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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman קכ״ח · The priestly blessing (נשיאת כפים)
נשיאת כפים ואיזה דברים הפוסלין בכהן — the priestly blessing: who blesses it and when, the preparation (washing the hands, no shoes), the whole order of the blessing (facing the people, raising the hands, לשון הקודש, aloud), and the things that disqualify a kohen : bodily blemishes, drunkenness, a kohen who killed, one who married a divorcee, a mourner
סימן קכ״ח · מ״ה סעיפים
נשיאת כפים ואיזה דברים הפוסלין בכהן
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the priestly blessing (נשיאת כפים) : it is not said with fewer than ten and a non-kohen (זר) may not join it; the preparation (washing the hands up to the wrist, no shoes on the דוכן); the whole order of the blessing (moving the feet at « רצה », facing the היכל then the people, raising the hands, blessing only in לשון הקודש, standing and aloud); and the things that disqualify a kohen (מומין, שכרות, כהן שהרג, גרושה, אבל). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and a section of practical cases.
Topic: The priestly blessing — the framework, the preparation, the order of the blessing and the דברים הפוסלין בכהן
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קכ״ח · מ״ה סעיפים
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
The Torah commands (במדבר ו׳): כה תברכו את בני ישראל — thus shall you bless the children of Israel. The kohanim raise their hands and bless the people; « ואני אברכם » — and it is the Holy One, blessed be He, who blesses through them. This siman sets out the whole framework of that blessing (the מנין, the preparation, the order of the words and the movements) and, above all, the things that bar a kohen from it. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. The framework — the מנין of ten, the זר, the obligation (three עשה), once a day (seifim 1–4)
B. The preparation — no shoes on the דוכן, washing the hands, the levi who pours (seifim 5–8)
C. The order of the blessing — facing, raising the hands, לשון הקודש, aloud, « רבון העולמים » (seifim 9–22)
D. Attention and the recipients — eyes down, who is included, no adding to the three verses (seifim 23–29)
E. The דברים הפוסלין — מומין, dyed hands, speech, קטן, one who killed, שכרות, גרושה, אבל (seifim 30–45)
+ Practical cases, comprehension questions and going further
A. The framework — who blesses, and when
נְשִׂיאַת כַּפַּיִם — the raising of the hands — the priestly blessing (ברכת כהנים) said by the kohanim over the congregation. It is a positive commandment for the kohen: one who is in the synagogue when « כהנים » is called and does not go up transgresses. It requires a minyan of ten (the kohanim themselves count), and a non-kohen (זר) may not raise his hands, even alongside kohanim.
Séif 1 — the minyan and the זר
אין נשיאת כפים פחות מעשרה, והכהנים מן המנין. ואין לזר לישא כפיו, אפילו עם כהנים אחרים.
Séif 1: there is no priestly blessing with fewer than ten, and the kohanim are counted in the ten. And a non-kohen (זר) may not raise his hands, even together with other kohanim.
Two conditions of the frame. First, a minyan of ten is needed — and the blessing kohanim are themselves counted in it. Second, only a kohen may bless: a זר who raises his hands transgresses a positive commandment (« כה תברכו » — the kohanim, and not others).
Seifim 2–3 — a positive commandment, once a day
כל כהן שאין בו אחד מן הדברים המעכבים, אם אינו עולה לדוכן, אף על פי שביטל מצות עשה אחת, הרי זה כעובר בשלש עשה, אם היה בבית הכנסת כשקורא «כהנים», או אם אמרו לו לעלות או ליטול ידיו. ואם עלה פעם אחת ביום, שוב אינו עובר, אפילו אמרו לו «עלה».
Séif 2: any kohen in whom there is none of the disqualifying things, if he does not go up to the dukhan — although he has neglected one positive commandment, he is as one who transgresses three positive commandments — provided he was in the synagogue when « כהנים » was called, or he was told to go up or to wash his hands. Séif 3: but if he went up once that day, he no longer transgresses, even if he was told « go up ».
The kohen is drawn in by the call or by being told to go up : then not going up is a transgression (three positive commandments). But the Torah obligation is fulfilled by one blessing a day — so a kohen who already blessed that morning no longer transgresses if he stays down, even if urged.
Séif 4 — the kohen who does not wish to bless
Séif 4: if the kohanim do not wish to go up, they need not leave the synagogue except at the moment the חזן calls « כהנים » ; yet so that people should not say they are disqualified (פגומים), the custom is not to re-enter the synagogue until the priestly blessing is finished.
