Sotah 39

והזה לאחריו לאחריו והזה לפניו הזאתו פסולה לפניו והזה על צדדין שבפניו הזאתו כשרה

and instead he sprinkled it backward, or if he intended to sprinkle the water backward and instead he sprinkled it forward, even if the water lands on vessels that require purification, his sprinkling is invalid. However, if one intended to sprinkle the water forward and instead he sprinkled it forward to the sides, his sprinkling is valid. It is derived from here that one’s sides are considered as though they were in front of him.

אמר רבא בר רב הונא כיון שנפתח ספר תורה אסור לספר אפילו בדבר הלכה שנאמר ובפתחו עמדו כל העם ואין עמידה אלא שתיקה שנאמר והוחלתי כי לא ידברו כי עמדו לא ענו עוד רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא מהכא ואזני כל העם אל ספר התורה

§ Rava bar Rav Huna says: Once a Torah scroll has been opened, it is prohibited to converse, even about a matter of halakha. As it is stated: “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up” (Nehemiah 8:5), and standing is referring to nothing other than silence, as it is stated: “And shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stand still, and answer no more?” (Job 32:16). Rabbi Zeira said that Rav Ḥisda said: The prohibition against conversing is derived from here: “And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3). They were not listening to any other voice.

ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי כל כהן שלא נטל ידיו לא ישא את כפיו שנאמר שאו ידיכם קדש וברכו את ה׳

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Any priest who did not first wash his hands may not lift his hands to recite the Priestly Benediction; as it is stated: “Lift up [se’u] your hands in sanctity and bless the Lord” (Psalms 134:2), which teaches that before reciting the benediction one must sanctify his hands by washing them.

שאלו תלמידיו את רבי אלעזר בן שמוע במה הארכת ימים אמר להן מימי לא עשיתי בית הכנסת קפנדריא ולא פסעתי על ראשי עם קודש ולא נשאתי כפי בלא ברכה

§ Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua was once asked by his disciples: To what do you attribute your longevity? He said to them: In all my days, I never made a shortcut [kappendarya] through a synagogue. Nor did I ever stride over the heads of the sacred people, i.e., I never stepped over people sitting in the study hall in order to reach my place, so as not to appear scornful of them. And I never lifted my hands for the Priestly Benediction without first reciting a blessing.

מאי מברך אמר רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא אשר קדשנו בקדושתו של אהרן וצונו לברך את עמו ישראל באהבה

The Gemara asks: What blessing does the priests recite before the benediction? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with the sanctity of Aaron and commanded us to bless His people, Israel, with love.

כי עקר כרעיה מאי אמר יהי רצון מלפניך ה׳ אלהינו שתהא ברכה זו שצויתנו לברך את עמך ישראל לא יהא בה מכשול ועון וכי מהדר אפיה מציבורא מאי אמר אדבריה רב חסדא לרב עוקבא ודרש רבונו של עולם עשינו מה שגזרת עלינו עשה עמנו

The Gemara continues: When the priest begins walking to the platform to recite the benediction, what does he say? The Gemara answers: May it be Your will, Lord our God, that this blessing with which You have commanded us to bless Your people, Israel, shall not contain any stumbling block or iniquity. And when the benediction has been completed, when he turns his face away from the congregation, what does he say? Rav Ḥisda instructed Rav Ukva and taught him that this is what he would say: Master of the Universe, we have performed that which You decreed upon us. Do unto us

מה שהבטחתנו השקיפה ממעון קדשך מן השמים וגו׳

as You have promised us, namely: “So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). “Look forth from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people, Israel” (Deuteronomy 26:15).

אמר רב חסדא אין הכהנים רשאים לכוף קישרי אצבעותיהן עד שיחזרו פניהם מן הצבור אמר רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא אין הקורא רשאי לקרות כהנים עד שיכלה אמן מפי הצבור

§ Rav Ḥisda says: The priests who spread their hands open during the benediction are not permitted to bend the joints of their fingers until they turn their faces away from the congregation once they have completed the benediction. Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: The one who calls the priests forward is not permitted to call out: Priests, until the response amen to the blessing of thanksgiving concludes from the mouths of the congregation, in order to ensure that everyone will hear the voices of the priests.

ואין הכהנים רשאין להתחיל בברכה עד שיכלה דיבור מפי הקורא ואין הצבור רשאין לענות אמן עד שתכלה ברכה מפי הכהנים ואין הכהנים רשאין להתחיל בברכה אחרת עד שיכלה אמן מפי הצבור

And for the same reason, the priests are not permitted to begin reciting the benediction until the statement of the caller, i.e., his announcement: Priests, concludes from his mouth. And the congregation is not permitted to answer amen until the blessing concludes from the mouths of the priests. And the priests are not permitted to begin reciting another blessing until the response amen to the previous blessing concludes from the mouths of the congregation.

ואמר רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא אין הכהנים רשאין להחזיר פניהם מן הצבור עד שיתחיל שליח צבור בשים שלום ואינן רשאין לעקור רגליהם ולילך עד שיגמור שליח צבור שים שלום

And Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: The priests are not permitted to turn away from the congregation after they have completed the benediction until the prayer leader begins saying the blessing of: Grant peace. And they are not permitted to uproot their feet and walk away from the platform until the prayer leader finishes saying the blessing of: Grant peace.

