For the source text click/tap here: Sotah 38
To download, click/tap here: PDF
The Mishna (37b-38a) focuses on birkat kahanim – the three part Priestly blessing that the kohanim give to the rest of the people – distinguishing between the way it was done in the Temple and the way it is done outside the Temple as part of the prayer service.
Among the differences enumerated in the Mishna are the way God’s name is pronounced (according to the actual writing or the way it is commonly said) and the way the kohanim hold their hands during the blessing (in front of them or above their heads).
We explore the history of the blessing its structure and function.