View source for Priestly Blessing

{{short description|Jewish blessing by Kohanim}}
{{Infobox Halacha
|image=[[File:Birkhat cohanim 1.JPG|250px]]
|caption=Large crowds congregate on [[Passover]] at the [[Western Wall]] to receive the priestly blessing
|verse=[[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] {{Bibleverse-nb||Numbers|6:23–27|HE}}
|sa=[[Orach Chayim]] 128–130
}}

The '''Priestly Blessing''' or '''priestly benediction''' ({{langx|he|ברכת כהנים}}; [[Transliteration|translit.]] ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as '''raising of the hands''' (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim''),<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia Judaica |publisher= Keter Publishing House, and in New York by the Macmillan Company | date = 1972 | volume = 16 | page=513}}</ref> '''rising to the platform''' (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan''),<ref>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) [https://www.sefaria.org.il/Jastrow%2C_%D7%93%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%9B%D6%B8%D7%9F.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en s.v. "dukhan"] p. 285</ref> '''''dukhenen''''' (Yiddish from the Hebrew word ''dukhan'' – platform – because the blessing is given from a raised rostrum), or '''duchening''',<ref>{{cite web|website=Jewish English Lexicon|url=https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/1827 |title=Duchen - Jewish English Lexicon }}</ref> is a Hebrew prayer recited by [[Kohen|Kohanim]] (the Hebrew Priests, descendants of [[Aaron]]). The text of the blessing is found in [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] {{Bibleverse-nb||Numbers|6:23–27|HE}}. It is also known as the '''Aaronic blessing'''<!-- boldface, redirects here -->.

According to the [[Torah]],<ref>{{bibleverse-lb||Numbers|6:23–27|HE}}. Found in [[Naso (parsha)|Parshat Naso]], the 35th [[Weekly Torah portion]] of the annual cycle.</ref> Aaron blessed the people,<ref>{{cite book|title=Liturgical perspectives: prayer and poetry in light of the Dead Sea scrolls ...By Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature. International Symposium|page = 243}}</ref> and [[YHWH]]<ref>{{cite book|title =Leviticus and Numbers |author=Clyde M. Woods |author2=Justin Rogers | publisher= College Press| date = 2006 |page = 218}}</ref> 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.<ref>Shulchan Aruch OC 128.</ref>

==Biblical source and text==
[[File:Birkat_kohanim_22.jpg|thumb|upright|225px|[[Ketef Hinnom scrolls]]: The second Silver Scroll, a scroll from the First Temple period containing the Priestly Blessing, on display at the [[Israel Museum]]. The scroll is the earliest known artifact written in the [[Paleo-Hebrew alphabet]].]]

[[Leviticus]] {{Bibleverse-nb||Leviticus|9:22|HE}} and [[Deuteronomy]] {{Bibleverse-nb||Deuteronomy|10:8|HE}} and  {{Bibleverse-nb||Deuteronomy|21:5|HE}} mention [[Aaron]] or the other [[Kohen|priests]] blessing the [[Israelites]].

The text to be used for the blessing is specified in {{bibleverse||Numbers|6:22–27|HE}}:

"And the LORD 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 LORD bless you, and keep you;
:::May the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 
:::May the LORD 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; [[Ketef Hinnom scrolls|amulets with these verses]] written on them have been found in graves at [[Ketef Hinnom]], dating from the [[First Temple period|First Temple Period]].

The Hebrew text of the blessing is:{{col-begin}}
{{col-4}} 
{{Script/Hebrew|יברכך יהוה וישמרך}}<br>{{Script/Hebrew|יאר יהוה פניו אליך ויחנך}}<br>{{Script/Hebrew|ישא יהוה פניו אליך וישם לך שלום }}
{{col-4}}
''Yə-ḇāreḵḵā [[Names_of_God_in_Judaism#Adonai|Ăḏōnāy]] wə-yišməreḵā.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/text/numbers/6-24.htm|title=Numbers 6:24 Hebrew Text Analysis|website=biblehub.com}}</ref><br>''Yā’êr Ăḏōnāy pānāw ’êleḵā wî-ḥunnekā.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/text/numbers/6-25.htm|title=Numbers 6:25 Hebrew Text Analysis|website=biblehub.com}}</ref><br>''Yiśśā Ăḏōnāy pānāw ’êleḵā wə-yāśêm ləḵā [[Shalom|šālōm]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/text/numbers/6-26.htm|title=Numbers 6:26 Hebrew Text Analysis|website=biblehub.com}}</ref>
{{col-end}}
The triple invocation of YHWH in the three verses gave rise to various interpretations, which connect them to the three [[Patriarchs (Bible)|Patriarchs]] ([[Abraham]], [[Isaac]], and [[Jacob]]), or to three [[God#Specific attributes|attributes of God]]: Mercy, Courage, and Glory.{{Clarify|reason=In what religion? Seems to be a rather Christian interpretation, if anything. God is brave?!! Isaac is, but not God. And how is Jacob the incarnation of glory? Or does it jump back and forth: once it's an attribute of God in his actions regarding a biblical character (mercy, glory), and once the attribute of that character himself (mercy??, courage)? Unsourced, cannot be checked.|date=June 2015}}{{Citation needed|date=June 2015}}

