United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman joined thousands of Jews for the priestly blessing at the Western Wall on Wednesday. "It's a great privilege for for me as a kohen to be able to bless the people of Israel, the nation of Israel, from this wonderful vantage point from the kotel hamaaravi. This is the third time I've had the chance to do this," Friedman said. "I want to wish all those who observe the festival of Sukkot a chag sameach." The priestly blessing is a prayer recited by the priests who are believed to be direct patrilineal decedents of the first high priest Aaron, the brother of Moses. This is a practice that has continued even after the destruction of the Second Temple and recited by the Western Wall every year during the interment days of Passover and Sukkot. The text used for the blessing can be found in Numbers 6:23–27. The same blessing is customarily also recited by parents to their children on Friday night before the Shabbat meal.
