May a kohen who kills a terrorist do birkat kohanim?

Birkat Kohanim in a Shiva House

I was surprised to find, in a shiva minyan, an avel who did Birkat Kohanim. I didn’t know whether to tell him that I had never seen this before. Was it okay that he did so?

What Do We Do When No Kohen Is Present for Torah Reading?

The Paw, the Jaw and the Maw

Why does the kohein receive the femur, if, in any instance, we are accustomed not to eat the hindquarters? Can the kohanim really corner the market on kosher tongue? How many of a cow’s stomachs does a kohein receive?

Birkat Kohanim by Non-Kohanim

Is it clear that a non-kohen may bless his children or others with the blessings of Birkat Kohanim ?

Is the Birkat Kohanim Our Oldest Relic?

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Whose Blessing?

Birkat Kohanim was on “the day that Moshe completed to erect the Mishkan”, which was the 1st of Nisan, which is also called “the eighth day” of the inauguration of the Mishkan. On this day, Aharon lifted his hands and blessed the people.

Birkas Kohanim

Why is the bracha for duchening so different from all the other brochos we recite before we perform mitzvos? If a kohein is suffering from laryngitis, how does he fulfill the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim? If the chazzan is a kohein, may he duchen?

Finding a Compatible Place for Our Family’s Outings

My sister and her family are coming for an extended summer visit! We need to figure out all the logistics of having everyone together– where will everyone sleep, and how to arrange sufficient seating space and chairs.

A Kohen Serving Others

I am a kohen who likes to fit in with others. When I lend a helping hand, occasionally someone tells me that I need not or should not because I am a kohen. Should I listen to them?

Birkas Kohanim

Kohen Serving as Chazan in Israel

I am a kohen who comes from America, where a kohen does not duchen (do Birkat Kohanim) if he is chazan. At the yeshiva I am at, even the chazan duchens. What should I do if I am asked to be chazan?

Should a Kohein Be Afraid of Confederate Ghosts?

From early 1843 until August 1859, the only authorized burial location within the city of Chicago was in a location then called City Cemetery. This plot also included the first Jewish cemetery in the city of Chicago. During the Civil War, this graveyard served as the final resting place for thousands of confederate prisoners of war who died in nearby Camp Douglas, which was used as a prison camp. About 145 years ago, this cemetery was closed to new burials, and many of its graves were later exhumed. Subsequently, the city constructed residential and commercial areas, city streets, and a major park, Lincoln Park, which includes a zoo and museums, atop the seventy-two acres of the cemetery. Lincoln Park and its zoo and museums are very popular, particularly as locations for family chol hamoed outings. Our halachic question is: May a kohein visit these parks or must he be concerned about the tumas meis to which he may be exposing himself?

Of Umbrellas, Trees and Other Kohen Concerns

The Mitzvah of ViKidashto – To Treat a Kohen with Respect