[Avodah] Bircas Kohanim when when the Shaliach Tzibbur is a kohen

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Dec 25, 2018 at 06:08:38AM -0500, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
: On Areivim, R' Sheldon Liberman asked:
:> I heard over Shabbos that in chutz l'aretz, during the chazzan's
:> repetition at shacharis, if the chazzan is a kohen, then during
:> bircas kohanim, there is an opinion that the tzibbur should
:> answer "Amein" rather than "Kein y'hi ratzon".

:> Has anyone heard this?

: The critical words here are "there is an opinion".

Discussing the case where the sha"tz is not a kohein:

The Avudraham (really: R' David abu-Dirham) is quoted by the BY (end of
OC 127) and Taamei haMinhagim (#117) that some people say "kein yehi
Ratzon" instad of "amein" because the berakhos are not being said --
the pesuqim /about/ the berakhos are.

The SA (OC 127:2), talking about when there are no kohanim, turns it
into a recommendation, not like the Avudraham recording a minhag among
many. And the chazan begins "Elokeinu vEilokei Avoseinu, borkheinu..."

The MB (s"q 10) paraphrased the same reasoning -- the chazan is requesting
that Hashem Bless us the way the kohanim did. Not making a berakhah himself.

The Derishah says it's wrong so say amein.

The Kaf haChaim (16-17) agrees with it being problematic to say amein,
but since shu"t Yachin uVoaz (25) records a minhag to say "amein",
says either is okay.

The Darkei Moshe (4) says "kein yehi rasons", and he quotes the Mahara
(?) who didn't answer at all.

RMSternbuch (shu"t Teshuvos veHanhagos 2;101, 3;43) also doesn't recommend
any answe. RMS cites R' Chaim Brisker that one is over an asei (and
possibly bal tosif -- see Rashi Kesovus 24b) by accepting the birkhas
kohanim by a a non-kohein.

So, when it comes to the question of what to do when the sha"tsz *is* a
kohein, I could see a chiluq depending on which sevara is dominant:

1- If the iqar is that the chazan isn't actually making a berakhah, then
a chazan who is a kohein who said "EvE Borkheinu" before the pesuqim is
also describing the berakhah, not making a berakhah. So, I could see
saying no amein for him either.

2- If R' Chaim Brisker's sevara is the reason for not saying amein, then
there is no assei against accepting the berakhah from the sha"tz who is
a kohein. And implied is that if saying amein after a non-kohein sha"tz
violates an asei of accepting birkhas kohanim, then it would seem that
by saying amein, the pesuqim are indeed the berkahos -- regardless of
the lines said before them.

3- And if one holds by the minhag the Avudraham assumed was dominant,
and the Derishah recommends, then one is saying "amein" even when the
sha"tz isn't a kohein. Lo kol shekein when he is!


PS: The MB (s"q 11) says you say "kein yehi Ratzon" once, after the last
berakhah. The AhS (127:4) records what is the norm (in my experience),
once after each berakhah.

PPS: My own minhag is "kein yehi Ratzon bizkhus Avraham avinu" after
the first berakhah, and invoking the zekhus of Yitzchaq and Yaaqov after
each of the other berakhos.

But as long-timers know, Berger family minhagim are from a pretty broad
chulent (and chamin!) of sources. Anyone else hear of this one?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
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