A kohen is not forced to bless, but he must not be present at the call and refuse — that is the transgression. Hence one who does not wish to bless steps outside before « כהנים » is called; and the custom is to stay out until the blessing is over, lest onlookers wrongly suspect he is a פגום.
B. The preparation — hands, shoes, movement
Séif 5 — no shoes on the דוכן
לא יעלו הכהנים לדוכן במנעלים, אבל בבתי שוקיים שרי.
Séif 5: the kohanim shall not go up to the dukhan in shoes (מנעלים), but in socks (בתי שוקיים) it is permitted.
The kohanim go up without shoes — a remembrance of the service in the Temple, and lest a shoe-lace snap and, in bending to tie it, the kohen miss the blessing. Socks are permitted; some are stringent about leather ones.
Seifim 6–7 — washing the hands, the levi who pours
אף על פי שנטלו הכהנים ידיהם שחרית, חוזרים ונוטלים ידיהם עד הפרק שהוא חבור היד והזרוע, והלוי יצוק מים על ידיהם.
Séif 6: even though the kohanim washed their hands in the morning, they wash them again up to the wrist (the joint of the hand and the forearm), and the levi pours water on their hands. Séif 7: yet if the kohen washed his hands in the morning and recited the blessing « על נטילת ידים », he does not repeat that blessing when he washes for the priestly blessing.
Before blessing, the kohanim wash their hands again — up to the wrist — and it is the levi who pours the water, in honour of the blessing (« sanctify him » — the kohen). No new blessing « על נטילת ידים » is said, since it was already recited in the morning.
Séif 8 — moving the feet at « רצה »
כשמתחיל שליח צבור «רצה», כל כהן שבבית הכנסת נעקר ממקומו לעלות לדוכן; אבל אם לא עקר רגליו ב«רצה», שוב לא יעלה.
Séif 8: when the שליח צבור begins « רצה », every kohen in the synagogue moves from his place to go up to the dukhan — and even if he does not reach there before the חזן finishes « רצה », it is fine; but if he did not move his feet at « רצה », he no longer goes up.
The going-up is anchored to « רצה » : the kohen must start moving from his place at that word. If he did not move his feet at « רצה », he has missed the window and does not go up for that blessing.
C. The order of the blessing
The choreography of ברכת כהנים — a fixed sequence : the kohanim face the היכל, fold their fingers, are called « כהנים », bless « אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן », turn to the people, raise their hands and spread their fingers, and repeat the three verses word by word after the מקריא. Everything is in לשון הקודש, standing, with raised hands and aloud.
Seifim 9–11 — the prayer, the call, the blessing over the mitzvah
עומדים בדוכן פניהם כלפי ההיכל ואחוריהם כלפי העם, ואצבעותיהם כפופים לתוך כפיהם, עד ששליח צבור מסיים «מודים»; ואז קורא להם «כהנים». וכשמחזירין פניהם כלפי העם, מברכין: «אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן, וצונו לברך את עמו ישראל באהבה».
Séif 9: as the kohanim move their feet to go up, they say a prayer that this blessing be « a full blessing, with no stumbling or sin ». Séif 10: they stand on the dukhan facing the היכל, their backs to the people, their fingers folded into their palms, until the שליח צבור finishes « מודים » ; then he calls them « כהנים ». Séif 11: when they turn to the people, they bless « who sanctified us with the holiness of Aharon and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love ».
First they face the היכל (fingers folded) ; at « מודים » the חזן calls « כהנים » ; they turn to the people and say the blessing over the mitzvah — « אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן... באהבה ». A single kohen is not called « כהנים » : he turns of his own accord.
Seifim 12–13 — raising the hands, the five spaces, word by word
מגביהים ידיהם כנגד כתפותיהם, ומגביהים יד ימנית קצת למעלה מהשמאלית, ופושטים ידיהם וחולקים אצבעותיהם, ומכוונים לעשות חמשה אוירים... תוך כפיהם כנגד הארץ ואחורי ידיהם כנגד השמים.
Séif 12: they raise their hands to shoulder-height, the right slightly above the left, spread their hands and separate their fingers, aiming to make five spaces (חמשה אוירים) between the fingers — the palms toward the ground and the backs of the hands toward the sky. Séif 13: the kohanim begin « יברכך », then the מקריא feeds them each verse word by word, and they answer after him ; the congregation answers « אמן » after each of the three verses.
