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Teshuvot Min HaShamayim Siman 38

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במקום שיש כהנים הראוים לברך ב"כ ולא נהגו לברך אפי' פעם אחת בשנה ושאלתי ע"ז אם יש עבירה בדבר זה או אם יש לסמוך על ר' יעקב שאמר שאין הכהנים מצווים לברך אא"כ ישראל אומרים להם:

Trans. Josh Weiner, 2022

Regarding a place in which there are priests fit to recite the priestly blessing, and they do not do so even once a year. I asked concerning this [in my dream], whether this is a transgression, or whether we can rely on the opinion of R. Yaakov, who said that the priests have no obligation to recite the blessing unless the people call on them to do so¹.

footnotes: ¹ This is the opinion cited in Tosafot on Sotah 38b:4

והשיבו אלו ואלו עוברין הם, ישראל שאין אומרים להם דומין שאין חוששין לברכת אביהם שבשמים וכהנים כשאין מברכין מעצמן ג"כ שהרי כתיב ואברכה מברכיך ומכלל הן אתה שומע לאו:

Trans. Josh Weiner, 2022

They responded: Both these and these are sinners. The people, who do not call on the priests to bless them, seem like they do not care for the blessing of their Heavenly Father. And the same can be said for the priests, who do not recite the blessing on their own accord². For the Torah says "I will bless those who bless you" (Genesis 12:3) - this implies that the inverse is also true.

footnotes: ² This is similar to the opinion of R. Manoach ben Yaakov, cited in Beit Yosef, Orach Chaim 128

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