Q. Hon. Rabbi. As the Rabbi mentioned the above question, I wanted to ask the Rov after the shiur, what do we do in our days with Israeli soldiers or security people that may have killed someone? Can they still do Birchas Kohanim or lead the services in Shul?
A. Poskim mostly rule that they are allowed. This reason is based on the responsa of Rabbi Shimshon of Sens written some 800 years ago. He ruled that a Kohen who circumcised a baby and the baby died may still raise his hands since the mohel had the intent to fulfill a mitzvah.
Similarly so ruled Rabbi Uziel, apparently around the time of Israel’s War of Independence, in a halachic ruling cited by Rabbi Felder (p. 52): “He concluded that Kohanim are obligated to enlist, and that it’s a mitzvah for them to stand in the battlefield and to defend our remnants and the honour of our land. He is doing nothing but fulfilling the command of Hashem, and thus he remains in his complete priestly status like all the sons of Aaron — to raise his hands and bless the people of God.” And so ruled Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (p. 61) regarding IDF soldiers:
All the more so here, where Kohanim who are IDF soldiers stand to defend Israel and our Holy Land — there is no doubt that they are performing a great mitzvah by confronting enemy armies that come to sow destruction and to kill, destroy and annihilate men, women, and children. This is what Maimonides ruled in Chapter 5 of Hilkhot Melachim, that defending Israel from enemy attack is considered a Milchemet Mitzvah, [a commanded war]. Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt that these Kohanim are acceptable to perform the priestly blessing… It is appropriate to say to them: ‘May your hands be strengthened, and may your strength be blessed.”
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Y. Hirshman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu, Horav Kalman Ochs, and Horav Dovid Bartfeld consulting in need Horav Hagaon Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz Shlit’a
Important Numbers
