Priestly Blessing

The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction (Hebrew: ברכת כהנים, birkat kohanim), also known in Judaism as raising of the hands, rising to the platform or duchening, is a prayer recited in Jewish and Christian services. The text of the blessing is found in Numbers 6:22–27.

"יהוה bless you and protect you! יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you! יהוה bestow [divine] favor upon you and grant you peace!" (Numbers 6:24–26)

Quotes

• וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
  דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃
  יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃
  יָאֵ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃
  יִשָּׂ֨א יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃
  וְשָׂמ֥וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י עַל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַאֲנִ֖י אֲבָרְכֵֽם׃
  • Numbers 6:22–27 (MT)
  • Translations:
    • יהוה spoke to Moses:

        Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:

          יהוה bless you and protect you!
          יהוה deal kindly and graciously with you!
          יהוה bestow [divine] favor upon you and grant you peace!

        Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

      • JPS translation
    • And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

        Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

          The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
          The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
          The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

        And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

      • KJV translation

Quotes about the Priestly Blessing

• Five or six guys get up on the bimah on the stage, and they are facing the congregation. They get their talit over their heads, and they start this chanting, I think it's called duchening. And my father said to me, "Don't look!" So everybody's got their eyes covered with their hands, or they have got their talit down over their faces, or turned away, turned their back to these guys. … And then the leader would shout out: "Yeborechecho!" ["The Lord bless thee!"] And the rest of them would respond: "Yeborechecho adonai v'yishmerecho!" ["The Lord bless thee and keep thee!"] It was chilling. Whoa, something major is happening here! So I peeked, and I saw them with their hands stuck out from beneath their talit like this, towards the congregation. … I had no idea what was going on, but the sound of it and the look of it was magical.
  • Leonard Nimoy, in "Leonard Nimoy's Oral History" (1:00:20–1:01:54). Yiddish Book Center (2013).