Tag: kohein

The Rites of the Firstborn

Question #1: Firstborn Pachyderm

How does one redeem a firstborn elephant?

Question #2: The ten commandments

How many times does the Torah mention the mitzvos of bechor?

Question #3: Petter Chamor

“What are the laws of petter chamor?”

Question #4: Firstborn of the Levi

Is a levi required to redeem his firstborn donkey?

Foreword:

Parshas Bechukosai teaches that “No one may declare the firstborn among the animals that are to Hashem with a different status of holiness — whether it is a calf or a seh, it belongs to Hashem” (Vayikra 27:26).

The word seh has no accurate translation in English since it means both a lamb (a baby sheep) and a kid (a baby goat) (see Parshas Re’eih, Devarim 14:4). To minimize confusion, I will be using the word seh when referring to both lambs and kids.

To explain the halachic ramifications of the pasuk I just quoted, we need to define the word “firstborn.” In halacha, there are two different sets of laws that result from being firstborn, and the definition of firstborn is not the same for these two sets:

(I) Sanctity of the firstborn

From the time that the male firstborn in Egypt were eliminated in the last of the ten makkos, firstborn people, kosher beheimah animals and donkeys all have sanctity. This sanctity exists only when a mother produces a petter rechem, literally, the opener of the womb; i.e.,she gives birth naturally to a male firstborn, as opposed to a c-section.

(II) Financial rights of the firstborn

The rights of a bechor to a double portion in his father’s estate is only the father’s firstborn son and does not depend on whether he is a petter rechem (Mishnah, Bechoros 46a).

In other words, someone can be a bechor regarding the laws of receiving a double portion in his father’s estate, yet not have the sanctity of a bechor for pidyon haben purposes, and vice versa, one can be a bechor for pidyon haben purposes and not have any claim to a double portion in his father’s estate (Mishnah, Bechoros 46a).

The rest of this article will discuss the first category of firstborn, one who has sanctity — whether human, kosher beheimah or donkey — because he is a petter rechem.

The three types of sanctified petter rechem: humans, kosher animals and donkeys; have different rules. Allow me to explain this briefly.

1. Pidyon haben

Petter rechem boys born from parents, neither of whom is of a kohein or levi family (see Bechoros 4a), are “redeemed” by having the baby’s father pay the value of five silver sela’im to a kohein. In today’s currency, we follow the opinion of the Chazon Ish who considers five silver sela’im to be the equivalent of 100 grams of pure silver. (Silver coins are not pure silver, which can be bent and filed relatively easily, but are usually an alloy of 75% silver and 25% copper, which produces a harder coin.)

There is no prohibition to use the firstborn child even if he is not redeemed, nor does the kohein take the baby home if his father refuses to pay. Notwithstanding that the Torah and the Mishnah refer to this procedure as a “redemption,” it seems more accurate to describe this as a gift to the kohein (see Bamidbar 18:15-16).

2. Bechor beheimah tehorah

Petter rechem kosher animals have the sanctity of korbanos and are the property of the kohein. Should their sanctity be damaged by their becoming blemished, they remain the property of a kohein, and they are shechted and eaten. They may not be used for work, nor may they be sheared (Devarim 15:19). In other words, there is never any redemption of these petter rechem animals, as the Torah expresses in this week’s parsha, in the pasuk that I quoted above.

3. Petter chamor

Petter rechem donkeys have sanctity that must be removed by redemption. This mitzvah is called pidyon petter chamor. Should the owner not want to redeem his donkey, he is required to destroy it in a procedure called arifah, which is a specialized form of decapitation. It is prohibited min haTorah to derive any benefit from the remains of the beheaded donkey.

The redemption can be performed with either a sheep or a goat of any age, gender or value, or by paying the kohein the market value of the donkey at the time of its redemption with virtually anything of marketable value. (There are a few exceptions; for example, the donkey cannot be redeemed by giving the kohein a loan document or real estate.)

I mentioned above that the term seh of the Torah means either baby sheep or baby goat; the halacha is that redeeming the donkey may be performed with any sheep or goat – it is not limited to the young of either species (Mishnah, Bechoros 9a). The option of using a seh is to make the redemption less expensive for the owner of the petter chamor.

Firstborn pachyderm

The firstborn of kosher chayos, such as deer, antelope and giraffe, are not sanctified, nor are the firstborn of non-kosher animals sanctified, with the exception of donkeys (see Bechoros 5b). Therefore, we do not need be concerned about the difficulty or danger in performing arifah on a newborn elephant by decapitating him with a cleaver. This is exceptionally useful information since newborn male African elephants may weigh over 360 pounds and they are protected heavily both by mom and many aunts and cousins. Therefore, the answer to our opening question, “How does one redeem an elephant that is a bechor?” is, very simply, that one doesn’t.

The ten commandments

Now that we understand the basic laws of bechor, we should note how often the Torah mentions the mitzvos of sanctifying the bechor (the second of our opening questions). In all, I enumerate here ten times!!

1. Parshas Bo: “Make every bechor that opens any womb among the Benei Yisrael, whether it is human or animal, holy to Me; it is Mine” (Shemos 13:2). The importance of this pasuk is emphasized in that it is included in our tefillin, both of the arm and of the head. We should also note that this pasuk implies that the petter rechem of any animal, whether kosher or not, has sanctity. It also implies that the petter rechem of any non-kosher animal must be treated with sanctity, not exclusively donkeys. As I mentioned above, this is not the halacha, and we will mention at the end of this article why not.

