From High Priest to King: Rituals of Public Torah Readings and Blessings in the Temple in Jerusalem (Mishnah Sotah 7:6-8)

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The closing chapters of Mishnah Tractate Sotah offer a description of the pageantry and theological gravitas of three ritualized Torah readings conducted in the Jerusalem Temple:¹

1. the Priestly Blessing

2. the High Priest’s reading (ברכות כהן גדול - on Yom Kippur)

3. the king’s public reading (פרשת המלך - at the end of the Sabbatical year; hakhel)

While each ceremony centers on the public recitation of sacred texts, they differ in their contexts, participants, physical gestures, and theological emphases. These Mishnayot preserve both the formal procedures and the symbolic meanings attached to these acts, from the unique use of the divine name in the Temple to the emotional drama of King Agrippa’s tearful reading.

What emerges is a window into a world where political, priestly, and popular authority converge around the public performance of Torah.

Outline

Intro

The Passage - Rituals of Public Torah Readings and Blessings in the Temple (Mishnah Sotah 7:6-8)

1. Differences Between Temple and Non-Temple Recitation of the Priestly Benediction: Structure of the Blessing; Use of God’s Name; Posture of the Hands; Dispute Over the High Priest’s Practice

   1. Does the High Priest lift his hands above the frontplate?

2. The High Priest’s Public Torah Reading on Yom Kippur

   1. The Torah scroll is passed through a chain of people

   2. The High Priest reads selections from the Books of Leviticus and Numbers

   3. The High Priest’s eight blessings

3. The King’s Public Torah Reading

   1. The King’s Public Torah Reading at the Temple After the Sabbatical Year: Timing of the Event; Location and Setup; The King’s Role

   2. The Torah scroll is passed through a chain of people

   3. King Agrippa stood while reading; cried when reading the verse prohibiting appointing a foreigner as king (Deuteronomy 17:15); is reassured that he “our brother”

   4. The king reads selections from Deuteronomy

The Passage

Mishnah_Sotah.7.6-8

Three Differences Between Temple and Non-Temple Recitation of the Priestly Benediction: Structure of the Blessing; Use of God’s Name; Posture of the Hands; Dispute Over the High Priest’s Practice

(=Sotah.37b.13-38a.1)

Three Differences Between Temple and Non-Temple Recitation of the Priestly Benediction:

1. Outside the Temple,² the Priestly Benediction is recited as three separate blessings. In the Temple, it is recited as one continuous blessing.

2. In the Temple, the priests pronounce God’s actual name.³ Outside the Temple, they use a substitute.⁴

3. Outside the Temple, priests lift their hands to shoulder height. In the Temple, they raise their hands above their heads—except the High Priest, who keeps his hands below the frontplate.⁵

R’ Yehuda disagrees and claims that even the High Priest lifts his hands above the frontplate, citing: “And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them” (Leviticus 9:22).

ברכת כהנים כיצד?

1. 1. במדינה --

      1. אומר אותה שלש ברכות,

   2. ובמקדש --

      1. ברכה אחת.

2. 1. במקדש --

      1. אומר את השם ככתבו,

   2. ובמדינה --

      1. בכינויו.

3. 1. במדינה --

      1. כהנים נושאים את ידיהן כנגד כתפיהן,

   2. ובמקדש --

      1. על גבי ראשיהן

How is the Priestly Benediction recited?

1. 1. In the country (מדינה), i.e., outside the Temple,

      1. the priest recites the verses as three blessings, pausing between each verse while the people respond amen.

   2. And in the Temple,

      1. the priests recite all three verses as one blessing, after which the people respond: Blessed be the Lord, God, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity, as is the customary response to blessings in the Temple.

2. 1. In the Temple,

      1. the priest utters the name of God as it is written in the Torah, i.e., the Tetragrammaton,

   2. and in the country

      1. they use its substitute name of Lordship.

3. 1. In the country,

      1. the priests lift their hands so they are aligned with their shoulders during the benediction.

   2. And in the Temple

      1. they lift them above their heads,

Does the High Priest lift his hands above the frontplate?

חוץ מכהן גדול,

שאינו מגביה את ידיו למעלה מן הציץ.

