Mishmar 4 -- The Priestly Blessing

(1) In the morning service, in the additional service and in the Neilah (closing) service, the priests uplift their hands to pronounce the Priestly Benediction. This is not done in the afternoon service; for in the afternoon [on ordinary days] all have had their meals, and the priests may possibly have drunk wine, and an inebriate is forbidden to perform this rite. Nor even on a fast-day do they pronounce the Priestly Benediction, for fear that if permitted on such a day, the rule might be disregarded in the afternoon service on other days.

(2) This rule applies to a fast-day on which both the afternoon and Neilah services are recited; for example, the Day of Atonement and a public fast-day (specially appointed). [It is different however with] a fast-day when there is no Neilah, for example, the Ninth of Ab or the Seventeenth of Tammuz. The reason is that the afternoon service, being recited on such a day near sunset, appears to have the character of Neilah and will not be confused with the afternoon service on other days. Hence the Priestly Benediction is pronounced on such a fast-day. A priest who transgressed the rule and went up in front of the ark on the Day of Atonement in the afternoon service is permitted to raise his hands to pronounce the Benediction—as it is known that on this day there is no inebriety—and he is not made to step down, so as not to give rise to the suspicion that he was disqualified and therefore had been made to step down.

(3) How is this rite performed outside the Temple? When the Reader of the congregation reaches the paragraph in the Amidah referring to the restoration of the ancient service and he utters the first word of that blessing beginning "Be pleased",^*The first of the last three blessings of the Amidah. all the priests in the synagogue leave their places, proceed to the platform in front of the ark, stand there, with their faces towards the ark and their backs towards the congregation, their fingers bent in their palms, till the Reader concludes the paragraph of thanksgiving.^*The second of these last three blessings. Then they turn their faces toward the congregation, straighten their fingers, raise their hands to a level with their shoulders and begin reciting, "May the Lord bless thee". The Reader prompts them, word by word, and they repeat, as it is said, "Say unto them", which means that they are to wait till he recites. When they have ended the first verse, all the people respond, "Amen". The Reader of the congregation prompts them in the second verse, word for word, which they repeat till they have ended the second verse, when all the people respond, "Amen". And so with the third verse.

(4) When the priests have concluded reciting the three verses of the Benediction, the Reader begins the last paragraph of the Amidah, that beginning, "Grant Peace". The priests turn their faces towards the ark, bend their fingers^*(and drop the hands.) and remain standing on the platform till he concludes the paragraph, and then they return to their places.

(5) The prompter may not summon the priests till the sound of the congregation's "Amen" to the previous blessing^*The second of the last three blessings of the Amidah. has ceased. The priests may not begin the introductory blessing, "Who hath sanctified us with the sanctification of Aaron and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love" till the sound of the prompter's summons to the priests has ceased. The congregation do not respond "Amen" till the sound of the priest's utterance of the first verse of the Benediction has ceased. The priests do not begin the second verse of the Benediction till the sound of the congregation's "Amen" has ceased. The Reader may not join in the congregational response "Amen" after the priests' Benediction, lest he become confused and will not know which verse of the Benediction he has to prompt, whether the second or third.

(6) The priests may not turn their faces away from the congregation till the Reader begins the paragraph commencing, "Grant Peace". Nor may they bend their fingers till they have turned their faces away from the congregation. It is one of the ordinances instituted by Rabban [Yachanan ben Zaccai] that the priests do not ascend to the platform in front of the ark, wearing shoes, but they stand there barefoot.

(7) While the priests bless the people, they may not look at the people, nor allow their minds to wander. Their eyes should look to the ground like one engaged in prayer. No one may gaze at the priests while they are blessing the people so that their attention should not be distracted. All the people should concentrate their minds, so as to hear the Benediction and turn their faces towards the faces of the priests, but they do not look at them.

(8) If only one priest pronounces the Benediction, he begins to recite without being summoned. The congregational Reader prompts him, word for word, as stated. If there were two or more priests they do not begin to bless the people, till the Reader has summoned them with the formula, "Priests". They respond, "The Lord bless thee". He then prompts them, word for word, in the order stated.

(9) How was the rite of the Priestly Benediction performed in the Temple? The priests went up to the platform after the conclusion of the morning sacrifice. They raised their hands, with fingers straightened, above their heads; except the High Priest who did not raise his hands higher than the Golden Plate.^*on his forehead; the plate had the words engraved, “holy to God”. One prompted them, word for word, just as is done outside the temple, till they had concluded the three verses of the Benediction. The people did not respond "Amen" after each verse. But all the three verses were recited as one blessing. When they concluded, all the people responded, "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting."