2. Again in Parshas Bo: “When Hashem brings you to the land of the Canaanites that He swore to you and your forefathers and gives it to you, you shall hand over to Hashem every [human] male opener of the womb and every opener of the womb pushed out by your animal to Hashem. Furthermore, every donkey that opened the womb shall be redeemed with a seh, and, if you do not redeem it, you must decapitate it. Every firstborn human among your sons you shall redeem. In the future, when your child will ask you, ‘What is this (service)?’ you shall tell him that we perform these mitzvos because Hashem extracted us from the Land of Egypt… when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release us, Hashem killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn human to the firstborn animal. For this reason, I offer to Hashem every male (kosher animal) who opens the womb and I redeem the firstborn of my sons” (Shemos 13:10-15). This passage is also included in our tefillin. We should note that here it mentions specifically redeeming donkeys and no other non-kosher animals. Bear in mind, that, at the time of the Torah, camels and horses, both of which are non-kosher, were commonly owned by the Benei Yisrael. Therefore, it seems that when donkeys are mentioned in the Torah, it is to the exclusion of camels and horses.

3. Parshas Mishpatim: “The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me — so shall you do to your ox and to your flock. For seven days it shall be with its mother, and on the eighth day you shall give it to Me” (Shemos 22:28-29).

4. Parshas Ki Sissa: “Every [human] opener of the womb is Mine, and all the males of your livestock, the openers of the bovines and flock. In addition, petter chamor shall be redeemed with a seh, but if you fail to redeem it, you must decapitate it. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem” (Shemos 34:19-20). Again, note here that, among the non-kosher animals, only donkeys are mentioned.

5. Parshas Bechukosai: “However, no one may declare the firstborn among the animals that are to Hashem with a different status of holiness — whether it is a calf or a seh, it belongs to Hashem” (Vayikra 27:26).

6. Parshas Bamidbar: “And behold, I have taken the levi’im from among the Benei Yisrael in lieu of each firstborn who opened the womb from the Benei Yisrael; the levi’im will be Mine. For every firstborn is Mine. On the day that I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt I made holy to Me every firstborn in Israel, from man to animal. They are Mine, for I am Hashem” (Bamidbar 3:12-13).

7. Again in Parshas Bamidbar: “And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Take the levi’im in lieu of all the firstborn among the Benei Yisrael, and each animal of the levi’im in lieu of all their animals… and the redemptions of the 273 firstborn that there are more than there are levi’im, each should take five shekalim… and give it to Aharon and his sons as a redemption…” (Bamidbar 3:44-51).

8. Parshas Korach: “Every opener of the womb, among all flesh that is offered to Hashem, whether it is human or animal, shall be yours (i.e., to Aharon and his descendants). The firstborn among the humans should be redeemed, as well as the firstborn of the non-kosher animals. The redemption: from when he is a month old, you should redeem his value at five shekalim of silver, using the shekel of holy items – it is valued at twenty geirah. However, the firstborn calf or the firstborn lamb or the firstborn kid shall not be redeemed because it is holy; you shall throw its blood onto the altar and you shall burn its fat as a fire offering as a pleasant fragrance for Hashem” (Bamidbar 18:15-17). Note that this pasuk states, “firstborn of the non-kosher animals,” implying all non-kosher animals, not just donkeys.

9. Parshas Re’eih: “Every male firstborn that will be born to your cattle and your flock you shall sanctify to Hashem, your G-d. Do not work your firstborn ox and do not shear your firstborn flock. You shall eat it, you and your family, before Hashem, your G-d, each year in its year, in that very place that Hashem will choose. But should it have a blemish, such as it is lame or blind, any bad blemish – you shall not offer it to Hashem, your G-d. Instead, you shall eat it in your cities, whether you are tamei or tahor, just as [you eat] the antelope and the deer (Devarim 15:19-22).

10. Parshas Ki Seitzei: “He cannot provide the son of his beloved wife with the share of the firstborn instead of the firstborn son of the wife he loves less. He must recognize the firstborn son of the less loved wife who is the firstborn” (Devarim 21:16-17).

Other sources

In addition to these halachic sources, the Torah mentions the special status of the firstborn in many other places. For example, it emphasizes that Yishmael placed Yitzchak ahead of himself at Avraham’s funeral, notwithstanding that he, Yishmael, was firstborn (Bereishis 25:9). Chazal explain that this demonstrates that Yishmael had done teshuvah and recognized that Yitzchak was the more spiritually accomplished of the two.

Yaakov purchased from Esav his rights as firstborn (Bereishis 25:31-34); although they were twins born in the same childbirth, Eisav was the petter rechem.

Yosef assumed that his father will convey the greater intensity of his beracha on Menashe, his firstborn (Bereishis 48:13-19).

Petter chamor

At this point, let us examine the third of our opening questions: “What are the laws of pidyon petter chamor?”

There are two stages in performing the mitzvah of pidyon petter chamor, although they can be performed simultaneously. The two steps are (a) the redeeming and (b) the giving. In the redeeming step, the owner takes a lamb or kid (or other item worth as much as the donkey) and states that he is redeeming the donkey in exchange for the lamb, kid, or other item of value. Prior to making this statement, the owner recites a bracha, Asher ki’de’shanu bemitz’vosav vetzivanu al pidyon petter chamor (Tosafos, Bechoros 11a; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 321:6). The owner has the right to decide to which kohein he gives the seh (see Rambam, Hilchos Bechoros 1:15). He then states that he is exchanging the seh or the other item for the kedusha of the donkey.