רבי יהודה אומר:

אף כהן גדול מגביה ידיו למעלה מן הציץ,

שנאמר:

״וישא אהרן את ידיו אל העם

ויברכם״

except for the High Priest,

who does not lift his hands above the frontplate. Since the Tetragrammaton is inscribed on it, it is inappropriate for him to lift his hands above it.

R’ Yehuda says:

Even the High Priest lifts his hands above the frontplate,

as it is stated:

“And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people

and blessed them” (Leviticus 9:22).

The High Priest’s Public Torah Reading on Yom Kippur

(=Sotah.40b.3-5)

The Torah scroll is passed through a chain of people

On Yom Kippur, the High Priest reads specific Torah portions in a formal ceremony.

The Torah scroll (ספר תורה) is handed to him through a hierarchical process, in the following order:

1. Synagogue Attendant (חזן הכנסת) →

2. Head of the Synagogue (ראש הכנסת) →

3. Deputy High Priest⁶ →

4. High Priest (כהן גדול)

ברכות כהן גדול כיצד?

1. חזן הכנסת

   1. נוטל ספר תורה ונותנה לו לראש הכנסת,

2. וראש הכנסת

   1. נותנה לסגן,

3. והסגן

   1. נותנה לכהן גדול,

4. וכהן גדול

   1. עומד ומקבל

How are the blessings of the High Priest recited on Yom Kippur?

1. The synagogue attendant

   1. takes a Torah scroll and gives it to the head of the synagogue that stands on the Temple Mount,

2. and the head of the synagogue

   1. gives it to the deputy High Priest,

3. and the deputy High Priest

   1. gives it to the High Priest.

4. And the High Priest

   1. stands; and receives the Torah scroll

The High Priest reads selections from the Books of Leviticus and Numbers

The High Priest stands while receiving the scroll and reads selections from Leviticus, then places the scroll on his chest (חיקו) and states that additional laws are contained within it.

He then recites another passage from the Book of Numbers (חומש הפקודים, in 29:7–11) from memory (since it would take a while to scroll from Leviticus to Numbers).

וקורא

1. ״אחרי מות״,

2. ו״אך בעשור״.

וגולל את התורה

ומניחה בחיקו,

ואומר: יתר ממה שקריתי לפניכם כתוב כאן.

״ובעשור״ שבחומש הפקודים קורא על פה

and reads

1. the Torah portion beginning with the verse: “After the death” (Leviticus 16:1–34),

2. and the portion beginning with the verse: “But on the tenth” (Leviticus 23:26–32);

and furls the Torah scroll;

and places it on his bosom;

and says: More than what I have read before you is written here.

He then reads by heart the portion beginning with: “And on the tenth,” from the book of Numbers (see 29:7–11).

The High Priest’s eight blessings

Following this, he offers eight blessings covering the Torah, the (Temple) service (עבודה), thanksgiving (הודייה), atonement (מחילת העון), the Temple itself, Israel, the priests, and Jerusalem, along with concluding prayers.

ומברך עליה שמנה ברכות:

1. על התורה,

2. ועל העבודה,

3. ועל ההודייה,

4. ועל מחילת העון,

5. ועל המקדש,

6. ועל ישראל,

7. ועל הכהנים,

8. ועל ירושלים,

והשאר תפלה.

And after the reading the High Priest recites the following eight blessings:

1. A blessing concerning (על) the Torah,

2. and concerning the Temple service,

3. and concerning thanksgiving,

4. and concerning forgiveness for iniquity,

5. and concerning the Temple,

6. and concerning the Jewish people,

7. and concerning the priests,

8. and concerning Jerusalem,

and the rest of the prayer.

The King’s Public Torah Reading

(=Sotah.41a.15-19)

The King’s Public Torah Reading at the Temple After the Sabbatical Year: Timing of the Event; Location and Setup; The King’s Role

The public Torah reading by the king takes place at the end of the first days of Sukkot, on the 8th, following the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year (=shmita).

A wooden platform⁷ is constructed for the king in the Temple courtyard (עזרה).

He is seated on a special wooden platform and reads from the Torah, fulfilling the commandment stated in Deuteronomy 31:10: “At the end of every 7 years, in the Festival of the Sabbatical Year.”

פרשת המלך כיצד?

מוצאי יום טוב הראשון של חג,

בשמיני

במוצאי שביעית,

עושין לו בימה של עץ בעזרה

והוא יושב עליה,

שנאמר: ״מקץ שבע שנים במעד וגו׳״.

