Hot answers tagged birchas-kohanim
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The Gemara simply talks about a kohen washing hands. It's the Zohar that says a Levi should do it.
If no Levi is available, the job is given to a firstborn; if no firstborn is available, the kohen just washes his own hands.
I strongly suspect that if the Levi doesn't want to do it, just ignore him and go find a firstborn.
(Conflict-of-interest disclaimer ...
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A possible answer to your first question is that it's a blessing to each person individually from God. It's not a group blessing.
Also the blessing is for each person listening. The blessing is talking to you personally.
I asked one of my teachers why the gender is not changed for a girl and he answered me that one should not change it. It's a passuk from ...
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The nusach hab'racha to "bless His nation Israel with love" is stated in Sotah (39a) by Rabbi Zeira in the name of Rav Chisda.
The Zohar (Naso, 147b) writes that a kohein who blesses is required to have fond feelings towards the congregation. This is based on a similar teaching to that of the gemara (ibid. 38b, quoted in Gershon's answer) that "someone ...
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Sotah 38: discusses Birchas Kohanim and then goes on to say that we do not give the Kos Shel Bracha only to one with a good eye.
אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי: אין נותנים כוס של ברכה לברך אלא לטוב עין שנאמר: טוב עין הוא יבורך, אל תקרי יבורך אלא יברך
Maharsha explains on this how Birchas Kohanim is supposed to be done B'Ahava = good eye.
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