==Use of the blessing to ward off evil==
[[File:Grave Rabbi Meschullam Kohn.jpg|thumb|Blessing gesture depicted on the gravestone of Rabbi and Kohen Meschullam Kohn (1739–1819)]]

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 {{Bibleverse||Numbers|6:27|HE}} reflects an ancient practice of physically wearing the deity's name and blessing for protection against evil.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 13, 2016 |title=Smoak, The Priestly Blessing in Inscription and Scripture |author=Yael Landman Wermuth |publisher=Ancient Jew Review |url=http://www.ancientjewreview.com/articles/2016/4/4/smoak-the-priestly-blessing-in-inscription-and-scripture}}, a review of {{cite book |author=Smoak, Jeremy D. |title=The Priestly Blessing in Inscription and Scripture: The Early History of Numbers 6:24–26. |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2016}}</ref>

==In Hebrew law and custom==
===Details of the Priestly Blessing===
*Only [[Kohen|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.<ref>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.</ref>
*All Kohanim present must participate, unless disqualified in some way.<ref>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.</ref> 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,<ref>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)</ref>  having a severe speech impediment, blindness, having taken a human life, having married a disqualifying wife (such as a divorcée),<ref>Gold, Avi, ''Bircas Kohanim'' (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 94–95.</ref> or the recent death of a close relation.<ref>Gold, Avi, ''Bircas Kohanim'' (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 95; the length of the period depends on the deceased relation.</ref>
*A Kohen who is on bad terms with the congregation or who is unwilling to perform the ritual should not perform it.<ref>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."</ref>
*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.<ref>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)"</ref>
*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.<ref name=Mansour>{{cite web|last=Mansour|first=Eli|title=Does a Kohen Who Serves as Hazzan Recite Birkat Kohanim?|url=http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=1668|work=DailyHalacha.com|publisher=Torah Learning Resources Ltd.|access-date=10 March 2013}}</ref>
*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.<ref>cf. ''The Complete ArtScroll Siddur'' (Ashkenaz ed., 2nd ed. 1987, Brooklyn) page 923; Gold, Avi, ''Bircas Kohanim'' (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 43 & 69.</ref> It is also recited at bedtime.<ref>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.</ref> Both uses derive from the {{Bibleverse|Song of Songs|3:7–8|HE}}, 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 [[tallit]]ot 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.<ref>See, e.g., [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyiWkWcR86I Leonard Nimoy], ''Live Long and Prosper'' (Shekhinah descends and looking at it would seriously injure or kill person); [http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Synagogue_Blessings/Priestly_Blessing/priestly_blessing.html 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").</ref>
*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.<ref>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.</ref> 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.<ref>Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 110</ref> 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.<ref>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.</ref>

As with many Jewish practices, customs regarding many of the above points may vary widely between countries, communities, and even synagogues.
[[File:Jewish parents blessing children.png|thumb|Parents bless a child on Friday night (1740).]]

=== 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 (son of Jacob)|Joseph]]—[[Ephraim]] and [[Manasseh (tribal patriarch)|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 [[Patriarchs (Bible)#Matriarchs|Matriarchs]] of the Jewish people. Similarly, some rabbis will say the blessing to a boy at his [[Bar and Bat Mitzvah|bar mitzvah]] or to a girl at her [[Bar and Bat Mitzvah|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.<ref>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]].</ref> 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==
[[File:Synagoge, Enschede, Mozaiek.jpg|thumb|right|Mosaic in the synagogue of [[Enschede]]]]

