How much volume and singing should the chazzan use during holiday Birkat Kohanim?

Question

In the various Ashkenazic services outside Israel that I have attended, where Birkat Kohanim is only performed on holidays, and with holiday-level pomp and circumstance, I have seen various types of expression from the chazzan in prompting the kohanim, including:

Volume:

• Calling out the words at full volume

• Moderate volume

• Prompting so quietly that most people who aren't as close as the kohanim can't hear him

Singing:

• Singing a bar or two of melody before prompting the last word of each line

• Humming a couple of notes before prompting those words

• No singing, just saying the words

Which of these behaviors, on each of these axes, do sources support? All answers should please include either textual sources or examples of observed behavior with explicit indication of why it's likely that this particular observed behavior was based on a clear tradition.

Answer 1

Source: duchaning in various schuls.

In my experience, the volume of the sha"tz's calling is dependant on his community of origin, as is his usage of singing. For example, Chabadniks often sing a melody composed for one of their rebbeim before each word (except Hashem) and have the chazzan prompt fairly loudly.

On the other hand, in most other schuls I've davened in (either bechu"l or in Israel) the sha"tz will prompt quietly and will not sing a niggun.

The third practice I have observed is the Italian minhag, in which the words are called out loudly, but as with most other minyanim I've orened with, there is no additional melody from the chazzan.

Answer 2

To add to the other answers - here's a Halacha that has been overlooked:

וְלֹא יְנַגְּנוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶלָּא נִגּוּן הַמְיֻחָד, מִפְּנֵי טֵרוּף הַדָּעַת.‏

The Cohanim should only use the standard tune(s) so as not to get confused.

IOW: It's improper to start introducing new tunes for Birkat Cohanim; each shul should keep to its traditional ones so as not to get the Cohanim confused.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 100:12

שְּׁלִיחַ הַצִבּוּר מַקְרֶא אוֹתָם בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים מִלָּה בְּמִלָּה, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים אַחֲרָיו כָּל מִלָּה, עַד שֶׁמְסַיְּמִים פָּסוּק רִאשׁוֹן, וְעוֹנִין הַצִּבּוּר אָמֵן, וְכֵן אַחַר הַפָּסוּק הַשֵּׁנִי וְאַחַר הַפָּסוּק הַשְּׁלִישִׁי. לֹא יִקְרָא שְּׁלִיחַ הַצִבּוּר בְּעַל פֶּה, אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ הַסִּדּוּר, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּלְבֵּל. וְיָכוֹל לוֹמַר גַּם הוּא הָאֲמֵנִים שֶׁלְּאַחַר הַפְּסוּקִים וְלֹא הֲוֵי הֶפְסֵק, שֶׁזֶּהוּ צֹרֶךְ תְּפִלָּה. אֵלּוּ תֵבוֹת שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים הוֹפְכִים בָּהֶן לַדָּרוֹם וְלַצָּפוֹן, יְבָרֶכְךָ, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ, אֵלֶיךָ, וִחֻנֶּךָ, אֵלֶיךָ, לְךָ מִשּׁוּם דְּתֵבוֹת אֵלּו הֵן לְנֹכַח, לָכֵן הוֹפְכִין אֶת עַצְמָם גַּם לַצְּדָדִין, כְּדֵי לְבָרֵךְ אֶת כֻּלָּם. וְכֵן הוֹפְכִין גַּם בְּתֵבַת שָׁלוֹם, לְפִי שֶׁהִיא סִיּוּם הַבְּרָכוֹת. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁמַּאֲרִיכִין בְּנִגּוּן שֶׁל הַתֵּבוֹת שֶׁבְּסוֹף הַפְּסוּקִים, דְּהַיְנוּ, וְיִשְׁמֶרְךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָ, שָׁלוֹם, אוֹמְרִים הַצִּבּוּר רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְכוּ'. וְהַמַּקְרֶא, אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ שְּׁלִיחַ הַצִבּוּר, לֹא יֹאמַר, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מִפְּנֵי הַטֵּרוּף. וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאִם הוּא שְּׁלִיחַ הַצִבּוּר, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוֹ מִפְּנֵי הֶפְסֵק בַּתְּפִלָּה. וְלֹא יְנַגְּנוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶלָּא נִגּוּן הַמְיֻחָד, מִפְּנֵי טֵרוּף הַדָּעַת.‏

The Chazzan reads to them the Birkas Kohanim word for word, and they repeat each word after him until the conclusion of the first verse, whereupon the congregation responds Amein. [In this manner, the Chazzan reads the second and third verses as well.] After the second verse and after the third verse, [the congregation also responds Amein.] The Chazzan should not recite (these verses) from memory but should read them from the Siddur in order not to get confused. The Chazzan, too, may respond Amein after these verses. It is not considered an interruption because it is necessary for the prayer. When reciting the following words, the kohanim turn (partially) toward the South and then to the North: Yevarechecha, Veyishmerecha, Eilecha ["May He bless you" "and safeguard you," "to you"] Vichuneka, Eilecha, and Lecha, ["and be gracious to you" to you" "you"] because these words are in the second person. therefore, the kohanim turn also toward the sides, in order to bless the entire congregation. They also turn thus when saying the word Ahalom, because it is the conclusion of the blessings. While the kohanim prolong the slow chant before saying the concluding words of each verse, which are Ve'yishmerecha, Vichuneka and Shalom, the congregation recites (the prayer) Ribono Shel Olam etc. "Master of the Universe …" The one who prompts the Kohanim, even though he is not the Chazzan, should not recite Ribono Shel Olam, in order not to get confused. Certainly the Chazzan should not recite it because it would be considered an interruption of the Amidah. The Kohanim should chant only the customary melody in order to avoid confusion.

Answer 3

Partial answer:

Gleaning some ideas from Mishnah Berurah on O.C. 128:13 and 14:

• Rama"h adds on s. 13 that the chazzan should pronounce each word prior to the Kohanim.
• s. 14 says that each word must be said בקול רם. Mishnah Berurah commentary explains this to mean "a medium volume". However, he says that if there are many people praying in shul, "they" have to be loud so that all the people will hear them.
• While not explicitly stated, I am logically concluding that the "they" mentioned in the previous statement refers to both the chazzan as well as the "kohanim". Thus, it seems that they should both be at the same (or close) volume level.

Regarding singing between the words, see O.C. 128:26. There are various opinions. Rav Yosef Karo says outright that there should be no extended singing between words and the congregation should be silent and just listen to what the kohanim say. Rama states that it has become customary to say verses, but states that it's preferable not to. A look at Mishnah Brurah commentary #103 indicates that only Magen Avraham and Ta"z allow the recital of the verses only while the chazzan is reciting the words, not from the kohanim.

See halacha #21 that states a general rule that there should be just one tune. (In many shuls I have attended, I have heard the group of kohanim singing multiple tunes together. It sounds horrible, and, yes, in some cases the kohanim themselves get confused - exactly what Shulchan Aruch describes. It's a good reason for a "kohen gadol" to take charge and coordinate with the others as well as the chazzan beforehand which tune they will sing.)