As soon as he performs this exchange, the sanctity is removed from the petter chamor and he may use the donkey (Mishnah, Bechoros 12b).

In the second step, the owner gives the seh (or the item exchanged for the donkey) to the kohein. No bracha is recited on this step of the mitzvah, and there is much discussion among halachic authorities why not (Taz, Yoreh Deah 321:7).

The two parts of this mitzvah are usually performed simultaneously by giving the seh to the kohein and telling him that this is redemption for the donkey.

Firstborn of the Levi

At this point, let us examine the last of our opening questions: Is a levi required to redeem his firstborn donkey?

The Mishnah teaches that the firstborn donkey of a kohein or of a levi is exempt from the mitzvah of pidyon petter chamor (Mishnah, Bechoros 3b). The Gemara (Bechoros 4a) derives this law from a hekeish, one of the hermeneutical rules whereby the laws of the Torah shebe’al peh, the Oral Torah, are included in the Torah shebiksav, the Written Torah. In this instance, the laws of pidyon haben are compared to those of pidyon petter chamor. There is no requirement to redeem a firstborn kohein or levi; similarly, there is no requirement to redeem a firstborn donkey that is owned by a kohein or a levi.

Non-Jewish ownership

The tanna’im dispute whether partial ownership by a non-Jew of the mother or the child of a kosher animal or donkey exempts the offspring from the status of bechor and petter chamor (Bechoros 2b-3a). The anonymous author of the Mishnah (Bechoros 2a, 13a, 16a) exempts these situations from the rule of bechor, whereas Rabbi Yehudah rules that the rule of bechor applies even when the Jew owns only a small part. The halachic conclusion follows the Mishnah that these animals are exempt (Tosafos, Bechoros 3b).

An additional dispute among the early amora’im (Bechoros 3a) concerns how much of the mother must be possessed by the non-Jew to create this exemption. Rav Chisda and Rava rule that the non-Jew must own enough that, were his part to be removed, the animal would be unable to live. Rav Huna disagrees, exempting the animal even if the non-Jew’s portion is as small as the animal’s ear. This is true, in his opinion, whenever removing the part owned by the non-Jew would render the animal into a ba’al mum, a blemished animal inappropriate as a korban. The halacha follows the lenient opinion (Tosafos 3b s. v. Deka). This is perhaps the most important aspect of the laws of bechor in today’s world, particularly for those who own livestock: performing a proper kinyan whereby a non-Jew owns part of the mother of any potential firstborn male lamb, kid or calf.

Why donkeys?

Why is there a special law requiring the redemption of petter rechem donkeys? Why is there no sanctity of firstborn camels, colts or elephant calves and no obligation to redeem them?

As I noted above, the Torah seems to contradict itself, in some places stating only that firstborn donkeys must be redeemed, whereas in others implying that this mitzvah applies to all firstborn non-kosher animals!

One answer provided to this question is that since all the firstborn animals owned by the Egyptians died, hundreds of thousands of firstborn camels, horses, dogs and cats also died. The Torah required redemption only for firstborn donkeys, making them the representative species for all the other non-kosher animals.

The Gemara (Bechoros 5b) states that this is to demonstrate our appreciation to the donkeys for assisting the Benei Yisrael upon our exiting Egypt. We left Egypt with massive amounts of booty, which were all packed on donkeys.

Appreciation of a donkey?

This is a bit strange. Does anyone think that a donkey appreciates that he has sanctity and therefore undergoes a redemption ceremony? He certainly does not appreciate it if someone refuses to redeem a donkey and beheads it instead. So, how does this demonstrate our hakaras hatov?

The answer is that our emphasizing the sanctity of donkeys in reward for the service they performed makes us realize the extent that we are required to have hakaras hatov. We owe this even to donkeys, notwithstanding that the chesed performed for us was so many thousands of years ago and that this particular donkey was certainly not involved! And we should certainly have hakaras hatov to Hashem, to our parents, teachers and all others who have helped us over the years.

For the continuation of our discussion on this topic, see “More on Bechor.”

Birkas Kohanim

Question #1: Why is this brocha different?

“Why is the brocha for duchening so different from all the other brochos we recite before we perform mitzvos?”

Question #2: Hoarse kohein

“If a kohein is suffering from laryngitis, can he observe the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim?”

Question #3: The chazzan duchening

“If the chazzan is a kohein, may he duchen?”

Answer:

For the next several weeks, the Jewish communities of Eretz Yisroel and of chutz la’aretz are reading different parshiyos, and I am choosing topics that are applicable to both areas. This week I chose the topic of duchening, partly because I have not sent an article on the topic in many years, and because the mitzvah is in parshas Naso, and kohanim feature significantly both in parshas Naso and in parshas Beha’aloscha. Since I have discussed this topic in the past, this article will deal with issues not previously mentioned, and, therefore, not already on the website RabbiKaganoff.com.

