Don’t look now TB Haggigah 16

We learn correct protocol what to do when the kohainim, priests, blessed the Jewish people with the priestly benediction (Numbers 6:22-26) on today’s daf TB Haggigah 16. “Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Naḥmani, the disseminator of Reish Lakish, interpreted a verse homiletically: Whoever looks at the following three things, his eyes will grow dim: One who looks…at the priests. He explains…The third item, looking at priests, is referring to one who looks at the priests when the Temple is standing, as they would stand on their platform and bless Israel with the ineffable name, at which point the Divine Presence would rest above the joints of their fingers.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Today kohainim bless the congregation with the priestly benediction in the synagogue every morning during services in Jerusalem. In the Diaspora the Ashkenazi tradition has the kohainim blessing the congregation during the pilgrimage holiday musaf service. Rashi and Tosefot agree that one should not look at the kohainim when they are blessing the congregation; however, they disagree what is the reason why.

Tosefot ד"ה בַּכֹּהֲנִים בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים cites that this Gemara makes Rashi’s position. Rashi on daf TB Megillah 24b quotes today’s Gemara for the reason why people’s eyes dim when the kohainim blessed the congregation in the synagogue. Tosefot argues that Rashi is wrong because today’s Gemara limits this dimming effect on eyes to the time period when the Temple is standing. Preventing the loss of focus and concentration during this special blessing is the reason Tosefot gives for averting one’s eyes.

Today in the synagogue when the kohainim blessed the congregation, people will face the kohainim, but cover their entire head with their talitot to prevent them from looking directly at the kohainim. When I was a freshman learning proper synagogue etiquette and behavior I was told: if a person looks at the kohainim while they are blessing the congregation with the priestly benediction, he will go blind in one eye. If he looks a second time, he will go blind in the other eye. If he looks a third time, he become deaf. ;)