Among Jews in [[Israel]] (except in [[Galilee]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=עוד בעניין נשיאת-כפיים בארץ-ישראל, הנחת הידיים ב'מודה אני' |trans-title=More about carrying hands in Eretz Israel |url=http://www.chabad.org.il/Magazines/Article.asp?CategoryID=861&ArticleID=3088 |publisher=Chabad of Israel |language=he |quote=בצפון ובכל מקום שנהגו לשאת-כפיים רק במוסף שבת}}<br /> [http://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/Shiur.asp?id=4734].  See also [[She'ar Yashuv Cohen]]'s article in Techumin volume 2, where he discussed this custom, and argues for it to be changed; he was to a large part successful and many communities in the North have adopted the practice on a daily basis.</ref> and among most [[Sephardic Jews]] worldwide, the ceremony is performed every day during the repetition of the Shacharit [[Amidah]], and it is repeated on Mussaf on days that include this prayer. On [[Yom Kippur]], the ceremony is performed during the [[Ne'ila]] service as well. On fast days other than Yom Kippur, it is performed at [[Jewish services#Mincha (afternoon prayers)|Mincha]], if said in the late afternoon; when Mincha is recited earlier in the afternoon, most communities in Jerusalem omit the blessing, but in Bene Berak it is generally recited in accordance with the ruling of the [[Chazon Ish]].<ref>OC 20.</ref> The reason for offering the blessing in the afternoon only on fast days is that on these days Kohanim cannot drink alcohol prior to the ceremony.<ref>Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) pages 109–110; Elbogen, Ismar, ''Jewish Liturgy: A comprehensive history'' (orig. 1913, English translation 1993, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society) pages 64–66.</ref>

In the [[Jewish diaspora|Diaspora]] in [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]]c Orthodox communities, as well as some Sephardic communities such as many [[Spanish and Portuguese Jews]], the Jewish ceremony is performed only on [[Passover|Pesach]], [[Shavuot]], [[Sukkot]], [[Shemini Atzeret]], [[Rosh Hashanah]], and [[Yom Kippur]].<ref>Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) page 109; Gold, Avi, ''Bircas Kohanim'' (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) pages 37–38.</ref> This Ashkenazic practice is based on a ruling by the [[Moses Isserles|Remoh]], who argued that the Kohanim were commanded to bless the people "with joy", and that Kohanim in the diaspora could not be expected to feel joyful except on the above-mentioned holidays where all Jews are commanded to feel joy.<ref>Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) pages 109–110; although Yom Kippur is a solemn occasion, by the Neilah service there is a sense of hope and optimism for Divine forgiveness.</ref> Many German communities perform the blessing in Shaharit, Musaf, and (on Yom Kippur) in Neilah. Eastern European congregations only perform it at Musaf. Spanish and Portuguese Jews generally perform the blessing only in Shaharit.  On [[Simchat Torah]], some communities recite it during Musaf, and others during Shacharit, to enable Kohanim to eat or drink during the [[Torah reading]] between Shacharit and Musaf. Customs vary as to whether the blessing is delivered outside Israel on a holiday when it falls on Shabbat.

When the blessing is omitted from a prayer in which it could be recited (on weekdays and Shabbat in Ashkenazic diaspora communities, or in any community if a Kohen is not present), the text of the prayer is recited by the [[hazzan]] instead, without any special chant or gestures.<ref>Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ, Jason Aronson) pages 110–111, although the [[Zohar]] and the Vilna Gaon had distinct instructions on the leader turning to the left and right at certain words.</ref>

==Procedure==
At the beginning of the Jewish ceremony, [[Levite]]s in the congregation wash the hands of the Kohanim and the Kohanim remove their shoes (if they are unable to remove their shoes without using their hands, the shoes are removed prior to the washing) and go to the area (often elevated) in front of the [[Torah ark]] at the front of the synagogue. The use of a platform is implied in Leviticus 9:22. They cover their heads with their [[tallit]]ot, recite the blessing over the performance of the [[mitzvah]], turn to face the congregation, and then the hazzan slowly and melodiously recites the three verse blessing, with the Kohanim repeating it word by word after him. After each verse, the congregation responds ''[[Amen]]''. If there are more than one Kohen performing the blessings then they wait until someone in the congregation calls out "Kohanim" before starting the blessing over performing the blessings (in some Ashkenazic and Chassidic communities, the Chazzan himself will recite "eloheinu velohei ovoteinu barkheinu ba-berekhah hamushulshet", sometimes in an undertone, until he gets to the word "kohanim", which he calls out); the hazzan then continues the procedure. However, if there is only one Kohan performing the blessings, he starts the blessing over performing the blessings without any prompting from the congregation; the hazzan then continues as normal. In the [[Yemenite Jews#Religious traditions|Yemenite tradition]] when there is a solitary Kohen, he says the first word of the blessing without prompting after having said the preparatory blessing.