First of all, I should explain the various names of this beautiful mitzvah. Ashkenazim usually refer to the mitzvah colloquially as duchening. The word “duchen” means a platform, and refers to the raised area in front of the aron hakodesh, on which the kohanim traditionally stand when they recite these blessings. However, in many shullen today, there is no platform in front of the aron hakodesh, and, even when there is, in many shullen there are more kohanim than there is room on the duchen. In all these instances, the mitzvah is performed with the kohanim standing on the floor alongside or in front of the aron hakodesh, literally “with their backs to the wall” facing the people.

There are at least two other ways of referring to this mitzvah. One way of referring to the mitzvah is  Birkas Kohanim, which is very descriptive of the mitzvah. I will use this term throughout this article in order to avoid confusion.

Nesi’as kapayim

The Mishnah and the Shulchan Aruch call this mitzvah by yet a third term, nesi’as kapayim, which means literally “raising the palms,” a description of the position in which the kohanim hold their hands while reciting these blessings. According to accepted halacha, the kohanim raise their hands to shoulder level, and each kohein holds his hands together. (There are some mekubalim who raise their hands directly overhead while reciting the Birkas Kohanim [Divrei Shalom 128:2]. However, this is a very uncommon practice.) Based on a midrash, the Tur rules that while he recites the Birkas Kohanim, the kohein should hold his hands in a way that there are five spaces between his fingers. This is done by pressing, on each hand, the index finger to the middle finger and the small finger to the ring finger. This creates two openings — one between the middle finger and the ring finger on each hand. Another two openings are created between the index finger and thumb on each hand. The fifth opening is between the thumbs. There are various ways for a kohein to position his fingers, such that he has a space between his thumbs. I know of several different methods, and I have never found an authoritative source that states that one way is preferable to any other. Most kohanim, myself included, follow the way that they were taught by their father.

By the way, the Gra is reputed to have held that the kohanim should not hold their hands in this position, but with all their fingers spread apart.

An unusual brocha

Immediately prior to beginning the brocha, the kohanim recite a birkas hamitzvah, as we do prior to performing most mitzvos. The text of the brocha is: Boruch Attah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha’olam asher kideshanu bikedushaso shel Aharon, ve’tzivanu levareich es amo Yisroel be’ahavah. “Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with the sanctity of Aharon, and commanded us to bless His people, Yisroel, with love.”

Two aspects of this brocha are different from the standard structure of brochos that we recite prior to fulfilling mitzvos. The first change is that, instead of the usual structure that we say, asher kideshanu bemitzvosav ve’tzivanu, “Who sanctified us with His mitzvos and commanded us,” the kohanim leave out the reference to “His mitzvos” and instead say “Who sanctified us with the sanctity of Aharon.” The second change is that the kohanim not only describe the mitzvah they are performing — that Hashem “commanded us to bless his people Yisroel” – but they also add a qualitative description “with love.”

The fact that the kohanim make reference to Aharon’s sanctity is, itself, not unusual. It is simply atypical for us to recite or hear this brocha since, unfortunately in our contemporary world, we have no other mitzvos for which we use this text. However, when we are again all tehorim and when we have a Beis Hamikdash, every time a kohein performs a mitzvah that only a kohein can perform, such as eating terumah, korbanos or challah, donning the bigdei kehunah in the Beis Hamikdash (Artzos Hachayim, Eretz Yehudah 18:1, page 81b), or performing the mitzvos of offering korbanos, he recites a brocha that includes this reference. Unfortunately, since we are all tamei and we have no Beis Hamikdash, a kohein cannot perform these mitzvos today, and therefore we do not recite this structure of brocha at any other time.

“With love”

The second detail in this brocha that is highly unusual is the statement that the mitzvah is performed be’ahavah,“with love.” No other mitzvah includes this detail in its brocha, and, in general, the brochos recited prior to performing mitzvos do not include details about how the mitzvos are performed. For example, the brocha prior to kindling the Shabbos or Chanukah lights says, simply, lehadlik neir shel Shabbos or lehadlik neir shel Chanukah,and does not add that we do so “with wicks and oil.” Similarly, note that the brocha recited before we pick up and shake the lulav and esrog does not even mention the esrog, aravos and hadasim, and says, simply, al netilas lulav. Again, the brocha for washing our hands is simply al netilas yadayim, without mentioning any of the important details of the mitzvah. Yet, the brocha recited prior to Birkas Kohanim includes the word be’ahavah, with love. Why is this so?

Let us examine the original passage of the Gemara (Sotah 39a) that teaches us about the text of this brocha: “The disciples of Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua (who was a kohein) asked him, ‘Because of what practices of yours did you merit longevity?’ He answered them, ‘I never used a shul as a shortcut; I never stepped over the heads of the holy nation (Rashi explains this to mean that he never walked over people who were sitting on the floor in the Beis Hamedrash, as was common in his day — either he arrived before everyone else did, or he sat outside); and I never performed nesias kapayim without first reciting a brocha.’”

The Gemara then asks, “What brocha is recited prior to Birkas Kohanim? Answered Rabbi Zeira, quoting Rav Chisda, asher kideshanu bikedushaso shel Aharon, ve’tzivanu levareich es amo Yisroel be’ahavah.”

Thus, the text of the brocha that we recite prior to Birkas Kohanim is exactly the way the Gemara records it, and that the word “be’ahavah” is part of the original text. Why is this required?

