How to Go Up to the Front
1. When the Kohanim go up to the front, they face the aron, which is on the east side, and their backs are toward the tzibbur (שו''ע ס''י ). For Birkas Kohanim itself, i.e. “יברכך וכו',” they face the tzibbur and the tzibbur faces them, as the posuk says, “אמור להם ”—like a person speaking to his friend. This halacha that they must face each other is essential and if it is missing they are not yotzei even b’dieved (מ''ב סק''נ ; see Issue 354, par. 28/29).
2. Standing behind the Kohanim. To receive the bracha, one must face the Kohanim’s faces, not their backs. Thus, when the Kohanim are at the front facing the tzibbur, people standing behind the Kohanim, e.g., those all the way at the front wall, are not included in the bracha (שו''ע סכ''ד ). They should leave their spots and stand in front of the Kohanim, or at least directly to their sides in a straight line.
3. However, the tzibbur does not need to stand directly in front of the Kohanim. They are included in the bracha even if they are off to the sides, as long as they are to the sides of where the Kohanim are standing and level with them or in front of them (שו''ע שם ומ''ב שם ).
4. Turn around mid-bracha. Since there is a machlokes haposkim whether the Kohanim should say the bracha facing the aron or facing the tzibbur, the minhag is to satisfy both opinions. They start saying “ברוך וכו' אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן ” still facing the aron; then they turn to face the tzibbur and continue the nusach of the bracha, saying “וצונו לברך את עמו ישראל באהבה ” facing the tzibbur (שו''ע סי''א, מ''ב סק''מ, ברכי יוסף סק''ט, קצושו''ע סי' ק' סק''ח ).
5. Turn to the right. When the Kohanim turn to face the tzibbur, they should turn to their right clockwise, i.e., when they are standing facing east, they should turn to the south and then the west. This is because all turns a person makes should be to the right (ב''י, שו''ע סי''ז ). Similarly, when the Kohanim turn back to the aron after Birkas Kohanim, they should turn to their right, i.e., first to the north and then to the east. [This is also what one should do during Kabbolas Shabbos when he turns around to say “בואי ושלום ”—always turn to the right clockwise, including when turning back around.]
