EVERY YEAR AT PASSOVER THE Jewish web sites make a Big Deal of the mass kohanic blessings at the Kotel, the Wall.
While being at the kotel IS a “big deal,” the kohanic blessing is not, at least for Sefardim.
Kohanim in a Sefardi minyan bless the kahal (the congregation) every morning that the Amedah (the 18 or “standing prayer”) is repeated.
The kohan and the levim disscretely leave the room during the repetition of the Amedah so the levim can pour water over the kohans’ hands. (In the absence of a levy, an Israel can do this task.)
Then they all return to the minyan. The kohanim slide out of their shoes and take their place in front of the aron (ark).
I’m part of a minyan that has an Ashkenazi kohan — actually three: two brothers and one brother’s son. The minyan is mostly Sefardi and meets in the home of an Ashkenazi family. (Only in America.)
I’ve always wondered WHY Ashkenazim only dunken (perform the kohanic blessing) on special days.
The Torah specifically requires the kohanim to bless the congregation.
The Torah does NOT say “on special occasions only”; it tells the kohanim to bless the children of Israel. Period, end of story.
According to R. Jack Abramowitz writing for the Orthodox Union (https://www.ou.org/torah/mitzvot/taryag/mitzvah378/) The kohanim (priests) were commanded to bless the nation every day. They do this with the three blessings that are familiar to us as “Birkas Kohanim,” AKA “The Priestly Blessings” or “duchening.”
The reason underlying this mitzvah is that the kohanim spend their lives ministering to God in the Temple. They thereby develop a special relationship with Him. This makes a blessing from them especially effective. Since God wants us to enjoy good things, He commanded the kohanim to bless the people as a step towards achieving that goal. (He doesn’t just “fork over” all good things automatically because our efforts are an integral part of the process.)
Having writtren that, he adds Our (Ashkenazi) practice nowadays is that the kohanim only bless the people on Yom Tov (Festivals), but in Israel, the kohanim continue to do so on a daily basis.
As with most things Jewish, from the basic commandment the rabbis have managed to make a belegan of the process.
One thing the Torah does specify: the kohanim are NOT to have a “mum,” a disfigurement.
Some rabbis declare only a married kohan is allowed to bless the kahal.
Why?
Because these rabbis decided, the kohan who is reciting the blessing must be happy, and a single person cannot be happy. Obviously these rabbis were not cognizant with divorce statistics. There are other opinions that allow a bachelor kohan to bless the kahal. (דברי שלום ואנת – עמוד 51)
For the same reason a minor (pre-bar mitzvah) does not bless the kahal, although many young boys go up with their fathers; it is a learning experience.
Some hasidim only bless the congregation once-a-year
Many in the kahal cover their heads to prevent looking at the kohanim (although every man has peeked at least once); the kohanim also cover their faces and hands.
Fathers usually share their tallit and cover their sons’ — and sometimes young daughters’ — heads, at last until the children grow so much taller than their fathers.
According to the rabbis, the kahal must stand in front of the kohanim to be included in the blessing. Since this not always is possible, the kohanim turn slightly to the left and the right during the blessing.
All of the foregoing apply only to observant, or for Ashkenazim, “Orthodox” congregations.
Some non-Orthodox congregations have different rules; it’s always a good idea to “ask your rabbi.”
Still, the Torah DOES require real kohanim, descendants of Mose’s brother Aaron, to bless the congregation.
The emphasis on the word “real,” above, is because thanks primarily to Ellis Island, many people named “Cohan/Cohen/Kahen/Kahan” are not descendants of Aaron; they “became” kohans because the immigration people either would not or could not pronounce the immigrant’s surname.
An aside: Until Napoleon conquered most of Europe, surnames were uncommon. The emperor, in order to manage a census, ordered all his subjects to assume surnames. Some took names related to geography (e.g., glen, forest, hill), some related to profession (e.g., goldsmith, tailor, smith), and some for a reason known only to the person taking the name. A descendant of Aaron might call himself Kohan (or a variation thereof, e.g., Cohane or Priestly) or Levy or a variation thereof, e.g., Levine). Asking “what’s in a name” can make for an interesting exercise.
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