(Mishnah): Birkas Kohanim outside the Mikdash is three Berachos. In the Mikdash, it is one Berachah;

In the Mikdash, Hash-m's name is pronounced like it is written (with Yud-Kei). Outside the Mikdash, a Kinuy (substitute name) is said (Aleph-Dalet);

Outside the Mikdash, the Kohanim lift their hands to shoulder height. In the Mikdash, they raise their hands above their heads, except for the Kohen Gadol, since he may not raise his hands above the Tzitz on his forehead;

R. Yehudah says, even the Kohen Gadol raises his hands above his head - "Aharon will lift his hands towards the people and bless them."

(Gemara - Beraisa): "So you will bless" - in Hebrew.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they may bless in any language!

Answer #1: We learn from a Gezeirah Shavah "bless-bless" from the Berachos on Har Gerizim, which were in Hebrew.

Answer #2 (R. Yehudah): We need not learn from a Gezeirah Shavah. "So you will bless" - exactly like in the Torah, in Hebrew.

(Beraisa): "So you will bless" - standing.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they may bless sitting!

Answer #1: We learn from a Gezeirah Shavah "bless-bless" from the Berachos on Har Gerizim, which were said standing.

Answer #2 (R. Nasan): We need not learn from a Gezeirah Shavah. It says "to serve (Hash-m), and to bless in His name" - just like Avodah in the Mikdash is done standing, also blessing.

Question: What is the source that Avodas ha'Mikdash is done standing?

Answer: It says "to stand and to serve."

(Beraisa): "So you will bless" - with lifted hands.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they need not lift their hands!

Answer #1: We learn from a Gezeirah Shavah. Here it says bless, just like "Aharon lifted his hands to the people and blessed them."

Just like Aharon lifted his hands, also Birkas Kohanim is with lifted hands.

Objection (R. Yonasan): If that is our source, we can learn only that the Kohen Gadol raises his hands, only on Rosh Chodesh, and only when offering a Korban of the Tzibur!

Answer #2 (R. Nasan): We need not learn from a Gezeirah Shavah. "He (Aharon) and his children, for all days" equates Aharon's children to Aharon;

Just like Aharon raised his hands, also his children raise their hands.

It says "for all days" (not only Rosh Chodesh. Even though "he and his children" discusses Avodah, we learned that Berachah is equated to Avodas ha'Mikdash.

(Beraisa): "So you will bless" - with Hash-m's actual name.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they bless with a Kinuy!

Answer: "They will put My name" - My explicit name.

Suggestion: Perhaps His explicit name is used even outside the Mikdash!

Rejection #1: We learn from a Gezeirah Shavah from another verse that says "to put His name", which refers to the Beis ha'Mikdash.

Rejection #2 (R. Yoshiyah): We need not learn from a Gezeirah Shavah. It says "every place I will make My name mentioned, I will come to you and bless you."

Objection: This cannot be (that the Shechinah will be revealed wherever we bless, and that His explicit name may be mentioned anywhere)!

Answer: The verse must be (understood) transposed - "every place I will come and bless you, I will make My name mentioned";

Hash-m will come to the Mikdash, and there His explicit name will be mentioned.

(Beraisa) Question: "So you will bless Bnei Yisrael" - what is the source that they also bless converts, women and freed slaves?

Answer: "Say to them" - to all of them.

(Beraisa): "So you will bless" - face to face.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they can face their backs!

Answer: "Say to them" - like a man speaking to his friend.

(Beraisa): "So you will bless" - out loud.

Question: What is the source of this? Perhaps they can whisper!

Answer: "Say to them" - like a man speaking to his friend.

(Abaye): If there are two (or more) Kohanim, one (Rashi - the Shali'ach Tzibur) calls to them "Kohanim." If there is only one Kohen, he is not called, for it says "say to them."

(Rav Chisda): A Kohen calls the other Kohanim to bless. A Yisrael does not call the Kohanim to bless. "Say to them" - the calling is delegated to the Kohanim.

The Halachah follows Abaye. The Halachah does not follow Rav Chisda.

