Since the halacha is that we don't do birkat kohanim at mincha of yom hakippurim, why is the ashkenazi practice that the chazzan recites the elokeinu passage?
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I'm not sure what you are confused about. The "elokeinu" passage is recited in the ashkenazi tradition all the time when there is no birkat kohanim, such as every single morning that isn't a holiday...– Double AA ♦Sep 7, 2017 at 18:06
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it is only recited at tefillot that birkat kohanim is recited.– Yosef Mordechai ColemanSep 7, 2017 at 18:07
1 Answer
Unlike ordinary Mincha services, if on Yom Kippur a Kohein went up to bless the people (even though he wasn't supposed to) we don't make him come down since it's known that there hasn't been drinking that day. Thus it is still a prayer that can have the Kohanim bless, and hence the Ashkenazi practice is to still say the "Eloheinu" passage. (Rama OC 129:2)
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(And before anyone says that's a crazy farfetched case, I've actually seen it happen that Kohanim went up when they weren't supposed to at Mincha on Tisha Bav, and they were allowed to stay and bless, which is essentially the same case.)– Double AA ♦Sep 7, 2017 at 18:23