The hands are raised to the shoulders, right just above left, the fingers spread into five spaces, palms down. The three verses are said word by word after the מקריא, the congregation answering אמן after each verse.
Séif 14 — the four conditions of the blessing
אין מברכין אלא בלשון הקודש, ובעמידה, ובנשיאת כפים, ובקול רם.
Séif 14: they bless only in the Holy Tongue (לשון הקודש), standing (בעמידה), with raised hands (נשיאת כפים) and aloud (קול רם).
Four conditions in one line, all learned from the verses : לשון הקודש, standing, raised hands, and aloud (« אמור להם » — as one speaks to a fellow, face to face and audibly).
Seifim 15–17 — « רבון העולמים », turning, coming down
ואחר כך מתחיל שליח צבור «שים שלום», ואז הכהנים מחזירים פניהם להיכל, ואומרים: «רבון העולמים, עשינו מה שגזרת עלינו, עשה אתה מה שהבטחתנו». כשמחזירין פניהם, בין בתחלה בין בסוף, לא יחזרו אלא דרך ימין.
Séif 15: then the שליח צבור begins « שים שלום » ; the kohanim turn back to the היכל and say « רבון העולמים, we did what You decreed upon us, do You what You promised us ». Séif 16: they may not turn back until « שים שלום » begins, nor fold their fingers, nor move from their place, until the חזן finishes. Séif 17: when turning — at the start or the end — they turn only to the right.
After the blessing the kohanim turn back to the היכל at « שים שלום » and say « רבון העולמים » ; they do not turn, fold their fingers, or leave before the חזן finishes. Every turn is to the right. Coming down, they take care not to touch soiled shoes.
Seifim 18–22 — the timing, and the shatz who is a kohen
Séif 18: a careful sequence with no overlap — the מקריא does not call « כהנים » until the אמן of « מודים » has died away ; the kohanim do not begin their blessing until the call is done, nor « יברכך » until the אמן has ended ; and they do not start a word until the מקריא finishes his. Séif 19: the שליח צבור may not answer אמן after the kohanim's blessing. Séif 20: if the שליח צבור is a kohen and there are other kohanim, he does not raise his hands (lest he lose his place in the prayer). Séif 21: the kohanim may not sing the blessing in two or three melodies — only one, from start to end — for fear of confusion (טירוף הדעת). Séif 22: one strives that the מקריא be a ישראל.
No overlap between the voices — each waits for the previous to finish. The שליח צבור does not answer אמן after the kohanim. If the חזן himself is a kohen and there are others, he does not go up. And to avoid confusion, only one melody is used throughout.
D. Attention and the recipients of the blessing
Séif 23 — eyes down, no gazing
בשעה שהכהנים מברכים את העם, לא יביטו ולא יסיחו דעתם, אלא יהיו עיניהם כלפי מטה כמו שעומד בתפלה; והעם יכוונו לברכה, ויהיו פניהם כנגד פני הכהנים, ולא יסתכלו בהם.
Séif 23: while the kohanim bless the people, they shall not gaze about nor let their minds wander, but keep their eyes downward as one standing in prayer ; and the people shall direct their hearts to the blessing, their faces toward the faces of the kohanim, and not look at them.
Both sides keep their attention. The kohanim keep their eyes down and do not look at their own hands ; the people face the kohanim but do not gaze at them. Hence the custom to lower the טלית over the face during the blessing.
Seifim 24–26 — who is included in the blessing
עם שאחורי הכהנים אינם בכלל ברכה; אבל מלפניהם ובצדיהם, אפילו מחיצה של ברזל אינה מפסקת; ולאחוריהם נמי, אם הם אנוסים, כגון עם שבשדות, הם בכלל הברכה.
Séif 24: those behind the kohanim are not included in the blessing ; but those before them and at their sides — even an iron partition does not divide — are included ; and those behind them too, if they are prevented (אנוסים), such as the people in the fields busy at their work, are included. Séif 25: a synagogue that is all kohanim — they all go up and bless « their brothers in the fields », the women and children answering אמן. Séif 26: during the blessing one should say no verses, but be silent and direct the heart to the blessing.
The blessing reaches whoever is before or beside the kohanim — no partition bars it. Those behind are not included — unless they are held back by force (the workers in the fields), who are included. The congregation should listen in silence, not recite verses.
