by Hana Levi Julian
Thousands of Kohanim, Jewish men descended from members of the priestly class in the
People of Israel, gathered at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem on Thursday morning
for the traditional Birkat HaKohanim.
The Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall, October 16, 2008
Israel News Photo: Tovia Singer
Holiday festivities also are being held in Hevron, where the Jewish community is offering
activities for children and live Chassidic vocal entertainment.
The Kotel ceremony featured some two thousand Kohanim who blessed all those present with
three verses from the Torah (Numbers 6:23-27) that were recited by Jewish priests in the
First and Second Holy Temples.
The Western Wall plaza was packed with some 50,000 Jewish worshippers who streamed into
Jerusalem from all over the country and around the world especially for the event.
During the recitation of the blessing, the Kohanim gathered into groups spread their
prayer shawls over their own heads, spreading out their arms over the congregation to
form a small enclosure that prevented congregants from seeing them during the actual
blessing. There is a custom for the congregants who are being blessed to avoid looking at
the Kohanim during the blessing as well.
Kohanim have the tradition of being direct descendants of the first High Priest of the
Jewish People, Aharon (Aaron), the brother of Moshe (Moses), and as such have a separate
status in Judaism. All Kohenim are members of the Tribe of Levi by direct patrilineal
descent, although not all members of that tribe are Kohanim. The Levites who were not
Kohenim served as Temple assistants and provided the music and songs to accompany
ceremonies, among other tasks.
Following the ceremony, Israel's Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger recited a prayer he
composed especially for the occation, asking G-d to "rescue" Jonathon Pollard,
imprisoned in America for more than 20 years on a single count of espionage for handing
classified information to Israel, an allied nation, and kidnapped IDF St. Sgt. Gilad
Shalit, held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza since June 25, 2006.
Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar followed with a supplication of his own composition as
well, asking G-d to take away distress from the People of Israel, to end the numerous
tragic motor vehicle accidents that have destroyed so many lives in the country over the
past year and the sicknesses that have affected so many people, and finally to decimate
Israel's enemies.
To both blessings, some 50,000 voices answered with a resounding, "Amen!"
according to an eyewitness, who added that security officers were discreet but clearly
present. "It wasn't an overwhelming presence, you didn't get the feeling they were
imposing themselves on you, but you did see them everywhere," he said. "I saw
one soldier up on a roof with binoculars."
"Great peace have they which love thy law
and nothing shall offend them." Psalms 119:165
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