[Avodah] An-im Zemiros

[Moshe Y. Gluck]

R' Zev Sero:
> Al pi nigleh the reason not to look at the Cohanim, or at anything
> else, is so as not to be distracted from hearing the bracha.  It has
> long seemed to me that going under a talles with several people,
> including screaming kids, is *less* conducive to focusing on the bracha
> than forgoing the talles and just closing ones eyes.   Also, a talles
> with several people under it gets hot and stuffy, especially if the
> Cohanim sing at great length between words, and by the end one is
> waiting impatiently for it to be over, which is not what it's about.


R' Yaakov Emden agrees with you - he says (in his Siddur - he references
"Chiburi" which I assume is Mor U'Ketziah, where I assume he explains his
reasoning) that both the Kohanim and the rest of the people should not cover
their faces with their talleisim.

KT,
MYG