Seifim 27–29 — no adding, blessing again, one who had not prayed
כהן אינו רשאי להוסיף מדעתו יותר על השלש פסוקים של ברכת כהנים, ואם הוסיף עובר על «בל תוסיף».
Séif 27: a kohen may not add of his own accord beyond the three verses of the priestly blessing ; and if he added, he transgresses « בל תוסיף » (do not add). Séif 28: a kohen who blessed and then went to another synagogue and found a congregation that had not yet reached the blessing — may bless again. Séif 29: a kohen who had not yet prayed and found a congregation praying — blesses anyway ; his own prayer does not bar him.
The blessing is exactly three verses — adding is « בל תוסיף ». A kohen may bless more than once in a day (in different congregations), and he may bless even before he himself has prayed — the blessing does not wait on his prayer.
E. The things that disqualify a kohen (הדברים הפוסלין)
הַדְּבָרִים הַפּוֹסְלִין בְּכֹהֵן — what bars a kohen from the blessing — chiefly things that would draw the eye of the congregation (a blemish on the face or hands, dyed hands, a speech defect), and things of a graver nature (a kohen who killed, drunkenness, one who married a divorcee, defilement to the dead, mourning). Many of these are lifted where the kohen is well-known in his town (דש בעירו) or where the טלית is lowered over the face.
Seifim 30–32 — blemishes, and « דש בעירו »
מי שיש לו מום בפניו או בידיו, כגון שהם בוהקניות או עקומות או עקושות, לא ישא את כפיו, מפני שהעם מסתכלין בו... ואם היה דש בעירו, ישא כפיו; וכל ששהה בעיר שלשים יום, מקרי דש בעירו.
Séif 30: one who has a blemish on his face or his hands — such as they are blotched (בוהקניות), bent (עקומות) or crooked (עקושות) — does not raise his hands, because the people would stare at him ; likewise one whose spittle runs, or whose eyes drip, or who is blind in one eye. But if he is « familiar in his town » (דש בעירו) — everyone knowing his blemish — he does raise his hands ; and whoever has stayed thirty days in the town is called דש בעירו. Séif 31: where the custom is to lower the טלית over the face, even one with many blemishes may bless. Séif 32: hands dyed with woad (אסטיס) or madder (פואה) — he does not bless ; but if most of the town works at that trade, he does.
The disqualification here is about drawing the eye : a blemish, dyed hands. So the moment the thing is familiar — the kohen is known in his town (thirty days), or most people share the same dye, or the טלית hides the face — the reason falls away and he blesses.
Seifim 33–34 — speech, and the קטן
מי שאינו יודע לחתוך האותיות, כגון שאומר לאלפי״ן עייני״ן ולעייני״ן אלפי״ן, לא ישא את כפיו. קטן שלא הביא שתי שערות, אינו נושא כפיו בפני עצמו כלל; אבל עם כהנים גדולים נושא, ללמוד ולהתחנך.
Séif 33: one who cannot articulate the letters — for example he says alef for ayin and ayin for alef — does not raise his hands. Séif 34: a minor (קטן) who has not yet grown two hairs does not bless on his own at all ; but together with adult kohanim he blesses, in order to learn and to be trained.
A speech defect that garbles the letters bars the blessing. A minor does not bless alone, but may join adult kohanim to learn ; once grown (two hairs) he blesses even alone — occasionally, and permanently only once his beard has filled out.
Seifim 35–38 — one who killed, a convert, drunkenness
כהן שהרג את הנפש, אפילו בשוגג, לא ישא את כפיו, אפילו עשה תשובה. שתה רביעית יין בבת אחת, לא ישא את כפיו; שתאו בשני פעמים, או שנתן לתוכו מעט מים, מותר.
Séif 35: a kohen who killed a person — even unintentionally — does not raise his hands, even if he repented (the Rama : some say that if he repented he blesses, and one is to be lenient with penitents, and so is the custom). Séif 36: one who circumcised a baby that died still blesses. Séif 37: an apostate (מומר) does not bless, but if he repented he does. Séif 38: one who drank a רביעית of wine at once does not raise his hands ; if he drank it in two goes, or mixed a little water into it, it is permitted.
A kohen who killed (even by accident) is barred — « the hands that shed blood should not be raised in blessing » — though by the Rama a penitent blesses. Drunkenness bars too : a full רביעית of wine at one draught ; but drunk in two, or diluted, it is permitted (like the priests in the Temple).
