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There is a man who davens in my minyan who loudly says "אברהם, יצחק, ויעקב" after birkat kohanim during chazarat hasha"tz. I have never seen anybody else do that, and I was wondering if there is a source or reason for it.

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    I have heard of a custom of saying "בזכות אברהם/יצחק/יעקב אבינו" after each line (each time mentioning one). Perhaps it's related.
    – Scimonster
    Feb 20, 2015 at 13:22

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Darash Av 184 - Bamidbar page 16 quotes the Medrash Raba Breishis 43:11 which says that we were rewarded Birchas Kohanim due to the Avos. He says that is why some have the Minhag to say Bzchus Avraham Bzchus Yitzchak and Bzchus Yaakov.

"מהיכן זכו ישראל לברכת כהנים? ר' יהודה אומר: מאברהם, דכתיב בפרשת לך לך : כה יהיה זרעך, וכתיב כה תברכו את בני ישראל", ר' נחמיה אומר: מיצחק, שנאמר: ואני והנער נלכה עד כה ונשתחווה ונשובה וגו' לפיכך אמר המקום: כה תברכו את בני ישראל, ורבנן אמרי: מיעקב, שנאמר: כה תאמר לבית יעקב"

Sefer Aile Hamitzvos - Mitzva 378 discussing Birchas Kohanim questions this Minhag. Two pages later he quotes the Baal Haturim that mentions that the first Pasuk in Birchas Kohanim is for Avraham. Second Pasuk is for Yitzchak. Third Pasuk is for Yaakov. He says this is a source of the Minhag.

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  • Personally, I feel it's fine have the blessing in whoever's zechus it comes. Feb 21, 2015 at 22:01

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