===Raising the hands===
[[File:Shefa Tal.png|right|thumb|Shefa Tal]]

During the course of the blessing, the hands of the Kohanim are spread out over the congregation. In most communities, the custom (based on Kabbalah) is to spread the fingers of both hands so as to make five spaces between them; the spaces are (1) between the ring finger and middle finger of each hand, (2) between the index finger and thumb of each hand, and (3) the two thumbs touch each other at the knuckle and the aperture is the space above or below the touching knuckles.<ref name="Gold, Avi 1981, page 41">Gold, Avi, ''Bircas Kohanim'' (1981, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications) page 41.</ref>

The Kohen raises his hands, with the palms facing downward and the thumbs of his outspread hands touching. The four fingers on each hand are customarily split into two sets of two fingers each (thus forming the letter Shin ({{script/Hebrew|שׁ}}), an emblem for [[El Shaddai|Shaddai]], "Almighty [God]"), or sometimes they are arranged to form an overlapping lattice of 'windows.' This Jewish ceremony is sometimes called Nesiat Kapayim, the "lifting of the hands." The Jewish tradition states the Divine Presence would shine through the fingers of the priests as they blessed the people, and no one was allowed to look at this out of respect for God.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Synagogue_Blessings/Priestly_Blessing/priestly_blessing.html |title=The Priestly Blessing |work=Hebrew for Christians |first=John |last=Parsons}}</ref>

In those congregation where the [[Minhag|custom]] is to give the blessing during the week; with "five openings", traditionally linked to the verse in [[Song of Songs]] (2.8–9), where it is said that God "peeks through" the latticework, or the cracks in the wall. However, on Shabbot and Yom Tov it is customary to spread all fingers apart.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

Each kohen's tallit is draped over his head and hands so that the congregation cannot see his hands while the blessing is said. Performing the Jewish ceremony of the priestly blessing is known in [[Yiddish]] as ''duchening'', a reference to the bimah on which the blessing is said. The tradition of covering the hands stems from the biblical prohibition against a Kohen with hands that are disfigured in any way from offering the blessing. The rabbis softened this prohibition by saying that a Kohen with disfigured hands to which the community had become accustomed could bless. In later centuries, the practice became for all Kohanim to cover their hands so that any disfigurement would not be seen by the Congregation. This gave rise to folklore that one should not see the hands of the Kohen or even that harm would befall someone who sees the hands of the Kohen. Some congregants will even turn their backs to the Kohanim so as to avoid any possibility of seeing their hands—although this practice is unsupported by any rabbinic source, and in fact the halacha says that those who face away from the Kohanim are not included in the blessing.<ref>Shulchan Aruch OC 128:24.</ref>

===Prayer chant===
In some Jewish communities, it is customary for the Kohanim to raise their hands and recite an extended musical chant without words before reciting the last word of each phrase; in the Western Ashkenazic rite, there is a short chant before each word (except for the name of God), and usually the chazzan will begin a tune when he prompts the kohanim, who will then continue (rather than repeat) the tune. There are different tunes for this chant in different communities. Aside from its pleasant sound, the chant is done so that the congregation may silently offer certain prayers containing individual requests of God after each of the three blessings of the Kohanim.

Because supplications of this nature are not permitted on [[Shabbat]], in Eastern Ashkenazic communities, the chant is also not done on Shabbat.  In Western Ashkenazic communities, it is done as normal on the Sabbath.

In Israel, it is not customary to this chant on a daily basis; some do so on Festivals as they would outside of Israel.