The Be’er Sheva, a European gadol of the late 16th-early 17th century, already asks this question. To quote him (in his commentary, Sotah 39a): “Where is it mentioned or even hinted in the Torah that the kohein must fulfill this mitzvah ‘with love?’ The answer is that when the Torah commanded the kohanim concerning this mitzvah, it says Emor lahem, ‘Recite this blessing to the Jewish people,’ spelling the word emor with a vov, the full spelling of the word, although it is usually spelled without a vov. Both the Midrash Tanchuma and the Midrash Rabbah explain that there is an important reason why this word is spelled ‘full.’ ‘The Holy One, blessed is He, said to the kohanim that they should bless the Jewish people not because they are ordered to do so, and they want to complete the minimum requirement of that “order,” as if it were “forced labor” and, therefore, they say it swiftly. On the contrary, they should bless the Jews with much focus and the desire that the brochos all be effective – with full love and full heart.’”

We see from this Gemara that this aspect of the mitzvah — the kohanim blessing the people because they want to and not because it is required — was so important to Chazal that they alluded to the idea in the text of the brocha, something we never find elsewhere!

Brochos cause longevity

There are several puzzling questions germane to this small passage of Gemara quoted above. What was unique about Rabbi Elazar’s three practices that he singled them out as being the spiritual causes of his longevity? The commentaries explain that each of these three acts were personal chumros that Rabbi Elazar, himself one of the last talmidim of Rabbi Akiva and a rebbe of Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi, practiced (Keren Orah, Meromei Sadeh et al). Since our topic is Birkas Kohanim, we will address only that practice: What was unique about Rabbi Elazar’s practice of reciting a brocha before performing the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim? Didn’t every kohein do the same? So, why did the other kohanim not achieve the longevity that he did?

The Keren Orah commentary notes that the amora, Rav Zeira, is quoted as the source for the brocha on Birkas Kohanim, implying that the brocha on this mitzvah was not yet standardized until his time, and he lived well over a hundred years after Rabbi Elazar’s passing. This implies that a brocha on this mitzvah was not necessarily recited during the era of the tanna’im and early amora’im. (The Keren Orah suggests this might be because Birkas Kohanim itself is a blessing, and that we do not make a brocha on a brocha, similar to the mitzvos of birkas hamazon or birkas haTorah.) Rabbi Elazar was so enthusiastic about blessing the people that he insisted on reciting a brocha before its performance. This strong desire to bless people was rewarded by his having many extra years to continue blessing them (Maharal).

Notwithstanding that the mitzvah is such a beautiful one, technically, the kohein is required to recite the Birkas Kohanim only when he is asked to do so, during the repetition of the shemoneh esrei. We will see shortly what this means in practice.

Hoarse kohein

At this point, we will discuss the second of our opening questions: “If a kohein is suffering from laryngitis, can he fulfill the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim?”

Let us examine this question thoroughly, starting from its sources in the Gemara: “One beraisa teaches: Koh sevarchu (‘this is how you should bless’): face to face… therefore the posuk says Emor lahem (say to them), as a person talks to his friend. Another beraisa teaches: Koh sevarchu, in a loud voice. Or perhaps Koh sevarchu means it can be said quietly; therefore, the posuk says Emor lahem, as a person talks to his friend” (Sotah 38a).

The passage that we quoted derives two different laws from the words of the posuk Koh sevarchu and Emor lahem. First,that the audience receiving the kohanim’s brocha should be facing them during the Birkas Kohanim. (In error, some people turn around while the kohanim recite Birkas Kohanim, in order to make sure that they do not look at the kohanim’s hands during the Birkas Kohanim.) The second is that the kohein should recite the brochos loud enough that the people can hear him. Although there are kohanim who shout the words of the Birkas Kohanim, the continuation of the Gemara explains that bekol ram, in a loud voice, means simply loud enough for the people to hear the kohein. However, someone whose voice is so hoarse that people cannot hear him is not permitted to recite Birkas Kohanim; he should leave the sanctuary part of the shul, before the chazzan recites the word retzei in his repetition of shemoneh esrei (Mishnah Berurah 128:53).

Why retzei?

Why should the kohein leave the shul before retzei?

Some mitzvos aseh, such as donning tefillin daily, making kiddush, or hearing shofar, are inherent requirements. There isn’t any way to avoid being obligated to fulfill these mitzvos. On the other hand, there are mitzvos whose requirement is dependent on circumstances. For example, someone who does not live in a house is not obligated to fulfill the mitzvah of mezuzah. Living in a house, which most of us do, creates the obligation to install a mezuzah on its door posts. Someone who lives in a house and fails to place a mezuzah on the required doorposts violates a mitzvas aseh.

Similarly, the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim is not an inherent requirement for the kohein. However, when someone asks the kohein or implies to him that he should perform the Birkas Kohanim, the kohein is now required to do so, and, should he fail to, he will violate a mitzvas aseh.

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 128:2) rules that a kohein who remains in shul is required to recite Birkas Kohanim if (1) he hears the chazzan say the word kohanim, (2) someone tells him to ascend the duchen, or (3) someone tells him to wash his hands (in preparation for the Birkas Kohanim). These three actions summon the kohanim to perform the mitzvah, and that is why they create a requirement on the kohein. A kohein who is weak such that it is difficult for him to raise his arms to recite the Birkas Kohanim, should exit the shul before the chazzan says the word kohanim (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 128:4 and Mishnah Berurah). The Magen Avraham and the Elyah Rabbah conclude that it is preferred if he exits before the chazzan begins the word retzei. The Shulchan Aruch mentions that the custom is for any kohein who is not reciting Birkas Kohanim to remain outside until the Birkas Kohanim is completed.

