Sotah 39a — the Talmud in English

and sprinkled behind him,

and there too were vessels requiring sprinkling

And if he intended to sprinkle

behind him, but sprinkled before him

upon impure vessels that were there,

then

his sprinkling

upon those vessels is

invalid,

because intention for purification is required, as it is written: “And the pure one shall sprinkle upon the impure”; he must intend for it.

And if he intended to sprinkle

before him

literally,

but sprinkled upon the sides that were before him,

that is: upon vessels located on the sides extending from the one sprinkling and onward—and before him,

then

his sprinkling is valid,

for these vessels too are included within “before him,” and he had intended to sprinkle before him.

And the same is the law concerning the Birkat Kohanim: everyone from the place of the kohen and before him is included within “before him,” and they are included within the blessing.

But if, when he intended to sprinkle upon vessels before him, he sprinkled upon the sides extending from him and behind him, even though the vessels upon which he sprinkled are not literally behind him, his sprinkling is not valid; and the same is the law concerning the Birkat Kohanim: they are not included within the blessing, for these are considered like those behind the kohen.

See what was brought about this in “Yosef Da’at.”

Rava bar Rav Huna said:

to read from it in the synagogue,

Once a Torah scroll is opened

to read from it in the synagogue,

it is forbidden to speak even of a matter of halakha,

but everyone listens and remains silent and directs his heart to what he is reading there.

As it is stated [Nehemiah 8:1]: “And all the people gathered as one man to the street that was before the Water Gate, and they said to Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. And Ezra the kohen brought the Torah. And he read from it before the street that was before the Water Gate, from the light until midday, before the men and the women and those who understood, and the ears of all the people were toward the scroll of the Torah. And Ezra opened the scroll before the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people,”

and when he opened it, all the people stood.”

And “

standing”

means only silence, as it is stated: “

And I waited, for they did not speak, for they stood and answered no more.”

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rav Hisda, from here

we learn that it is forbidden to speak once the Torah scroll has been opened: “

And the ears of all the people were toward the scroll of the Torah.”

And Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said:

Any kohen who has not washed his hands shall not raise his hands.

As it is stated: “

Raise your hands in holiness and bless the Lord,”

that is: sanctify your hands through washing,

and then bless the Lord with the Birkat Kohanim.

His students asked Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua: By what

means—that is, by what merit that you possess—

have you lengthened your days?

He said to them:

a.

Never in my life did I make a synagogue a shortcut,

to shorten the way by passing through the synagogue.

b.

And

never in my life

did I step over the heads of the holy people,

when the students were sitting in the beit-midrash on the ground. One who walks over the place where they are seated in order to reach his place appears as though he is stepping over the heads of the people; therefore he must arrive before them, or sit outside.

And

c.

And never in my life

did I raise my hands without a blessing,

which will be explained in the continuation of the matter.

What blessing does he recite?

And the Gemara explains:

What blessing does he recite?

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rav Hisda: “

Who sanctified us in the holiness of Aaron, and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love.”

When he uproots his feet,

when he moves his feet during the Avoda to go to the platform, reaches it, and stands with his face toward the Holy Ark before the platform,

what does he say

When he uproots his feet,

as he uproots his feet during the Avoda to walk to the platform, and reaches it and stands with his face toward the Holy Ark before the platform,

what does he say

the kohen? “

May it be Your will, Lord our God, that this blessing with which You commanded us to bless Your people Israel,” may it not contain stumbling or iniquity.”

And when he turns

the kohen

his face away from the congregation [when he finishes his blessing and turns his face from facing the congregation toward the Holy Ark],

And when he turns his face

the kohen

from the community [when he finishes his blessing and turns his face from opposite the community toward the side of the Holy Ark],

what does he say

the kohen?

Rav Hisda instructed

Rav Ukva,

and Rav Ukva