(10) The name of God was pronounced as written; that is, the name of which the utterance is according to the letters Yod, He, Vav, He. This is the Ineffable Name (literally the Proper Name), wherever it is referred to. Outside the temple the usual pronunciation is used, as if it were written A.D.N.I.^*Adonai—my Lord.; for the Proper Name of God as written, is pronounced nowhere but in the Temple. After the death of Simon the Just, the priests ceased to utter the proper name of God in the Benediction, even in the Temple, so that an unworthy or unsuitable person should not learn it. The ancient teachers did not teach this name to their disciples or sons, even when they were worthy, except once in seven years—all this out of respect to the Honored and Revered Name of God.

(11) The Priestly Benediction, wherever it is recited, must be recited only in Hebrew, as it is said, "Thus shall ye bless the Children of Israel." A tradition dating back to Moses is the authority for the following exposition: "Thus shall ye bless", that means, standing. "Thus shall ye bless", that means, with hands raised. "Thus shall ye bless", that means, in the Holy Tongue. "Thus shall ye bless" that means, face to face with the congregation. "Thus shall ye bless", that means uttering the Proper Name of God. This however is uttered thus, only when the Benediction is pronounced in the Temple, as already stated.

(12) In no place may the priests add, either softly or aloud, a blessing to the three verses of the Benediction, such as, "The Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many more as you are", or other verses of a similar tenor, for it is said, "Thou shalt not add to it" (Deuteronomy 13:1). Every priest proceeding to the platform to pronounce the Benediction, as soon as he starts, says, "May it be Thy Will, O Lord our God, that this Benediction which Thou hast commanded us to bless therewith Thy people Israel shall be a perfect blessing. May there be in it no stumbling nor perverseness from now and for evermore". Before the priest turns his face towards the people to bless them, he recites the blessing, "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast sanctified us with the sanctification of Aaron and commanded us to bless Thy people Israel with love". He then turns his face to the congregation and begins to bless them. And when he turns his face away from the congregation, after he had concluded the Benediction, he says "We have done that which Thou hast decreed unto us. Do Thou fulfill unto us that which Thou hast promised unto us. Do Thou look down from Thy holy habitation, from Heaven, and bless Thy People Israel".

(13) When the priests turn their faces towards the people to bless them, and when they turn their faces away, after blessing them, they should always turn to the right. And so too, whenever any one turns, it should always be to the right.

(14) The Priestly Benediction was pronounced in the Temple once every day, after the morning sacrifice had been offered up. The priests came and stood upon the steps of the Temple porch and blessed the people in the form we have stated. Outside the Temple, the Benediction was pronounced at the close of each service except that of the afternoon, as previously stated. The endeavour is everywhere made to secure an Israelite (one who is not a priest) as prompter; as it is said, "Say unto them", which implies that the prompter is not to be one of them.

(1) Six things prevent the performance of the rite of the Priestly Benediction: Defective speech; Physical blemishes; Transgressions; Wine; Age; Uncleanliness of the hands. Defective speech: Sufferers from a defect in speech, who cannot utter the letters as they should be pronounced, who, for example, read Aleph as if it were Ayin, or vice versa, or Shibboleth as if it were Sibboleth, etc., do not perform the rite of the Priestly Benediction. So too, those who are heavy of tongue and whose utterance is thick so that they are not understood by all, do not perform this rite.

(2) Physical blemishes: A priest who has blemishes on his face, hands or feet, as, for instance one whose fingers are twisted inwards or sideways, or whose hands are covered with tetters, does not perform this rite, as the people will stare at him. He who slavers, when speaking, or is blind of one eye, shall not perform this rite. If however, the person who is blind of one eye, or slavers is a well known and familiar figure in the town, he is permitted to perform the rite, as no one will stare at him. So too, a person whose hands are stained with indigo or other colouring material, shall not perform this rite. But if the majority of the residents in that town are engaged in the dyeing industry, he may do so, as they will not stare at him.

(3) Transgressions: A priest who had slain a human being, even if he has repented, must not perform this rite, for it is said, "Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15), and it is further written, "And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you" (Isaiah 1:15). A priest who had worshiped idols, whether under compulsion or in error, even if he had repented, must never perform this rite, for it is said, "Nevertheless, the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem" (II Kings 23:9); and the Priestly Benediction is like the Temple service, as it is said, "To minister unto Him and to bless in His name" (Deuteronomy 10:8). So too, a priest who had become a convert to idolatry, though he returned to Judaism, never performs this rite. The commission of other transgressions is no disqualification.

