Passover recitation of priestly blessing sees crowds amassed in tens of thousands at Western Wall.
By JPOST.COM STAFFBirkat Hakohanim prayer shawl 392(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Tens of thousands of worshipers stood in prayer at the Western Wall Plaza Thursday for the priestly blessing, known in Hebrew as Birkat HaKohanim. The bi-annual blessing occurs on the second day of Hol Hamoed [the intermediate days] of Sukkot and Passover.
Passover 2013 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)Birkat HaKohanim Western Wall Plaza 392 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)Birkat HaKohanim worshippers Western Wall 392 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)Birkat Hakohanim prayer shawl 392 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)Rabbis Birkat Hakohanim (photo credit: Courtesy of the Rabbi of the Western Wall)
During the blessing that originated with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Kohanim - the priestly class - bless the Jewish nation twice, once during the Shaharit service and once during the Musaf service. The ceremony ends with a reception for the chief rabbis, who conducts the blessing. The tradition for hundreds of priests from around the world to gather at the Western Wall, and recite the ancient blessing during Hol Hamoed, has been observed for the past 40 years. During the Priestly Blessing in October 2009 massive rioting broke out on the Temple Mount and throughout east Jerusalem, following rumors circulated by Muslim priests that spoke of a "Jewish plot" to take over the incendiary holy site.