ואמר רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא אין הצבור רשאין לענות אמן עד שתכלה ברכה מפי הקורא ואין הקורא רשאי לקרות בתורה עד שיכלה אמן מפי הצבור ואין המתרגם רשאי להתחיל בתרגום עד שיכלה פסוק מפי הקורא ואין הקורא רשאי להתחיל בפסוק אחר עד שיכלה תרגום מפי המתרגם

And in a similar vein, Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: The congregation is not permitted to answer amen to the blessing recited over the Torah reading until the blessing of the one reading from the Torah concludes from his mouth. And the reader is not permitted to begin reading from the Torah until the response amen to the preceding blessing concludes from the mouths of the congregation. And the translator is not permitted to begin the translation of the Torah reading until the reading of the verse from the Torah concludes from the mouth of the reader. And the reader is not permitted to begin reading another verse until the translation concludes from the mouth of the translator.

אמר רבי תנחום אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי המפטיר בנביא צריך שיקרא בתורה תחילה ואמר רבי תנחום אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי אין המפטיר רשאי להפטיר בנביא עד שיגלל ספר תורה

Rabbi Tanḥum says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The one who concludes with a reading from the Prophets [haftara] must first read several verses from the Torah. And Rabbi Tanḥum says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The one who concludes is not permitted to conclude with a reading from the Prophets until the Torah scroll is furled.

ואמר רבי תנחום אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי אין שליח צבור רשאי להפשיט את התיבה בצבור מפני כבוד צבור

And Rabbi Tanḥum says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The prayer leader is not permitted to uncover the decorative covering of the ark in public, out of respect for the congregation. It is inappropriate to have the congregation wait while doing this.

ואמר רבי תנחום אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי אין הצבור רשאין לצאת עד שינטל ספר תורה ויניח במקומו ושמואל אמר עד שיצא

And Rabbi Tanḥum says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The congregation is not permitted to leave the synagogue after the Torah reading until the Torah scroll has been taken and prepared to be returned to its place, as the Torah scroll used to be stored near the synagogue. And Shmuel said: They may not leave until the Torah scroll is actually taken out of the synagogue, out of respect for the Torah scroll.

ולא פליגי הא דאיכא פיתחא אחרינא הא דליכא פיתחא אחרינא אמר רבא בר אהינא אסברה לי אחרי ה׳ אלהיכם תלכו

The Gemara comments: And they do not disagree about the halakha. Rather, they were discussing different situations. This statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is referring to a case where there is another exit. When the Torah scroll is being taken out of one exit, people may leave through the other exit. However, that statement of Shmuel is referring to a case where there is no other exit, and therefore the congregation must wait until the Torah is carried out. Rava said: The Sage bar Ahina explained to me that this halakha is derived from the verse: “After the Lord your God you shall walk” (Deuteronomy 13:5), meaning that one must walk after the Torah scroll and not in front of it.

בזמן שהכהנים מברכים את העם מה הן אומרים אמר רבי זירא אמר רב חסדא ברכו ה׳ מלאכיו גברי כח וגו׳ ברכו ה׳ כל צבאיו משרתיו עושי רצונו ברכו ה׳ כל מעשיו בכל מקמות ממשלתו ברכי נפשי את ה׳

§ The Gemara continues to discuss the Priestly Benediction. When the priests are blessing the people, what do the people say? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: For each blessing that the priests recite, they respond with a blessing from Bible: “Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in strength that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20), “Bless the Lord, all of His hosts, His ministers that do His pleasure” (Psalms 103:21), and “Bless the Lord, all of His works, in all places of His dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul” (Psalms 103:22).

במוספי דשבתא מה הן אומרים אמר רבי אסי שיר המעלות הנה ברכו את ה׳ כל עבדי ה׳ וגו׳ שאו ידיכם קדש וברכו את ה׳ ברוך ה׳ מציון שוכן ירושלם הללויה

When the priests ascend a second time to bless the congregation during the additional prayer of Shabbat, what do the people say? It is not appropriate for them to repeat the same verses of praise that they recited previously. Rabbi Asi said: They say: “A song of ascents. Behold, bless you the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, that stand in the house of the Lord in the night seasons” (Psalms 134:1), “Lift up your hands in sanctity and bless the Lord” (Psalms 134:2), and “Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem. Hallelujah” (Psalms 135:21).

ולימא נמי יברכך ה׳ מציון דכתיב בההוא עניינא אמר יהודה בריה דרבי שמעון בן פזי מתוך שהתחיל בברכותיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא מסיים בברכותיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא

The Gemara asks: And let them also say the third verse that appears right after the first two blessings: “The Lord shall bless you out of Zion” (Psalms 134:3), as it is written in that same matter. Yehuda, son of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, says: Since they began with blessings of the Holy One, Blessed be He, they must end with a blessing of the Holy One, Blessed be He, rather than reciting this verse, which is a blessing for the Jewish people.

במנחתא דתעניתא מאי אמרי אמר רב אחא בר יעקב אם עונינו ענו בנו ה׳ עשה למען שמך מקוה ישראל מושיעו בעת צרה למה תהיה כגר בארץ וגו׳ למה תהיה כאיש נדהם כגבור לא יוכל להושיע וגו׳

The Gemara asks: When the priests ascend to recite the Priestly Benediction during the afternoon prayer of a fast day, what do the people say? Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: They say: “Though our iniquities testify against us, O Lord, work for Your name’s sake” (Jeremiah 14:7), “The Hope of Israel, its savior in times of trouble, why should You be a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turns aside to tarry for a night?” (Jeremiah 14:8), and “Why should You be like a man overcome, as a mighty man who cannot save? Yet You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and Your name is called upon us; leave us not” (Jeremiah 14:9).