Hayom Yom 7 Sivan - Standing for Birkas Kohanim - the priestly blessing

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

נְשִׂיאוּת כַּפַּיִם

[Whenever] the Priestly Blessing [is given, the procedure to be followed by each congregant is as follows]:

כְּשֶׁאוֹמְרִים תֵּבַת יְבָרֶכְךָ — הַמִּתְבָּרֵךְ רֹאשׁוֹ בְּאֶמְצַע

When the kohanim say the word yevarechecha, the recipient of the blessing faces forward;

ה' — מֵסֵב רֹאשׁוֹ לִימִינוֹ, שֶׁהִיא שְׂמֹאל הַמְבָרֵךְ

when they say A-donai, he turns his head to the right, which is to the left of [the kohanim] who recite the blessing;

וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ — בְּאֶמְצַע

at veyishmerecha he faces forward;

יָאֵר — לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ שֶׁהִיא יְמִין הַמְבָרֵךְ

at ya’er he faces left;

וכו

and so on, [word by word — center, right, center, left, etc.,]

שָׁלוֹם — רֹאשׁוֹ בְּאֶמְצַע

until when they say shalom, he faces forward.

אֲמִירַת רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם

The prayer beginning Ribono shel olam

בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים מְנַגְּנִים דַּוְקָא

is said only while the kohanim sing;

אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאוֹמְרִים הַתֵּבוֹת צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמוֹעַ

when they recite the words of the blessing, one should listen.

כְּשֶׁמְּנַגְּנִים לְ"וְיָשֵׂם" אוֹמְרִים רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם... הַצַּדִּיק

When they sing the melody that introduces the third to last word, veyasem, the congregation recites the words from Ribono shel olam until hatzaddik;

כְּשֶׁמְּנַגְּנִים לְתֵבַת "לְךָ" — וְאִם... אֱלִישָׁע

while they sing the melody for lecha, the congregation recites the words from ve’im to Elisha;

לְ"שָׁלוֹם" — וּכְשֵׁם... לְטוֹבָה

while they sing the melody for shalom, the congregation recites the words from u’keshem to letovah;

"כְּשֶׁאוֹמְרִים "שָׁלוֹם" — אוֹמְרִים "וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וּתְחָנֵּנִי וְתִרְצֵנִי

and while they say shalom, the congregation recites the words vesishmereini, u’sechaneini, vesirtzeini.

אַדִּיר בַּמָּרוֹם אוֹמְרִים אַחַר עֲנִיַּת אָמֵן כְּשֶׁעֲדַיִן הַטַּלִית עַל פָּנָיו

Each congregant recites the passage beginning Adir BaMarom after having responded Amen [to the last word of the Priestly Blessing], while his tallis is still covering his face.

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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