Study Sotah folio 38B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
should be from them; one of the priests themselves should call: Priests. The Talmud concludes: And the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Abaye, that when only one priest is present, the prayer leader does not call: Priest. And the halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of Rav Ḥis
§ The Talmud cites a mnemonic device for the statements of R' Yehoshua ben Levi: Desires the benediction, platform, during the service, cup, recognize, derives benefit, from a heifer.
R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: From where is it derived that God desires the Priestly Benediction? As it is stated: “So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). This shows that God waits for the priests to bless the people, and only then He Himself bless
And R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: Any priest who does not ascend the platform to recite the Priestly Benediction violates 3 positive mitzvot: “So you shall bless,” “And you shall say to them” (Numbers 6:23), and “So shall they put My name” (Numbers 6:27).
Rav says: One need be concerned that a priest who does not ascend to recite the Priestly Benediction is perhaps the son of a priest and a divorced woman, or the son of a priest and a yevama who has performed ḥalitza [ḥalutza]. Perhaps he does not ascend to recite the Priestly Benediction because h