Washing hands

The Shulchan Aruch we quoted above rules that telling a kohein to wash his hands creates the same obligation to recite Birkas Kohanim as directly summoning him to recite the Birkas Kohanim. Why is that so?

This is because the Gemara rules that “any kohein who did not wash his hands should not perform nesias kapayim.” The Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah Uvirkas Kohanim 15:5) rules that the washing before Birkas Kohanim is similar to what the kohanim do prior to performing the service in the Beis Hamikdash. For this reason, he rules that their hands should be washed until their wrists. We rule that this is done even on Yom Kippur, notwithstanding that, otherwise, we are not permitted to wash this much on Yom Kippur (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 128:6). Several acharonim rule that since the washing as preparation for Birkas Kohanim is because it is considered a form of avodah, there are other requirements, including washing with a cup, with clear water and with at least a revi’is (about three ounces) of water (see Magen Avraham, Yeshuos Yaakov, Shulchan Shelomoh and Mishnah Berurah).

In many shullen, a sink is installed near the duchen, so that the kohanim can wash immediately before Birkas Kohanim. Others have a practice that water and a basin are brought to the front of the shul for this purpose. These customs have a source in rishonim and poskim and should definitely be encouraged. Tosafos (Sotah 39a s.v. Kol) concludes that the kohein should wash his hands immediately before ascending the duchen. Herules that the kohein should wash his hands within twenty-two amos, a distance of less than forty feet, of the duchen. The Magen Avrohom (128:9) rulesaccording to this Tosafos, and adds that, according to Tosafos, since the kohanim wash their hands before retzei, the chazzan should recite the brocha of retzei rapidly. In his opinion, the time that transpires after the kohein washes his hands should be less time than it takes to walk twenty-two amos, and, therefore, retzei should be recited as quickly as possible. The Biur Halacha (128:6 s.v. Chozrim) adds that the kohanim should not converse between washing their hands and reciting Birkas Kohanim, because this constitutes a hefsek.

The chazzan duchening

At this point, let us examine the third of our opening questions: “If the chazzan is a kohein, may he duchen?”

This question is the subject of a dispute between the Shulchan Aruch and the Pri Chodosh. According to the Shulchan Aruch, if the chazzan is a kohein, he should not recite Birkas Kohanim, unless he is the only kohein. The reason he should not recite Birkas Kohanim is out of concern that he might get confused and not remember the conclusion of the davening, when he returns to his role as chazzan. The Pri Chodosh disagrees, concluding that this concern was only when the chazzan led the services from memory, which, although very common in an earlier era, is today quite uncommon. If the kohein–chazzan is using a siddur, which should assure that the Birkas Kohanim will not confuse him from continuing the davening correctly, he can recite Birkas Kohanim.

In chutz la’aretz, the accepted practice in this halacha follows the Shulchan Aruch, whereas in Eretz Yisroel, customs vary in different locales. In Yerushalayim and most other places, the accepted practice follows the Pri Chodosh, and the chazzan performs Birkas Kohanim.

Conclusion

As a kohein myself, I find duchening to be one of the most beautiful mitzvos. We are indeed so fortunate to have a commandment to bless our fellow Jews, the children of Our Creator. All the more so, the nusach of the bracha is to bless His nation Israel with love. The blessings of a kohein must flow from a heart full of love for the Jews that he is privileged to bless.

The Halachos of Pidyon Haben

This week’s parsha includes the mitzvah of pidyon haben, redeeming the bechor, the firstborn, if it is a boy. The mitzvah is performed optimally when the baby turns a month old, by giving a kohein five sela’im of silver, equal to about 96 grams of silver (Chazon Ish).

The dollar value of the five sela’im varies, depending on the market price of silver. Some people have the custom of giving the kohein six coins, in case one of the coins is defective and does not contain enough silver. The truth is that one has to research how much silver content there is in the coins. Old US silver dollars did have enough silver, but most coins today have little metallic value. We will talk more about this shortly.

WHO IS REQUIRED TO REDEEM THE BECHOR?

The obligation rests on the father of a boy who is the firstborn of his mother and was born through natural delivery. If the father is a kohein or a levi, or if the mother is the daughter of a kohein or a levi, there is no mitzvah of pidyon haben. Usually, the question of whether one’s mother is a bas kohein or levi does not affect a person’s halachic status; however, since pidyon haben is dependent on the boy being the firstborn of his mother, her yichus is taken into consideration (Bechoros 47a).

There is an interesting phenomenon that relates to the difference between the daughter of a kohein and the daughter of a levi. If a boy is born of a non-Jewish father and a bas kohein, there is a requirement for this child, upon becoming an adult, to perform a pidyon haben. Why is this true? Because his mother was together with a non-Jew, she loses her sanctity as a bas kohein – for example, she will never again be able to eat terumah. Therefore, her son is included in the mitzvah of pidyon haben. However, neither parent is obligated to perform the mitzvah for the child; the father, because he is not Jewish, and the mother, because there is no requirement for Mom to perform pidyon haben. Therefore, upon becoming an adult, this child should perform the mitzvah himself.

The halacha is different regarding a boy who is born of a non-Jewish father and a bas levi. Although Mom was involved in a prohibited relationship, this did not affect her yichus, since she loses no halachic rights as a result. Therefore, in this situation the child is exempt from the mitzvah of pidyon haben.

