When the prayer-leader begins "Retzeh"^[5], every priest in the synagogue should leave his place to ascend the Duchan. And even if he does not arrive until the prayer leader has finished the "Retzeh" paragraph, so much the better. But if (the priest) does not move from his place during the "Retzeh" paragraph, then he has lost the opportunity to ascend the Duchan.

9. When they leave their places to ascend the Duchan (but Rashi and Tosafot and the Ran write that the following should happen while they are standing before the Ark, and the Beit Yosef writes the same), the priests recite: "May it be Your will, Lord our G-d, that this blessing with which You have commanded us to bless Your people, Israel, shouyld be a perfect blessing and there should not be any obstacle or transgression in it from now on and for evermore." And they should draw out this blessing until the congresgation answers "Amen" to the conclusion of (the prayer leader's recitation of) the thanksgiving blessing^[6].

10. (The priests) 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"^[7]. Then, if there at least two priests, the prayer-leader calls out to them "Cohanim!" Rema: But he does not recite "Elokeinu v'elokei etc". Some say that they do say it but in an undertone up to the word "Cohanim" which he says out loud. Then he goes back to saying "Am k'doshecha ka'amur"^[8] in an undertone. That is the custom in these (Ashkenazi) countries.. Then (the priests) turn their faces towards the congregation. But if there is only one (priest) they do not call out ("cohanim") to him, he just turns his face (towards the congregation) of his own accord.

Paragraphs 11-15

11. When (the priests) turn their faces towards the congregation, (the priests) recite the blessing "...who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love".

12. (The priests) lift up their hands to shoulder height with their right hands slightly higher than their left. They stretch out their hands and divide their fingers, by arranging them into 5 apertures: (1) and (2) - between the two pairs of fingers (on each hand), (3) and (4) between the thumb and the index finger (on each hand) and (5) between the two thumbs. 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"^[9]. Rema: Some say that the prayer-leader should call out the word "Y'varech'cha" first and that is the custom in all our (ashkenazi) countries. Afterwards the prayer-leader calls out (the blessing) word by word and (the priests) answer by reciting each word until they have completed the first verse. Then the congregation answers "Amen". Likewise after the second and third verses.

14. The blessing may only be reciting in the Holy Tongue^[10] and in a standing position, with the palms raised and out loud.

15. After (the priestly blessing) the prayer-leader begins "Sim shalom"^[11]. Then the priests return to face 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, grant providence from Your holy wellspring from the heavens and bless Your people, Israel." Rema: (The priests) should draw out this prayer until the prayer leader completes "Sim shalom", so that the congregation answers "Amen" to both of them. And if (the priests) cannot draw out (their prayer) for long enough, then they should say "Adir bemarom etc" - see chapter 130 below.

Paragraph 16-20

16. The priests are not allowed to turn their faces (back towards the ark) until the prayer-leader has started "sim shalom". And they are not allowed to bend their fingers until after they have turned their faces (back towards the ark). They remain standing there and they may not move until the prayer-leader has concluded reciting "sim shalom". There are those who say that they should remain there until after the congregation has answered "Amen" to the end of "sim shalom".

17. When the priests turn their faces, whether at the beginning or at the end, they should always turn towards the right. Rema: When they descend from the Duchan, they should not touch their soiled shoes, and if they do touch them, then they should wash their hands for any prayer (ie Amidah) which comes afterwards.

18. The one who calls out "Cohanim!" should not do so until the congregagation has finished saying "Amen" to the "Modim" thanksgiving blessing. 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!". After the priests have finished reciting the blessing: "Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron" they may not begin the word "Yevarech'cha" until the congregation have finished saying "Amen" to the blessing: "Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron". Likewise, (the priests) may not start (any) word (of the priestly blessing) until the leader has finished calling out that word. The congregation may not answer "Amen" until the priests have finished reciting the blessing. Rema: And the priests may not start the prayer "Ribon haOlamim" - "Master of the Worlds" - until the congregation has finished saying "Amen"

19. The prayer-leader may not answer "Amen" after the priestly blessing.

20. If the prayer-leader is himself a priest (then the following applies): if there are other priests present, then he does not perform the priestly blessing. Rema: And they should not tell him to ascend (the Duchan) nor to wash his hands, but if they do tell him then he should ascend. And even if there is no other priest but him, then he should not perform the priestly blessing, unless he can be trusted to return to (leading) his prayers without being distracted. If he can be trusted in that way, then since there is no other priest but him, he should perform the priestly blessing so that the practice is not neglected. How should he do it? He moves the position of his feet a little during the "Retzeh" blessing and he continues (leading the prayers) up until the end of the thanksgiving blessing^[12]. Then he ascends the Duchan and performs the priestly blessing while someone else calls out for him, then the Chazzan concludes with "Sim shalom". If the one who calls out has concentrated throughout the prayer-leader's repetition of the Amidah from beginning to end, then it is equally acceptable for the one who called out to finish off the "sim shalom" blessing.

Footnotes

1. quorum of ten men
2. דוכן - "platform"
3. Priests! - כהנים
4. "Upon washing the hands" - על כטילת ידים
5. the paragraph of the Amidah which commences with the word: רצה - "Grant..."
6. "modim...l'hodot" - "ולך נאה להודות...".
7. the thanksgiving blessing - see above
8. "...Your holy people, as it says..." - עם קדושך כאמור"
9. "May He bless you" - יברכך
10. biblical Hebrew
11. the blessing of peace - שים שלום
12. "ul'cha na'eh l'hodot" - "ולך נאה להודות...".