Other Kohanim Present
29. Don’t do Birkas Kohanim. Some poskim hold that if the shliach tzibbur is a Kohen and there are other Kohanim doing Birkas Kohanim, he should not do Birkas Kohanim even if he is davening from a siddur and is confident he can resume Chazoras HaShatz without getting mixed up. He should stand silently while someone else calls out the pesukim to the Kohanim (שו''ע ס''כ ומ''ב סקע''ב ). This is the opinion of most poskim (שער הציון ס''ק ס''ד ). Care should be taken not to tell the shliach tzibbur during the bracha of רצה to go up for Birkas Kohanim, as then he would have a chiyuv d’oraisa to do it even if he is not confident he can resume Chazoras HaShatz (רמ''א שם ).
30. Do Birkas Kohanim. However, others hold he can do Birkas Kohanim even if there are other Kohanim present if he is confident he can resume Chazoras HaShatz without getting mixed up (פר''ח ). In a place where this is the minhag, one should not object to those who are meikel (שער הציון שם ), and this is the minhag Yerushalayim. The reason is likely because they are accustomed to doing Birkas Kohanim daily so there is no concern they will get mixed up (ספר א''י ומנהגיה ב', ד').
No Other Kohanim
31. Even if the shliach tzibbur is the only Kohen in shul, if he is not confident he can resume Chazoras HaShatz, he should not do Birkas Kohanim. However, if he is confident he can resume Chazoras HaShatz or he is davening from a siddur, he should do Birkas Kohanim so that the mitzva is not skipped (שו''ע שם ).
32. Birkas Kohanim by Kohen-shliach tzibbur. If the Kohen-shliach tzibbur is doing Birkas Kohanim, after he finishes his own tefilla he should remove his shoes and wash his hands as usual. Then, he should start Chazoras HaShatz. When he reaches רצה , he should move his feet slightly toward the front of the shul and continue saying Chazoras HaShatz where he is until the words “ולך נאה להודות .” Then he should go up to the front (שו''ע שם ) and someone else should call out the pesukim to him.
33. Some hold a Kohen-shliach tzibbur should stay in his spot in front of the aron and do Birkas Kohanim there; he should not leave his spot to go up to the front. According to the Ashkenazi minhag, he should move his feet slightly and turn to stand facing the tzibbur, giving the bracha from his spot with his face toward the tzibbur’s faces (רדב''ז סי' תקי''ו ).