Incidentally, there are poskim who rule that the grandson of a non-Jewish father and a bas levi is also excluded from pidyon haben. This means that the son of a non-Jewish father and a bas levi does not have a mitzvah to redeem his son. Since this man is Jewish from birth but does not have a Jewish father, his yichus follows his mother, who is the daughter of a levi. Since the bas levi’s son’s only Jewish yichus is as a descendant of Levi, these authorities contend that he has no obligation to perform pidyon haben. (See Shu’t Maharam Shick, Yoreh De’ah #299 who disagrees with this ruling.) My impression is that the accepted practice in this situation is to perform an act of pidyon haben without a brocha; after which the kohein returns the money.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A KOHEIN MARRIED A DIVORCEE?

If a kohein married a divorcee or any other woman prohibited to a kohein, the children of this union are challalim, which means that they have become defiled and therefore lose their status as kohanim. The daughters may not marry kohanim, and the firstborn son born to a kohein from this woman needs to be redeemed, just like any yisroel. Furthermore, his son’s son will also require pidyon haben, like any other yisroel.

WHAT IS THE HALACHA OF A BECHOR BORN THROUGH CAESARIAN SECTION?

Switching sub-topics, only a naturally-born child has the status of a bechor for pidyon haben purposes. There is no mitzvah of pidyon haben if the boy was delivered through caesarian section. His younger brother is also not considered firstborn, even if he is born through natural delivery. Similarly, a boy born after a miscarriage is not a bechor for purposes of the mitzvah of pidyon haben (Bechoros 46a). This last halacha depends on how far advanced the terminated pregnancy was, a topic that we will leave for a different time.

WHAT HAPPENS IF NO ONE REDEEMS THE BECHOR?

If the father cannot or does not redeem the bechor, other people can redeem him, but are not required to do so. However, if no one redeemed the bechor as a child, he is required to redeem himself when he reaches adulthood (Kiddushin 29a).

Many men who are not from an observant background did not have a pidyon haben. At a pidyon haben that I once performed (I am a kohein), the grandfather of the newly redeemed baby came over to me, saying, “You know, I am also firstborn and a baal teshuvah. I can’t imagine anyone made a pidyon haben for me.” And so, two pidyonim were performed on the same day, one for the grandson and one for the grandfather!

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE?

As opposed to other mitzvos, such as bris milah and a wedding, where the mitzvah is performed first and then the festive meal is eaten, pidyon haben is performed during the meal, in order to call attention to the mitzvah. (In some Yerushalmi circles, they actually perform the pidyon first, and then begin the seudah.)

The usual procedure is as follows: After the assembled have made hamotzi and taken their seats, the father brings the bechor to the kohein, who is seated at a place of honor. The custom is to bring the bechor on a large, silver platter. Many have the custom of placing sugar cubes, cloves of garlic, and jewelry on the platter. The father declares to the kohein that the baby is firstborn and must be redeemed.

The kohein then responds with the famous and enigmatic question: “Mai ba’is tefei?” Which do you prefer? Would you rather have your child or the five sela’im of pidyon?

The father responds that he would prefer his son, and that he is prepared to perform the redemption. He then recites the bracha on the mitzvah and the bracha of shehechiyanu, and places the coins into the kohein’s right hand. The kohein waves the coins over the head of the bechor while blessing him. Then, the kohein recites the birchas kohanim and other words of blessing over the head of the bechor. The procedure is completed by the kohein reciting a bracha on a cup of wine and drinking it.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE KOHEIN SAYS “MAI BA’IS TEFEI?” — DOES THE FATHER REALLY HAVE A CHOICE?

The wording of the kohein’s question, “Which do you prefer?” — implying that the father has a choice — i­­s extremely strange. Halachically, there is no choice or option. The father has a mitzvah to fulfill, which he is required to observe. So, why does the kohein suggest to the father that he has a choice?

The text of our pidyon haben ceremony goes back 1,000 years, and, since that time, probably tens of thousands of interpretations have been suggested for this question. Think of your own answer to this question, and you’ll have something to share with others the next time you attend a pidyon haben!

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE PLACE GARLIC CLOVES AND SUGAR CUBES ON THE PLATTER THAT HOLDS THE BABY?

There are many customs that have developed around the mitzvah of pidyon haben. Some people place pieces of garlic, sugar cubes, or candies alongside the bechor when he is brought in for the pidyon. The sugar cubes show that the mitzvos are sweet, and garlic is a symbol of and segulah for fertility. Some say that when participants take home the sugar and the garlic and use them for cooking their own meals at home, they increase the numbers of people who “participated” in the pidyon haben meal, all of whom will be blessed by this.

WHEN IS THE PIDYON PERFORMED? WHY IS THE MINHAG TO PERFORM PIDYON HABEN IN THE AFTERNOON?

The Torah says that the mitzvah is to redeem the bechor when he turns a month old.

How does one determine that a child is a month old? Although we are accustomed to thinking of a Jewish month as being either 29 or 30 days long, these are actually calendar calculations that deal only with complete days. Technically, a month is the amount of time it takes the moon to revolve around the earth, which varies slightly from month to month, but is always a bit more than 29½ days.

HOW LONG IS A MONTH?

There is a dispute in halacha as to how one determines that a bechor is a month old. One opinion follows the day-count method and rules that the pidyon haben should take place on the 31st day after the boy was born, counting his day of birth as day one (Magen Avraham 339:8).