==Variation among Jewish denominations==
===Conservative Judaism===
In [[Conservative Judaism]], the majority of congregations do not perform the priestly blessing ceremony, but some do.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} In some American Conservative congregations that perform the ceremony, a ''bat kohen'' (daughter of a priest) can perform it as well.<ref>{{cite web |first=Mayer |last=Rabinowitz |url=https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/assets/public/halakhah/teshuvot/19912000/rabinowitz_women.pdf |title=OH 128:2.1994a Women Raise Your Hands |work=Responsa of the CTLS 1991-2000 |pages=9–12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320162257/http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19912000/rabinowitz_women.pdf |archive-date=2009-03-20 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has approved two opposing positions: One view holds that a ''bat kohen'' may deliver the blessing; another view holds that a ''bat kohen'' is not permitted to participate in the Priestly Blessing because it is a continuation of a Temple ritual that women were not eligible to perform.<ref>Rabbis Stanley Bramnick and Judah Kagen, 1994; and a responsa by the Va'ad Halakha of the [[Masorti movement]], Rabbi [[Reuven Hammer]], 5748</ref> Conservative Judaism has also lifted some of the restrictions on Kohanim including prohibited marriages. The Masorti movement in Israel, and some Conservative congregations in North America, require male ''kohanim'' as well, and retain restrictions on Kohanim.

===Reform, Reconstructionist and Liberal Judaism===
In Liberal (and American Reform) congregations, the concept of the [[Kohen#Reform view|priesthood has been largely abandoned]], along with other familial ([[caste]]) and [[gender]] distinctions. Thus, this blessing is usually omitted or simply read by the [[hazzan]]. North American Reform Jews omit the [[Musaf]]  service, as do most other liberal communities, and so if they choose to include the priestly blessing, it is usually appended to the end of the [[Shacharit]] Amidah. Some congregations, especially Reconstructionist ones, have the custom of the congregation spreading their tallitot over each other and blessing each other that way.

This custom was started when [[Montreal]] Reconstructionist rabbi Lavy Becker saw children in [[Pisa]], [[Italy]], run under their fathers' tallitot for the blessing, and he brought it home to his congregation.<ref>''Kol Haneshamah Sahabat Vḥagim'', The Reconstructionist Press, Wyncote, Pa. 1994 p. 348 (footnote 2)</ref>

Some congregations alter the grammar so that the blessing is read in the first person plural: "May God bless us and keep us..."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RJ-Shabbat-at-home-1.1.pdf |title=Shabbat at Home |publisher=Reform Judaism}}</ref>

===Orthodox Judaism===
Orthodox Judaism does not permit a ''bat kohen'' (daughter of a kohen) or ''bat levi'' (daughter of a Levite) to participate in ''nesiat kapayim'' because the practice is a direct continuation of the Temple ritual, and should be performed by those who would authentically be eligible to do so in the Temple. Customs differ if a Kohen under Bar Mitzvah can recite the blessing together with an adult Cohen.

==Christian liturgy==
Blessings based on the priestly blessing are used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Priest in the Concluding Rites of the Mass |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/details/ns_lit_doc_20100422_sac-riti-conclusione_en.html |website=The Holy See |access-date=13 August 2018}} The biblical source is referenced as 'Numbers 6:23-26'</ref> Anglican,<ref>{{cite web |title=Common Worship > Common Material > New Patterns for Worship > Resource Section > Conclusion > J67 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/common-material/new-patterns-worshp/resource-section-themes/j-conclusion |website=Church of England |access-date=13 August 2018}} The biblical source is referenced as "Numbers 6.24,25".</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/Baskerville.pdf|date=1762|orig-date=1662|title=Book of Common Prayer: Order for the Visitation of the Sick|page=184|publisher=[[John Baskerville]], via the [[Society of Archbishop Justus]]|quote=The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore.}}</ref> and Lutheran churches. In Christian contexts, the Priestly Blessing is generally known as "The Benediction", and often finishes a service.{{cn|date=January 2023}}

==Music==
Settings of the text include:
* ''The Lord bless you and keep you'' composed in 1900 by  [[Peter C. Lutkin]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.musicasacracantorum.org/resources/Lutkin%20-%20Benediction.pdf |title=The Lord Bless You and Keep You |publisher= Musica Sacra of Sarasota |access-date=2014-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329002355/http://www.musicasacracantorum.org/resources/Lutkin%20-%20Benediction.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-29  }}</ref>
*''Y'varekh'kha adonai'', from Part V of Sacred Service (Avodat Hakodesh) composed during 1930-1933 by [[Ernest Bloch]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milkenarchive.org/music/volumes/view/masterworks-of-prayer/work/sacred-service-avodat-hakodesh/ |title=Y'varekh'kha adonai |work=Sacred Service (Avodat Hakodesh) |first=Ernest |last=Block |author-link=Ernest Bloch |publisher=[[Milken Archive of Jewish Music]]}}</ref>
* ''[[The Lord bless you and keep you]]'' composed in 1981 by [[John Rutter]].
* ''[[Opening Prayer]]'', in Hebrew, a setting for baritone and orchestra composed by [[Leonard Bernstein]] for the reopening of [[Carnegie Hall]] in 1986.
* "[[The Blessing (song)|The Blessing]]", composed by [[Kari Jobe]], [[Cody Carnes]], [[Steven Furtick]] and Chris Brown in 2020.