(4) Age: A priest who is a youth does not perform this rite till his beard has grown. Wine: One who has drunk a fourth of a log^*A log is equal in capacity to six hen’s eggs, hence a quarter of a log equals one and a half eggs. of wine in one draught does not perform this rite till the effect of the wine has passed off—the Priestly Benediction being analogous to the Temple service. If, however, he drank a fourth of a log of wine in two draughts, or diluted it with a little water, he is permitted to perform the rite. If he drank more than a quarter of a log, even mixed with water, and even if he drank it in several draughts, he must not perform the rite till the effect of the wine has passed off. How much is the fourth of a log? The contents of a vessel two finger breadths long, two finger breadths wide and two and seven-tenths finger breadths high. In all measurements throughout the Torah, the finger used is the thumb, called Bohen Yad.

(5) Uncleanliness of the hands: A priest who has not washed his hands must not perform this rite. But he first washes his hands as far as the wrists, just as the priests did in preparation for the Temple service and then he blesses the people, as it is said, "Lift up your hands to the sanctuary",^*That is, wash your hands for a holy service. (Psalms 134:2). The profaned^*Who himself, or whose father prior to his birth, has violated the restrictions on the priests in marital relations. priest does not perform this rite because he has not the status of priesthood.

(6) A priest who is free from any of these disqualifications, even though he is not a scholar nor punctilious in the observance of religious duties, and even though people talk about him and his dealings are not marked by strict integrity, nevertheless pronounces the Priestly Benediction and should not be prevented from performing the rite; since it is a duty incumbent on every qualified priest to bless the people, and we do not say to a wicked man, "Be still more wicked and abstain from fulfilling religious duties."

(7) Do not wonder and say, "Of what use is the blessing of this ordinary person?" The acceptance of the Benediction does not depend upon the priest but upon the Almighty, as it is said, "So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them" (Numbers 6:27). The priests fulfill their duty with which they have been charged, and the Almighty, in His mercy, blesses Israel according to His will.

(8) The people in the rear of the priests are not included in the blessing. Those, however, who stand at their side are included. If there was a partition—even if it were an iron wall—between the priests and those that were being blessed, since their faces are turned toward those of the priests, they are included in the blessing.

(9) The Benediction by the priests requires the presence of ten [male adult] Israelites, the priests being counted in the quorum. If the Congregation present in the synagogue consists wholly of priests, all of them perform the rite of pronouncing the Benediction. Whom are they blessing? Their brethren in the north and their brethren in the south. Who responds Amen to their blessings? The women and children. If, in addition to those who have gone up to the platform, there are ten priests present, these ten respond Amen, and the rest pronounce the Benediction.

(10) In a congrgation where there is no other priest but the Reader, he does not perform the rite of the Priestly Benediction. But he may perform it if he is confident that after doing so, he will return to the reading of the service. In a congregation where there is no priest, the Reader, when he comes to the last paragraph, beginning, "Grant peace" first recites the following: "Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the threefold blessing of Thy Law, written by the hand of Moses, Thy servant, which was spoken by the mouth of Aaron and his sons, the priests, Thy holy people, as it is said, 'The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee: the Lord turn His face unto thee and give thee peace. So shall they put my name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them' ". The people do not respond Amen. He then begins the paragraph, "Grant peace etc."

(11) A priest who, after performing the rite in one synagogue, went to another synagogue and found that the congregation was at prayers, but had not yet reached the Priestly Benediction, repeats the rite. And he may do so several times in the day. A priest who had not moved from his place to go up to the platform while the reader was reciting the paragraph beginning, "Be pleased with the service of Thy people etc.", may not go up during that service. But if he had moved to go up to the platform, even though he had not reached it till this paragraph was concluded, he goes up and blesses the people.

(12) The priest who does not go up to the platform to bless the people, although he has neglected to fulfill one affirmative precept, is accounted as having transgressed three affirmative precepts, for it is said, "On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel"; "Ye shall say unto them"; "So shall they put my name" (Numbers 6:22-27). Any priest who does not bless the people is not blessed. Every priest who blesses them is blessed, for it is said, "I will bless them that bless thee" (Genesis 12:3). Blessed be the All-Merciful who hath helped us.