Study Sotah folio 38B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
משלהם תהא. והילכתא כוותיה דאביי, ולית הילכתא כוותיה דרב חסדא.
should be from them; one of the priests themselves should call: Priests. The Talmud concludes: And the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Abaye, that when only one priest is present, the prayer leader does not call: Priest. And the halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of Rav Ḥisda, as an Israelite may also call: Priests.
(סימן: מתאוה לברכה דוכן בעבודה כוס מכיר נהנה בעגלה).
§ The Talmud cites a mnemonic device for the statements of R' Yehoshua ben Levi: Desires the benediction, platform, during the service, cup, recognize, derives benefit, from a heifer.
אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: מנין שהקדוש ברוך הוא מתאוה לברכת כהנים — שנאמר: ״ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל ואני אברכם״. ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: כל כהן שמברך — מתברך, ושאינו מברך — אין מתברך, שנאמר: ״ואברכה מברכיך״.
R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: From where is it derived that God desires the Priestly Benediction? As it is stated: “So should they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). This shows that God waits for the priests to bless the people, and only then He Himself blesses them. And R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: Any priest who blesses the people is blessed from Heaven, and one who does not bless the people is not blessed, as it is stated: “And I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3).
ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: כל כהן שאינו עולה לדוכן — עובר בשלשה עשה: ״כה תברכו״, ״אמור להם״, ״ושמו את שמי״.
And R' Yehoshua ben Levi says: Any priest who does not ascend the platform to recite the Priestly Benediction violates 3 positive mitzvot: “So you should bless,” “And you should say to them” (Numbers 6:23), and “So should they put My name” (Numbers 6:27).
רב אמר: חוששין שמא בן גרושה או בן חלוצה הוא.
Rav says: One need be concerned that a priest who does not ascend to recite the Priestly Benediction is perhaps the son of a priest and a divorced woman, or the son of a priest and a yevama who has performed ḥalitza [ḥalutza]. Perhaps he does not ascend to recite the Priestly Benediction because he is disqualified from the priesthood.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.