Halachaהלכה

The Gra on Priestly Recitation in Birkat Kohanim

The Gra's commentary on Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim explores the halakhic basis for the priestly recitation in Birkat Kohanim, drawing on Talmudic sources to explain the requirement that the kohanim themselves recite the blessing.

ת״ל אמור להם והוא קריאת כהנים

3 sources · all verified

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What the sources say

The line in question appears in Biur HaGra (Orach Chayim 128:2), where the Gra cites the Sifrei on Parshas Naso for the teaching that the chazan must say to the kohanim 'imru,' deriving this from the phrase 'amor lahem' as referring to kriyas kohanim, and he further ties this to the Gemara in Sotah 38a and Tosafos on Berachos 34a.

The Gra continues this analysis in Beur HaGra (Orach Chayim 128:10), where he addresses who is called the 'korei' as opposed to the shatz, again invoking the same Sifrei source and Sotah 39a to establish that the one who reads to the kohanim is distinct from the shatz.

Kaf HaChayim (Orach Chayim 187:4) addresses an unrelated topic, the wording of birkas hamazon's third brachah, and does not bear on the question of birkas kohanim or the Gra's comment on Sifrei.

Source 1 · Acharonim

Verified

recovered from “Beur HaGra on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 128:14”

Biur HaGra on Orach Chayim

ביאור הגר"א על שולחן ערוך אורח חיים קכ״ח — ד"ה ס"ב אע"פ כו' ה"ז כו'

Beur HaGra on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 128:2

On the laws of Birkat Kohanim, the Gra cites the verse “כה תברכו את בני ישראל” and explains “ת״ל אמור להם” as referring to the priestly recitation—“והוא קריאת כהנים.” This is the requested passage.

בשקורא כו'. דבלא"ה אינו עולה כמ"ש בספרי פ' נשא מנין שהחזן צ"ל להם אמרו ת"ל אמור להם והוא קריאת כהנים כמ"ש בסוטה נ"ח א' וכמ"ש תוס' ברכות ל"ד א' ד"ה לא כו':

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Source 2 · Acharonim

Verified

Beur HaGra on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 128:10

ביאור הגר"א על שולחן ערוך אורח חיים קכ״ח:י׳

Beur HaGra on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 128:10

Gra distinguishes the shaliach tzibbur from the person who reads the כהנים’ blessing, citing the Rambam, the Sifrei, and Sotah 39b to argue that the reader is not the shaliach tzibbur.

הש"ץ. רמב"ם דלא כתוס' דברכות ל"ד א' ד"ה לא כו' שפי' דחזן העוסק בצרכי ציבור הוא הקורא כמ"ש בספרי הנ"ל שחזן כו' ועוד ממ"ש בסוטה ל"ט ב' מפי הקורא והדר קא' שיתחיל ש"ץ כו' ש"מ דקורא לאו ש"ץ:

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Source 3 · Acharonim· different author

Verified

Kaf HaChayim on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 187:4

כף החיים על שולחן ערוך אורח חיים קפ״ז:ד׳

Kaf HaChayim on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 187:4

Yaakov Chaim Sofer discusses additions to Birkat Hamazon, including the wording of “עלינו ועל כל ישראל עמך,” requests for sustenance, Shabbat phrasing such as “נשבות בו וננוח בו,” and the permissibility of saying “רענו זוננו” on Shabbat because it is part of the standard blessing formula.

ד) ברכה ג'. עלינו ועל כל ישראל עמך. רענו זוננו מ"א סי' פק"ח ססק"ג. ואל תצריכנו לידי מתנת ב"ו. ולא לידי הלואתם אלא לידך וכו'. יהי רצון שלא נבוש בעוה"ז וכו' בנוסח רצה. נשבות בו וננוח בו. ונתענג בו וכו'. (ובלילה נשבות בה וננוח בה וכו'. כמ"ש בשער הכוו') אחר רצה או אחר יעלה ויבא אומר ותבנה ירושלים עה"ק במהרה בימינו בא"י בונה ירושלים חס"ל שם. בן א"ח שם אות ט"ז. ועיין לקמן סי' פק"ח סעי' ד'. גם בשבת אומר רענו זוננו כמו בחול. ואין לחוש שהוא שאלת צרכיו דאסור בשבת דטופס ברכות הוא ושרי. ירושלמי והביאו הטור סי' קפ"ח. מ"א שם סק"ג. בי"מ אות ה':

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