SHAWORDS

Five or six guys get up on the bimah on the stage, and they are facing — Priestly Blessing

"Five or six guys get up on the bimah on the stage, and they are facing the congregation. They get their talit over their heads, and they start this chanting, I think its called duchening. And my father said to me, "Dont look!" So everybodys got their eyes covered with their hands, or they have got their talit down over their faces, or turned away, turned their back to these guys. ... And then the leader would shout out: "Yeborechecho!" ["The Lord bless thee!"] And the rest of them would respond: "Yeborechecho adonai vyishmerecho!" ["The Lord bless thee and keep thee!"] It was chilling. Whoa, something major is happening here! So I peeked, and I saw them with their hands stuck out from beneath their talit like this, towards the congregation. ... I had no idea what was going on, but the sound of it and the look of it was magical."
Priestly Blessing
Priestly Blessing
Priestly Blessing
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The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands, rising to the platform, dukhenen, or duchening, is a Hebrew prayer recited by Kohanim. The text of the blessing is found in Numbers 6:23–27. It is also known as the Aaronic blessing.