In Parshas Naso we learn about the mitzvah of birchas kohanim. Although in Eretz Yisroel birchas kohanim happens every day, in Chutz La’aretz it only happens on Yom Tov. Therefore, as well as being a topic related to the weekly parsha, it is also related to the Yom Tov of Shavuos, therefore, we will take this opportunity to discuss a few interesting birchas kohanim related questions.
Why in Chutz La’aretz Do We Not Perform the Mitzvah of Birchas Kohanim Every Day?
The Rema (Orach Chaim 128:44) writes: נהג ו בכל מדינות אלו שאין נושאין כפים אלא ביו''ט אבל בארץ ישראל המנהג לישא כפים בכל יום - “The custom in all these towns (Chutz La’aretz) is that we don’t perform the mitzvah of birchas kohanim besides for Yom Tov. In Eretz Yisroel, however, the custom is to fulfil the mitzvah every day”.
The question is, however, why not? Birchas kohanim is a mitzvas aseh [positive commandment], it’s true that one only violates the mitzvas aseh if he is called up to duchen and doesn’t go, however, why don’t we do the mitzvah every day, especially as every time a kohen duchens he fulfils three positive commandments?
Iy’H below we will cite ten different reasons:
1) The Ogur (176) and Shu”t Maharil HaChadoshos (21) answer: The minhag is that kohanim tovel [immerse] in mikveh before duchening (like it says in the Hago’as Ma’amonis) and it is difficult to tovel every single day - especially in the winter, therefore, the minhag became to only duchen on Yom Tov.
However, the Beis Yosef (Orach Chaim 128 towards the end) asks: The minhag of toveling is nothing more than a minhag. Refraining from duchening every day and missing out on three positive commandments would be a חומרא דאתי לידי קולא – stringency that leads to a leniency. So, true there may be a minhag to tovel but it’s not enough of a reason not to duchen.
