Peninei Halakha

Search
Close this search box.
Peninei Halakha > Zemanim > 7 - The Laws of the Minor Fasts > 12 – Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing) During Mincha

12 – Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing) During Mincha

Throughout the year, the kohanim (“priests”) do not lift their hands [to bless the people] during Mincha services, because people [usually] eat a meal before Mincha and we are concerned that the kohanim might bless the people when they are drunk, which is forbidden.  On fast days that have a Ne’ilah service, like Yom Kippur and the fasts [that the Rabbis instituted] for droughts, the kohanim bless the people [during Ne’ilah], because there is no reason to fear that they will be drunk, seeing that it is a fast day.  During Mincha of those days, however, the kohanim do not bless the people for fear that they may mistakenly think that they are supposed to do so on regular days, as well.  Regarding ordinary fast days, on which we do not pray Ne’ilah, [the law depends on when the congregants pray Mincha].  If they pray at the same time that Ne’ilah is usually said [i.e., shortly before sunset], the kohanim bless the people (cf. Ta’anit 26b; SA, OC 129:1).  But if the congregation prays Mincha earlier, Birkat Kohanim is omitted, since it is not the time designated for Ne’ilah.  In such a case, the cantor, as well, omits “Elokeinu v’Elokai Avoteinu,” which is customarily said when no kohanim are present.

Therefore, it is fitting to call Mincha on fast days for a time that enables people to merit [participating] in the mitzvah of Birkat Kohanim.  Ideally, one should pray Mincha within half an hour of sunset, which is the best time to pray Ne’ilah.  Nevertheless, as long as the congregation prays after plag mincha, the kohanim may lift their hands [and bless the people].  If they pray earlier than that, however, Birkat Kohanim is omitted.[16]

A kohen who is not fasting should not ascend the platform [to bless the people].  And if there are no other kohanim, some authorities say that he [still] may not go up (KHC 129:5, Torat HaMo’adim 3:4), while others maintain that he should.  [The latter opinion] goes as far as to say that he should go up even if there is one other kohen (Lu’ach Eretz Yisrael; Halichot Shlomo, Tefilla 10:13).  If there are less than six people fasting, no kohen should go up to bless the congregation during Mincha, even if he is fasting (see Piskei Teshuvot 129:2).


[16]. According to the author of Ginat Veradim, a kohen who is not fasting may nonetheless ascend to the platform [to bless the people] during Mincha of a fast day.  All other poskim disagree.  According to the Chazon Ish (OC 20), kohanim may lift their hands even when praying an early Mincha, for there is no concern that they will be drunk.  However, most poskim hold that Birkat Kohanim is recited only when praying Mincha at Ne’ilah time, which is close to sunset.  The following authorities hold this viewpoint: Rav Poalim (OC 5), KHC (129:7), Luach Eretz Yisrael (by the gaon R. Yechiel Michel Tikochinsky), Piskei Teshuvot (129:1).  Also see Torat HaMo’adim 3:2-4.  The basis for this opinion is the fact that the kohanim do not bless the people during Mincha of Yom Kippur, for [Chazal were afraid that] they might mistakenly do so on a regular day.  The reason they were concerned is that we pray Mincha on Yom K|ippur the same time we pray Mincha on a regular day.  Furthermore, [Mincha time] is close to midday, which is when people eat lunch and are liable to drink [wine], as opposed to Ne’ilah, which is said at the end of the day.  Therefore, on a day that has no Ne’ilah service, the kohanim bless the people during Mincha only if it is said at the time of Ne’ilah.  Nonetheless, everyone agrees that if the kohanim ascend the platform during a Mincha service that is being held before plag ha-mincha, they need not descend.  Many authorities rule this way with regard to Mincha of Yom Kippur. Plag ha-mincha is 1.25 hours before the end of the day, calculating each hour as one-twelfth of the day.  There is a dispute whether the day ends at sunset or when the stars emerge (tzait ha-kochavim); see Peninei Halakha, Prayer, chap. 24, note 9.  Regarding our issue, we calculate plag from sunset, as explained there, chap. 20, note 3.

If the cantor’s repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei continues until after sunset, the kohanim are permitted, be-di’avad, to lift their hands [and bless the people] up until tzait ha-kochavim, for there is a combination of uncertainties here: 1) According to Ra’avyah, Sefer Yerayim, and Or Zaru’a, kohanim are allowed to bless the people at night.  2) Twilight is possibly still daytime.  3) Rabbeinu Tam holds that the period after sunset is definitely daytime, and [the following poskim agree with him]: Shulchan Aruch HaRav (623:8); Piskei Teshuvot (623:13), quoting Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Elyashiv.  The authors of Yechaveh Da’at (6:40) and Or Le-Tziyon (vol. 2, 8:13) concur, adding that [this period lasts] 13.5 minutes after sunset.

Chapter Contents

Order Now
Order Now

For Purchasing

in Israel
Har Bracha Publications
sefer@yhb.org.il
Tel: 02-9709588
Fax: 02-9974603
http://shop.yhb.org.il/

Translated By:
Series Editor: Rabbi Elli Fischer

The Laws of Shabbat (1+2) - Yocheved Cohen
The Laws of Prayer - Atira Ote
The Laws of Women’s Prayer - Atira Ote
The Laws of Pesach - Joshua Wertheimer
The Laws of Zemanim - Moshe Lichtman

Editor: Nechama Unterman