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): "They will put My name on Bnei Yisrael, and I will bless them" - this shows that Hash-m desires Birkas Kohanim. (Maharsha - he expounds "I (Hash-m) will bless them (Yisrael)." Hash-m commanded that Kohanim also bless Yisrael, for He desires this.)

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Any Kohen who blesses is blessed, and any Kohen who does not bless is not blessed - "I will bless those who bless you."

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Any Kohen who does not give Birkas Kohanim transgresses three positive Mitzvos - "so you will bless", "say to them", and "they will put My name."

(Rav): We suspect that his mother was divorced or a Chalutzah (so he is disqualified from Kehunah).

Rav does not argue with R. Yehoshua ben Levi. We suspect his lineage only if he never blesses.

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Any Kohen who does not ascend (to the Duchan, where the Kohanim bless) during the Berachah of Retzeh (in the repetition of Shemoneh Esreh) may not bless - "Aharon lifted his hands to the people and blessed them, and descended from offering..."

Just like there he blessed amidst Avodas ha'Mikdash, also Kohanim must ascend to bless during the Berachah of Avodas ha'Mikdash.

Objection: R. Ami and R. Asi blessed, even though they did not ascend during Retzeh!

Answer: They started walking during Retzeh, just they did not arrive until after Retzeh.

Support #1 (R. Oshaya): The Kohen is forbidden to bless only if he did not even start walking during Retzeh.

Support #2 (Mishnah): If a Shali'ach Tzibur is the only Kohen in the Beis ha'Keneses, if he is sure that he can bless and resume the repetition of Shemoneh Esreh, he may bless.

Question: He does not go (to the Duchan during Retzeh)!

Answer: It suffices that he moves a drop towards it.

The same applies to R. Ami and R. Asi.

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): We give the cup (to lead Birkas ha'Mazon) only to one with a good eye (i.e. he delights in the good fortune of others) - "one with a good eye Yevorach (will be blessed), for he gave from his bread to the poor."

We read this Yevarech (he will bless).

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Even birds recognize stingy people (and will not eat from them) - "for naught the trap is set in the eyes of all fowl." (Iyun Yakov - even though birds always eat 'stolen' food, they resent stingy people more than thieves, who steal due to hunger. Maharsha - birds do not recognize the nature of people. Hash-m causes that they not eat.

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Anyone who benefits from a stingy person transgresses a Lav - "do not eat a stingy man's bread... it is bitter to his soul."

(Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak): He transgresses two Lavim, "do not eat" and (the continuation of the verse) "do not desire."

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): Eglah Arufah comes due to stingy people - "(the elders) say 'we did not spill this man's blood.'"

Question: Would we really suspect that the elders of Beis Din killed him?!

Answer: Rather, they mean 'don't think that he came to us and we turned him away' - without food;

'Don't think that we saw him and left him' - without a group to travel with.

(Ada): If only Kohanim are in the Beis ha'Keneses, they all bless Birkas Kohanim.

Question: Whom do they bless?

Answer (R. Zeira): They bless Yisre'elim in the fields.

Question #1: Aba, the son of Rav Minyamin bar Chiya recited a Beraisa saying that people in back of the Kohanim are not blessed!

Answer: Those who could have come to face the Kohanim are not blessed. Those who were unable to are blessed.

Question #2: Rav Simi taught that if only Kohanim are in the Beis ha'Keneses, some bless and the others answer Amen!

Answer: If we can leave 10 to answer, then others give the Berachah. If there are only 10 in all, all bless Birkas Kohanim.

(Aba's Beraisa): People in back of the Kohanim are not blessed

The following two laws are obvious.

A short person in back of a tall person is blessed.

The Aron is not a barrier that inhibits those behind it from receiving the Berachah.

Question: Does a (different) barrier block the Berachah?

Answer: No. R. Yehoshua ben Levi taught that even an iron wall does not intervene between Yisrael and Hash-m.

Question: Do people on the side receive the Berachah?

Answer (Aba Mar bar Rav Ashi - Mishnah): If one intended to sprinkle (water on which ashes of the red heifer were put) on something in front of him, and it landed on something in back of him, or vice-versa, the sprinkling is invalid;

If one intended to sprinkle in front, and it landed on something in front to the side, it is valid. (Similarly, people on the sides in front of the Kohanim receive the Berachah.)