Seifim 39–42 — other sins, a divorcee, defilement, a challal
Séif 39: if none of the barring things is present, then even a kohen not scrupulous in the mitzvot, and whom people whisper against, still blesses — other sins do not bar the blessing. Séif 40: a kohen who married a divorcee (גרושה) does not bless, and no priestly honour is given him, until he vows to part from her « by the resolve of the many ». Séif 41: one who defiled himself to a dead person who is not among the seven close relatives is disqualified from the dukhan until he undertakes not to do so again. Séif 42: a challal (a kohen of invalid lineage) does not bless.
Note the boundary : ordinary sins do not bar the blessing (séif 39). What bars are things touching the priesthood itself — a forbidden marriage (גרושה), unlawful defilement to the dead, or invalid lineage (חלל).
Seifim 43–45 — the mourner, the unmarried kohen, and the words
אחר שבעה ימי אבלות נושא כפיו, ובתוך שבעה ימי אבלות יצא מבית הכנסת בשעה שקורין «כהנים».
Séif 43: after the seven days of mourning he raises his hands ; but within the seven days he leaves the synagogue at the time « כהנים » is called (the Rama : some say a mourner does not bless throughout the whole mourning period, and so is the custom in these lands). Séif 44: an unmarried kohen blesses ; yet the custom in these lands is to raise the hands only on Yom Tov, at Musaf, when hearts are joyful. Séif 45: these are the words at which the kohanim turn to south and north — « יברכך » « וישמרך », « אליך » « ויחנך », « אליך » « לך » « שלום » ; and it is forbidden to make use of a kohen, as one who benefits from the sacred.
A mourner steps out during the blessing (within the שבעה, and by the prevailing custom for the whole period). In these lands the widespread custom is to bless only on Yom Tov, at Musaf, when there is the joy of the festival. And the siman closes with the words at which the kohanim turn to the sides — each ending a distinct blessing.
The siman in one sentence: the priestly blessing needs ten and only kohanim ; the kohen washes his hands and goes up without shoes, moving his feet at « רצה » ; he faces the היכל, is called « כהנים », blesses the mitzvah, turns to the people, raises his hands and says the three verses in לשון הקודש, standing and aloud, then turns back at « שים שלום » with « רבון העולמים » ; and he is barred by things that draw the eye (מומין, dyed hands, a speech defect) or that touch the priesthood (one who killed, שכרות, a גרושה, defilement, mourning) — though many of these are lifted where he is דש בעירו.
Practical cases
Case 1 — A kohen who does not wish to bless
Situation: a kohen is in the synagogue and, for whatever reason, does not wish to go up. What should he do?
Conduct: he must not be present at the call and refuse — that is the transgression (three עשה). So he steps outside before the חזן calls « כהנים », and the custom is to stay out until the blessing is finished, so that no one suspects him of being a פגום. For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.
Case 2 — A kohen with a blemish or dyed hands
Situation: a kohen has a visible blemish on his hand, or hands stained by his trade. May he raise his hands?
Conduct: the disqualification is only because the people would stare. So if he is דש בעירו — known in his town, having been there thirty days — or if most of the town shares the same dye, or the custom is to lower the טלית over the face, he does bless. For borderline cases one follows one's Rav.
Case 3 — A kohen who has drunk wine
Situation: at a Yom Tov meal a kohen drank some wine before Musaf. May he go up to bless?
Conduct: a full רביעית of wine at one draught bars him until the wine passes ; but if he drank it in two goes, or with a little water mixed in, it is permitted. Beyond a רביעית — even diluted, even in several goes — he does not bless. For the amounts and the details, one follows one's Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- How many are needed for the priestly blessing, and are the kohanim counted in the number (séif 1)?
- When does a kohen who does not go up transgress, and how does he avoid it if he does not wish to bless (seifim 2–4)?
- What are the four conditions of the blessing itself (séif 14)?
- Who is included in the blessing and who is not — and what is the case of the workers in the fields (séif 24)?
- Name three things that disqualify a kohen, and explain how being דש בעירו can lift a blemish (seifim 30, 35, 38, 40).
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
📖Join the khavroutha
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — מצות עשה של «כה תברכו», זר העובר בעשה ולאו הבא מכלל עשה ; נשיאת כפים מן התורה והתפלה מדברי סופרים, ועקירת רגלים ב«רצה» ; הדברים הפוסלין — מומין, «דש בעירו», שכרות, כהן שהרג ובעל תשובה
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — the framework of נשיאת כפים, the order of the blessing and the דברים הפוסלין בכהן