Thank YOU, LORD GOD!

I guess some have noticed I've been gone for awhile.

We moved...into our new home.

So, yesturday, our internet connection was turned back on~and today, Praise the LORD JESUS, we finally got back online!

HALLELUJAH.

I pray every one has been well, and am looking forward to catching up with all my friends and family.

much much love in Christ JESUS

Cammie

SPECIAL BLESSINGS:

PICTURES OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

http://associate.com/photos/The-Bible-and-its-Story--1909/The_Bible_and_Its_Story_9/index.html

 

The Laws of the Priestly BlessingBirchat Kohanim

By Eliezer Wenger
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What:

• The descendants of Aaron (the "Kohen," plural Kohanim), the High Priest in the Holy Temple (and brother of Moses), are commanded to bless the Jews in a daily blessing, as it says:

And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, thus shall you bless the children of Israel...

• Nowadays, although there are various customs regarding this, such as the daily blessing at the Western Wall and on Shabbat blessings in the entire land of Israel, the custom by most is to do the Priestly Blessing only on Holidays, even if it falls out on the Shabbat. These include the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first two days of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeres, Simchat Torah, the first and last two days of Passover and the two days of Shavuot. Except for Simchat Torah when it is done during the morning services, during all other occasions it is done during the repetition of Musaf Amidah.

The Quorum:

• In order to say the Priestly Blessing, there must be ten men present and the Kohanim are included as part of the ten.

• Although regarding the repetition of the Amidah, the cantor may complete the repetition, even if some of the ten walked out in middle and there are less then ten remaining, under these circumstances the Priestly Blessing would not be said. This is an independent mitzvah which requires the presence of ten.

• Even if there are nine Kohanim and one is a Israelite, the Priestly Blessing is still said.

Preparations for the Blessing:

• The Kohanim remove their shoes prior to doing the Priestly Blessing and the shoes should be placed under the benches and the like so as not to be visible1.

• It is necessary for the kohanim to have their hands washed until their wrists prior to the Priestly Blessing. No blessing is said for this washing.

• This washing needs to be done before the blessing of "retzei."

• From the time that they say the blessing on washing their hands ("Al Netilat Yadaim") in the morning after they wash their hands, the Kohanim should take care that their hands should not come into contact with places that may require them to say a blessing when washing their hands. Even if one's hands did come into contact, a blessing is not said2.

• It is customary that the Levites wash the hands of the Kohanim. If there are no Levites, then the first born of a family (the mother's first child) should do the washing. Those washing the hands of the Kohen should wash their own hands first. If there are no Levites or first-born available, then the kohanim should wash their own hands rather than have other Israelites do it3.

• The hands of the kohanim are washed the same as one washes before eating bread, three consequent times on each hand.

The kohanim must start going up to the front of the synagogue before the end of the blessing of "retzei." As long as he started going by retzei, even if he does not reach his location until the end of Modim, it is acceptable. If however, he did not start going before the end of "retzei" he no longer goes up to do the blessing. If he did go up, he is not sent away4.

• Bachelors who borrow from other individuals a Tallit to use for the blessing do not say a blessing over the Tallit. It is appropriate that they have in mind not to acquire the Tallit and it is just being borrowed.

• Using a Tallit that belongs to the synagogue however does create problems. Therefore he should have in mind when putting on the Tallit that he is putting it on because of respect and not for the purpose of wearing it and he should be careful to remove it right after the blessings5.

How:

• The chazzan calls out "Kohanim" at the start of the blessing only if there are at least two Kohanim that are over the age of bar mitzvah. If there is only one Kohen, even if there are a number of young Kohanim, they start with the blessing and do not wait for the cantor to say "Kohanim."

• Although the Kohen said the Priestly Blessing once that day, he is permitted to do it a second time if he happens to be at another prayer services where the Priestly Blessing is being done.

• If a Kohen does not want to do the Priestly Blessing for whatever reason, he should go out of the synagogue before the blessing of "retzei" and stay out until after the Priestly Blessing6.

Where:

• The congregation receiving the blessings should face the Kohanim, either directly opposite them or on their sides to the right or left. However, those standing behind the Kohanim are not included in the blessing7.

• The Kohanim begin saying the blessing when their faces are turned towards the crowd8.

• All the kohanim need to say the blessing together and not have one of them say it on behalf of the others9.

• The kohanim are required to stand while saying the Priestly Blessing, however, the members of the congregation receiving the blessing may sit, if they so desire or find a need for it10.

The Blessing:

• After the cantor says aloud the word "Kohanim," he then says quietly the words "am kdoshecha ka'amur11."

• The cantor says one word at a time of the blessing after which the Kohanim repeat it and after each verse the congregation answers Amen12.

• The Kohanim may not start the blessing until the cantor finishes summoning the Kohanim.

• The cantor may not start the consequent verse of the blessing ("yevorechecha," "ya'eir," etc.) until the congregants finish answering the respective Amen.

• The Kohanim may not start repeating the word until the cantor has finished. The chazzan likewise, may not start the new word until the Kohanim have completed saying the previous word. The congregants as well may not answer Amen until the Kohanim have finished saying the word of that verse.

• The cantor may not start "Sim Shalom" until the congregants finish Amen. The Kohanim start saying "Ribon Ha'olomim" as soon as the chazzan starts "Sim Shalom."

• The cantor is permitted to answer the Amen after the blessing of the Kohanim and the verses13.

The Crowd During the Blessing:

• One should not be looking at the Kohanim during the "Priestly Blessing." Therefore it is customary to cover one's face with the Tallit.

• Bachelors who do not have a Tallit and women in the women's section who are not able to cover themselves with a Tallit, should just look into the prayer book and look downwards, so as not to look at the Kohanim during the blessings.

Additional Laws:

• A Kohen who has not prayed yet  who comes into the synagogue where they are ready for the Priestly Blessing should participate in the blessing. If however he fears that because of this he may pass the time for the Amidah prayer, he should go outside of the synagogue and pray there14.

• If the first time that he blessed that day, he was the only Kohen and now he has an opportunity to bless again with more than one Kohen, he should make every effort to participate with them15.

• Two Kohanim who despise each other are permitted to do the blessing together16.

• Kohanim should be careful not to drink any intoxicating liquids prior to blessings17.

• A Kohen who is in the year of mourning for a father or mother does not go up to bless. The same applies to other relatives who are in the the thirty day ("Shloshim")mourning period. The Kohen does not go up even if there is no other Kohen in the synagogue. He should leave the synagogue before the blessing of "Retzei." If however the mourner is told before the end of Retzei to go up, he must go up. In Israel, where they bless every day, the mourner would bless as well except during the seven day mourning period18.

• A Kohen who is a sinner is still permitted to go up to bless. The only sins which would disqualify a Kohen from blessing are violations of commandments affecting Kohanim, such as a kohen who is married to a divorcee, a woman who received chalitzah, or a convert; or a kohen who defiled himself to corpses other than the seven immediate family members for which he is permitted to become defiled19.

• The cantor is not permitted to say the Ribbono shel olom20.

• If after the blessings was done, the cantor or someone else realized that the chazzan did not say the Yaale V'Yovo, he must go back to Retzei. Because of this they will again come to Priestly Blessings. The Kohanim do not have to bless a second time, however the cantor should say the blessings as he does at every during the regular reptition of the Amidah. It is however, appropriate for the Kohanim to say the blessing a second time, but without the blessings before hand21.