QUESTION

A kohen who suffered a stroke several years ago and currently has injuries affecting his right arm and leg is staying temporarily at a rehabilitation facility that serves assisted-living, nursing-care, and independent-living residents. He has been attending the facility’s minyan for the past couple of weeks and would like to duchen—recite the priestly blessing—on Yom Tov. He has continued to duchen at his regular synagogue since his stroke.

How do we determine whether a community is considered “accustomed to” a kohen with a mum—a physical blemish or impairment? In this case, he is new to this particular community, but the regular attendees have already seen him several times. Should he be permitted to duchen?

ANSWER

The Torah identifies certain mumim—physical blemishes—that disqualify a kohen from performing the avodah, the Temple service, in the Beit HaMikdash. Shulchan Arukh also uses the term mum when discussing whether a kohen may participate in Birkat Kohanim, but the nature of the restriction is different.

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim 128:30, rules:

מי שיש לו מום בפניו או בידיו, כגון שהם בוהקניות או עקומות או עקושות, לא ישא את כפיו, מפני שהעם מסתכלין בו. והוא הדין למי שיש מומין ברגליו, במקום שעולים לדוכן בלא בתי שוקיים. וכן מי שרירו יורד על זקנו, או שעיניו זולפות דמעות, וכן סומא באחת מעיניו, לא ישא את כפיו.

A person who has a blemish on his face or hands—for example, if they are discolored, bent, or misshapen—may not lift his hands in blessing, because the people will look at him. The same applies to someone with a blemish on his feet in a place where the kohanim ascend the platform without leg coverings. Similarly, someone whose saliva runs onto his beard, whose eyes continually tear, or who is blind in one eye may not lift his hands in blessing.

The Shulchan Arukh then continues:

. ואם היה דש בעירו, דהיינו שהם רגילים בו ומכירים הכל שיש בו אותו מום, ישא כפיו, ואפילו הוא סומא בשתי עיניו. וכל ששהה בעיר שלושים יום מקרי דש בעירו

If, however, he is familiar in his city—that is, the people are accustomed to him and everyone recognizes that he has that blemish—he may lift his hands in blessing, even if he is blind in both eyes. Anyone who has remained in the city for thirty days is considered familiar in his city.”

The Mishnah Berurah (128:111) explains the basis of this ruling:

דהטעם דמום פוסל בפניו ידיו ורגליו וכן בכל הני הוא משום דחיישינן שיסתכלו בו, ובדש לא יסתכלו בו כי אינו חידוש בעיניהם.

The reason a mum affecting his face, hands, or feet disqualifies him, and similarly in all these cases, is that we are concerned that people will stare at him. When he is familiar, however, they will not stare at him, because his condition is no longer novel in their eyes.

The distinction is therefore important. In the Beit HaMikdash, the objective existence of the mum disqualifies the kohen from performing the avodah. With respect to Birkat Kohanim, however, the physical condition itself is not the underlying problem. The concern is that it may attract attention and distract the congregation. Given this, we should err on the side of inclusion here.

Since his condition is already familiar to them and is unlikely to attract unusual attention, he should be permitted to duchen.