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Rabbi Daniel Kirsch

Kislev 14, 5782
Question
what are all the qualifications that one has to have in order to have the status as a kohen in our generation?
Answer
Shalom uvracha, Condition #1: One's biological father must be a Cohen . Condition #2: His or her mother was permitted to marry a Cohen, according to halachah. Therefore, before his/her mother married his/her father, she was not divorced, did not have a "chalitzah", was not a "zonah", and was not a "chalalah". Some poskim hold that Cohanim today are not considered absolute Cohanim, but are ''doubtful'' (sofek) Cohanim. However, this is not the common and accepted opinion. The halachah is that we consider Cohanim to be definite ones, without a doubt. They say Birkat Cohanim, with a bracha before saying it, which shows that we hold that there is no doubt about them being Cohanim, otherwise it would be considered a ‘bracha levatala’ (blessing in vain) for them to say Birkat Cohanim with a bracha (see shut Minchat Asher, part 1:80). All the best
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