Tosefot resolves the contradictions who may recite the Priestly Benediction TB Megillah 24

Today’s daf TB Megillah 24 is dedicated in honor of my father’s z”l birthday. He would have been 97 years old today. Today is also a very special day in the daf yomi calendar. We begin our third year out of 7 ½ years of studying a page of Talmud every day in order to complete the study of the entire Gemarra. חזק חזק ונתחזק

Even though this is not the modern academic approach, Tosefot understands the entire Gemara as if it was written or at least edited without any contradictions. When the inevitable contradiction arises, they resolve it. Today’s daf is such an example. We learn in the Mishna that a minor who is a kohein may not dukhan, go up to the bimah and bless the congregation with the priestly blessing,           Numbers 6: 22-27. “A minor … may not lift his hands to recite the Priestly Benediction.” (Sefaria.org translation)

This is difficult in the eyes of the Tosefot ד"ה ואֵין נוֹשֵׂא אֶת כַּפָּיו because our Mishna implies that only a child who is a bar mitzvah may begin to lift his hands in order to recite the Priestly Benediction. They cite a Gemara in TB Hulin 24b which says only a person who has a full beard (meaning a mature adult) may raise his hands and blessed the congregation with the Priestly Benediction. Obviously this excludes all bar mitzvah boys because none at the age of 13 can grow a beard. And then there is the Gemara in TB Sukot 42ba which applies that a minor may raise his hands to bless the congregation with the Priestly Benediction.

We now have three contradictory positions.

A minor may dukhan.

A bar mitzvah boy may begin to dukhan.

Only a mature adult may dukhan.

Tosefot resolves this contradiction thusly. The Gemara in Sukkot is talking about the situation when a minor ascends the bimah to dukhan he is with other adult kohanim. This is a learning opportunity for him how to dukhan correctly and appropriately. However, if there is no adult to dukhan with him, a minor may not ascend the bimah. The Gemara in Hulin is describing a case where they have an established and experienced kohein who regularly dukhans for the congregation. If he is worshiping with the congregation, he alone ascends the bimah. However if he is absent that morning, a bar mitzvah may ascend the bimah to dukhan.

Later on in the Gemara, we learn that it’s important for the person leading services reading Torah to pronunciation all the words correctly. But the example the Gemara gives us shows us how much traditions and times have changed.

“Rav Asi said: A priest from Haifa or Beit She’an may not lift his hands to recite the Priestly Benediction, as he does not know how to properly pronounce the guttural letters. This is also taught in a baraita: One may not allow the people of Beit She’an, nor the people of Beit Haifa, nor the people of Tivonin to pass before the ark in order to lead the service because they pronounce alef as ayin and ayin as alef, and they thereby distort the meaning of the prayers.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Ashkenazic Jews make no distinction between an alef (א) and an ayin (ע). They are both silent letters. Originally there was a difference of pronunciation. The ayin is a guttural letter that is formed in the back of the throat. Sefadic Jews and exceptionally excellent Ashkenazic Torah readers still distinguish between these two letters. I really enjoy hearing people speaking Hebrew making a distinction between an alef and an ayin.