Others rule that a month for pidyon haben is determined by the astronomical method, meaning the same amount of time that transpires from one new moon to the next. Since the time that transpires from one new moon to the next is estimated at 29 days, 12 hours and 793/1080 of an hour (usually called 793 chalakim), the time for pidyon haben begins when the bechor is exactly 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim old (Shach, Yoreh De’ah 305:12). Common practice is to perform a pidyon haben after both opinions have been fulfilled.

By the morning of the 31st day, the bechor is usually 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim old. However, if the bechor was born shortly before sunset on a long summer day, daybreak on the morning of the 31st day is less than 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim since his birth. In this situation, one should wait to perform the pidyon until he is 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim after birth (Pischei Tshuvah 305:17). For this reason, it is a common custom to schedule a pidyon haben on the afternoon of the 31st day, which is always an appropriate time according to both opinions.

When the earliest time to perform the pidyon is on an erev Shabbos or erev Yom Tov, the pidyon should be scheduled in the morning (Mishnah Berurah 249:13). In the rare case that it is not yet 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim after birth, one should calculate when the 29 days, 12 hours and 793 chalakim after birth falls out and schedule the pidyon then.

When the 31st falls on Shabbos or Yom Tov, the pidyon should be scheduled for Motza’ei Shabbos or Motza’ei Yom Tov (Shu’t Noda Biyehuda Tenina, Yoreh De’ah #187).

WHAT DOES ONE DO IF THE THIRTY-FIRST DAY FALLS ON A FAST DAY?

There are two practices mentioned by the poskim. One approach is to perform the pidyon during the fast day, so as not to delay the opportunity to observe the mitzvah, and conduct the festive meal at night after the fast is over. The other approach is to delay the pidyon until the night after the fast, and then perform the pidyon during the meal (Shach, Yoreh De’ah 305:12).

CAN ONE PERFORM THE MITZVAH OF PIDYON HABEN BY GIVING THE KOHEIN A BOND?

One does not fulfill the mitzvah of pidyon haben if one gives the kohein a bond (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 305: 3,4). The yisroel must give the kohein something that has inherent value, such as merchandise. A check is an order of payment instructing the bank to release funds, but itself has no inherent value. Therefore, a check is not equal to cash and is not valid for pidyon haben.

It should be noted that according to many prominent poskim, paper money should not be used for pidyon haben because they also do not have inherent value (see Shu”t Chasam Sofer; Aruch Hashulchan, Yoreh De’ah 305:18; Shu”t Oneg Yom Tov, Yoreh De’ah #102). Since our coins today are not valued by their metal content, it would seem that they should also not be used for pidyon haben.

Usually the pidyon haben is performed with silver coins. These coins are supplied either by the father or by the kohein, in which case he sells them to the father before the pidyon. It is halachically acceptable for the father to pay for the coins by check when he buys them from the kohein.

I was once given by the father small pieces of silver. He had purchased the exact amount of silver necessary, probably from a jeweler, for pidyon haben and that is what he gave me. Although I have had this happen only once, I am told that in certain communities this is a common method.

On another occasion, I was asked, in advance, if I would afterwards sell back to the family the silver dollars that they were giving me. It turned out that the coins used had been used by the great-great-grandfather of the baby when he performed pidyon haben on his son, and these exact coins had been used for every generation in between!

CAN ONE FULFILL THE MITZVAH BY BUYING THE KOHEIN A PRESENT?

Yes, as long as the present is worth at least the value of five sela’im (96 grams of silver). However, the prevalent custom is to give the kohein silver coins, as mentioned above.

MAY THE KOHEIN RETURN THE MONEY TO THE FATHER OF THE BECHOR?

The kohein may return the money. However, this should not be his regular practice, since it might cause a loss of revenue to other kohanim, because yisraelim may stop using them for pidyon haben (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 305:8). There are some poskim who contend that today the money should be returned, since the kohein cannot prove that he is a kohein (Shu”t Yaavetz #155). However, the accepted practice is that the kohein does not return the money (Pischei Tshuvah 305:12, quoting Chasam Sofer).

ONCE THE FATHER ASKED A KOHEIN TO BE THE KOHEIN AT HIS SON’S PIDYON HABEN, MAY HE SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGE HIS MIND AND USE A DIFFERENT KOHEIN?

Once the father has asked one kohein to “officiate” at the pidyon haben, he should not ask another kohein. However, if he gave the redemption money to a different kohein, the pidyon is valid (Rema, Yoreh De’ah 305:4).

MAY THE FATHER OF THE BECHOR DIVIDE THE MONEY FOR PIDYON HABEN BETWEEN TWO OR MORE KOHANIM?

It is preferable not to do this, but if he did so, the pidyon is valid (Pischei Tshuvah 305:10, quoting Chasam Sofer).

A RATIONALE FOR THE MITZVAH

It behooves us to consider the reason for the mitzvah of pidyon haben. Following the smiting of the firstborn in Egypt, all firstborn boys had a certain kedusha, which should have entitled them to a role of service in the Beis Hamikdash.

However, because the bechorim were involved in worshipping the Eigel Hazahav, the Golden Calf, they lost their unique status and could no longer perform any special role in the Beis Hamikdash. Therefore, the bechor must undergo a redemption ceremony to make amends — which is to pay the kohein as a means of “redeeming” his former kedusha.

 

 

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