The twenty-fifth "room" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 7 Sivan, the second day of the festival of Shavuot, 5703.
Shiurim: Chumash, Naso, Chamishi, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim, 7th of the month, from Chapter 39 to and including Chapter 43.
Tanya: On this day we begin the second part of Tanya - "Shaar Yichud Vehaemunah" - from Chapter 1 until the end of Chapter 1. The entire Chapter 1 is studied on this day, 7 Sivan.
The daily teaching gives us the procedure for the congregation's conduct when the Kohanim bless the people on the festivals. As is known, mainly in the Diaspora, Nesiat Kapayim (the Priestly Blessing) is performed only on a festival; and on this day, 7 Sivan, which is the second day of the festival, Nesiat Kapayim is performed in the Diaspora. On that Thursday, Parshat Naso, we also study the Priestly Blessing in the Chumash shiur, and from this the Rebbe presents the procedure of conduct when the Kohanim ascend to the duchen on the festivals.
There are two matters here: first, how the movement of the head of the congregation receiving the blessing should be while the Kohanim say the words; and second, when reaching the final part of the Priestly Blessing - there is a special prayer that the congregation recites during the last three segments, while they sing the special niggun of the Priestly Blessing.
From where do we know this entire procedure? From the Rebbe's diary of the year 5693, from what the Rebbe Rayatz related to him. For it is told that the Alter Rebbe would take his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, under his tallis during the Priestly Blessing; until his wedding, the Tzemach Tzedek was always under the tallis of his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe. Thus the Tzemach Tzedek saw what his grandfather did during the Priestly Blessing, and he related this to the chassidim, and from this we know how we should conduct ourselves.
The Rebbe Rayatz relates the same thing about himself, that when he was a child he would stand on a chair under the tallis of his father, and the Rebbe Rashab, his father, would show him with his finger up to where to recite in the "Ribono Shel Olam" prayer that is said during the niggun - where to pause in each of the segments.
Let us examine the teaching in its original text. It is written as follows: "Nesiat Kapayim" - meaning that the Kohanim raise their hands for the Priestly Blessing. "When they say the word Yevarechecha" while they say the word "Yevarechecha", the first word, "the one being blessed" - everyone in the congregation receiving the Priestly Blessing - "his head is in the middle", the head should be directed towards the middle when hearing the word "Yevarechecha".
"Hashem", the second word of the Priestly Blessing - "turns his head to his right, which is the left of the one blessing"; every person in the congregation must have his head tilted to the right side. For the one blessing stands facing the congregation, and what is the left side for him - for us is the right; we tilt the head to the right, which is the left of the one blessing. At the third word, "Veyishmerecha", we return the head to the same place it was during the recitation of "Yevarechecha" - back "in the middle". And continuing with the word "Yaer" - he tilts the head to the left side, "to his left, which is the right of the one blessing, etc.", and so forth.
That is, with each word the pattern repeats: it began from the middle, and then right, middle, left, middle, right, middle, left, and so on until the end. According to this sequence, when reaching the final word "Shalom" - "his head is in the middle" upon saying "Shalom"; the head of the one being blessed is in the middle just as by the first word "Yevarechecha". This is regarding where one's head should be tilted when hearing the blessing from the Kohanim.
Now the Rebbe addresses when to say the special "Ribono Shel Olam" prayer. As is known, during the recitation of the Priestly Blessing on the festivals there is a special niggun - the shliach tzibbur sings and the Kohanim sing. What is the source of this niggun? The Rebbe Rayatz relates in one of the farbrengens that he heard the niggun for the first time when he was in Riga, and the niggun captivated him greatly and profoundly affected and influenced him, and he began to inquire about its source.
And so it is related there: The chassid Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Katz told him that he received it from his father, and his father received it from his father - whose grandfather was in the choir of the Mitteler Rebbe - that the Mitteler Rebbe asked his choir to compose a special niggun for the Priestly Blessing. They sang and composed one niggun, and it did not find favor in the eyes of the Mitteler Rebbe; they composed another niggun, until finally this niggun was composed. And the Rebbe Rayatz says there, that when one contemplates the content of the Priestly Blessing and the content of the niggun, one can observe that the niggun is perfectly aligned with the content of the Priestly Blessing.
"The recitation of Ribono Shel Olam is specifically while the Kohanim sing, but when they say the words one must listen." The Kohanim sing throughout the entire Priestly Blessing, but when reaching the conclusion - the last three words and the last three segments that the Kohanim sing - the "Ribono Shel Olam" prayer is said, and it is divided into three parts, as the Rebbe details. When are the words of the prayer said? Specifically while the Kohanim are singing; they are not said while the Kohanim say the words of the blessing, but only in between, during the niggun. But when the Kohanim say the words of the blessing one must listen, and therefore the prayer is not said then, rather one listens to the blessing, and during the niggun one continues with another segment.
"When they sing for 'Veyasem' we say 'Ribono Shel Olam ... Hatzadik'. When they sing for the word 'Lecha' - 'Ve'im ... Elisha'. For 'Shalom' - 'Ucheshem ... Letovah'." And how are the segments divided? This applies only during the niggunim of the last three words, "Veyasem Lecha Shalom": when the Kohanim sing for the word "Veyasem", one says another segment in the prayer - from the word "Ve'im" until the word "Elisha"; and when the Kohanim sing the third and final segment of the word "Shalom", one says the final segment in the prayer - from the word "Ucheshem" until the word "Letovah".
"When they say 'Shalom' - we say 'Veshmereini ut'choneini vetirtzeini'." Now the last three words remain: "Veshmereini ut'choneini vetirtzeini". When are they said? Here there is a change from what we said previously. Previously we said that while the Kohanim say the words of the blessing one says nothing, but only during the niggun; but here there is an exception at the final word "Shalom" that the Kohanim say. While the Kohanim say the word "Shalom", we conclude the last three words of the "Ribono Shel Olam": "Veshmereini ut'choneini vetirtzeini", and then we finish, and answer "Amen" to the Priestly Blessing.
"'Adir Bamarom' is said after answering Amen while the tallis is still over his face." The special segment of prayer that the congregation prays at the conclusion of the Priestly Blessing, which begins with the words "Adir Bamarom" - these words are said after answering "Amen" to the Priestly Blessing, to the third blessing, while the tallis is still over his face. For during the Priestly Blessing the eyes and the head are covered with a tallis, and while the tallis is over his face one says the final segment of prayer beginning with the words "Adir Bamarom". This is the procedure of the Priestly Blessing, as the Tzemach Tzedek saw how the Alter Rebbe conducted himself in this matter.