==Popular culture==
[[File:Leonard Nimoy, 2011, ST Con-2 C.jpg|thumb|right|[[Leonard Nimoy]] demonstrating the Vulcan salute]]
In the mid-1960s, actor [[Leonard Nimoy]], who was raised in a traditional Jewish home, used a single-handed version of this gesture to create the [[Vulcan salute]] for his character, [[Spock]], on ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''. He has explained that while attending Orthodox services as a child, he peeked from under his father's [[tallit]] and saw the gesture; many years later, when introducing the character of Mr. Spock, he and series creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] thought a physical component should accompany the verbal "Live long and prosper" greeting. The Jewish priestly gesture looked sufficiently [[Extraterrestrial life in fiction|alien]] and mysterious, and became part of ''Star Trek'' lore.<ref>1983 television show "Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek Memories" This story was told by Nimoy on camera and repeated in somewhat abbreviated form in 1999 on the SciFi Channel "Star Trek: Special Edition" commentary for the episode "Amok Time". Again, the story was told by Nimoy on camera.</ref>

In the video game ''[[Civilization IV]]'', for which Leonard Nimoy was the narrator who speaks a quote when any given technology is discovered, when a player researches the technology known as "Priesthood" the Blessing is recited by Nimoy in English "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace."

[[Leonard Cohen]], who was a ''kohen'', ended his concert in [[Ramat Gan]], [[Israel]], on 24 September 2009, with the Priestly Blessing, reciting it in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Nathan |last=Jeffay |url=https://forward.com/news/115181/hallelujah-in-tel-aviv-leonard-cohen-energizes-di/ |title='Hallelujah' in Tel Aviv: Leonard Cohen Energizes Diverse Crowd |date=September 25, 2009 |work=[[The Forward]]}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Ketef Hinnom]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*Rabbi Avi Gold, ''Bircas Kohanim: The Priestly Blessings: Background, Translation, and Commentary Anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and Rabbinic Sources'' [[Artscroll]] Mesorah Series, 1981, 95 pages. {{ISBN|0-89906-184-2}}
* Hilchot Tefilla: A Comprehensive Guide to the Laws of Daily Prayer, David Brofsky, KTAV Publishing House/OU Press/Yeshivat Har Etzion. 2010. ({{ISBN|978-1-60280-164-6}})
* {{cite book |last1=Glodo |first1=Michael J. |title=The Lord Bless You and Keep You: The Promise of the Gospel in the Aaronic Blessing |date=2023 |publisher=[[Crossway]]}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Birkat Kohanim}}
* [http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=387685 Reasons for the customs of the Priestly Blessings (Birchat Kohanim)] from the [http://www.chabad.org/search/default.asp?AID=67250 Chabad.org Jewish Knowledge Base]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121007023742/http://urj.org/learning/torah/archives/numbers/?syspage=article&item_id=41068 Priestly Blessing, from the Union of Reform Judaism]
*[http://www.cohen-levi.org/the_cohens_heritage/procedure_for_the_blessing_of_the_kohanim.htm www.cohen-levi.org procedure for the blessing of the kohanim] (info on ceremony and picture of hand position for blessing—Orthodox perspective)
*[http://zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=208 Recording of the Priestly Blessing on the Zemirot Database]
*[http://www.oztorah.com/2010/03/duchaning-in-the-diaspora-ask-the-rabbi/ Why the Priestly Blessing is not recited daily in the Diaspora]
*[http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/naso_joi.shtml Article provided by the Jewish Outreach Institute, an organization dedicated to creating a more open and welcoming Judaism]
*[http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Synagogue_Blessings/Priestly_Blessing/priestly_blessing.html Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, at Hebrew for Christians]
* [https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/02-20-01/ The Mitzvah of Birkat Kohanim] in [[Peninei Halakha]] by rabbi [[Eliezer Melamed]]
{{Jewish prayers}}
{{Book of Numbers}}

[[Category:Priestly Blessing| ]]
[[Category:Jewish blessings]]
[[Category:Jewish services]]
[[Category:Torah]]
[[Category:Book of Numbers]]
[[Category:Priesthood (Judaism)]]
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