How is the portion of the Torah that is read by the king recited at the assembly, when all the Jewish people would assemble?

At the conclusion of the first day of the festival of Sukkot,

on the eighth,

after the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year,

they make a wooden platform for the king in the Temple courtyard,

and he sits on it,

as it is stated: “At the end of every seven years, in the Festival of the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 31:10).

The Torah scroll is passed through a chain of people

The Torah scroll is passed through the same hierarchical process as in the High Priest’s reading (steps #1-4 in the schema below), before reaching the king:

1. Synagogue Attendant (חזן הכנסת) →

2. Head of the Synagogue (ראש הכנסת) →

3. Deputy High Priest (סגן) →

4. High Priest (כהן גדול) →

5. King (מלך)

1. חזן הכנסת

   1. נוטל ספר תורה ונותנה לראש הכנסת,

2. וראש הכנסת

   1. נותנה לסגן,

3. והסגן

   1. נותנה לכהן גדול,

4. וכהן גדול

   1. נותנה למלך.

1. The synagogue attendant

   1. takes a Torah scroll and gives it to the head of the synagogue that stands on the Temple Mount.

2. And the head of the synagogue

   1. gives it to the deputy High Priest,

3. and the deputy High Priest

   1. gives it to the High Priest,

4. and the High priest

   1. gives it to the king.

King Agrippa stood while reading; cried when reading the verse prohibiting appointing a foreigner as king (Deuteronomy 17:15); is reassured that he “our brother”

While typically the king reads while seated, King Agrippa stood while reading, an act that the Sages praised.

Upon reaching the verse prohibiting appointing a foreigner as king (Deuteronomy 17:15), Agrippa wept (thinking of his foreign Herodian lineage), but the people reassured him of his belonging, saying: “Fear not, Agrippa, you are our brother!”

והמלך עומד ומקבל,

וקורא יושב.

אגריפס המלך עמד וקבל

וקרא עומד,

ושבחוהו חכמים.

וכשהגיע ל״לא תוכל לתת עליך איש נכרי״,

זלגו עיניו דמעות.

אמרו לו:

אל תתירא אגריפס!

אחינו אתה! אחינו אתה!

And the king stands, and receives the Torah scroll,

and reads from it while sitting.

King Agrippa arose, and received the Torah scroll,

and read from it while standing,

and the Sages praised him for this.

And when Agrippa arrived at the verse in the portion read by the king that states: “You may not appoint a foreigner over you” (Deuteronomy 17:15),

tears flowed from his eyes, because he was a descendant of the house of Herod and was not of Jewish origin.

The entire nation said to him:

“Fear not, Agrippa!

You are our brother! you are our brother!”

The king reads selections from Deuteronomy

The king reads selections from Deuteronomy, including the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9), passages on obedience, tithing, and the appointment of a king, concluding with the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28.

He recites the same blessings as the High Priest on Yom Kippur (listed in the earlier section) but substitutes a blessing for the Festivals (רגלים) instead of one concerning atonement.

וקורא

1. מתחילת ״אלה הדברים״, עד ״שמע״,

2. ו״שמע״,

3. ״והיה אם שמע״,

4. ״עשר תעשר״,

5. ״כי תכלה לעשר״,

6. ופרשת המלך,

7. וברכות וקללות,

עד שגומר כל הפרשה.

ברכות שכהן גדול מברך אותן —

המלך מברך אותן,

אלא שנותן של רגלים תחת מחילת העון.

And the king reads from

1. the beginning of Deuteronomy, from the verse that states: “And these are the words” (Deuteronomy 1:1), until the words: “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

2. And he then reads the sections beginning with: “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9),

3. “And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 11:13–21),

4. “You shall tithe” (Deuteronomy 14:22–29),

5. “When you have made an end of the tithing” (Deuteronomy 26:12–15),

6. and the passage concerning the appointment of a king (Deuteronomy 17:14–20),

7. and the blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 28),

until he finishes the entire portion.

The same blessings that the High Priest recites on Yom Kippur,

the king recites at this ceremony,

but he delivers a blessing concerning the Festivals (רגלים) in place of the blessing concerning forgiveness for iniquity.

1. For the preceding Mishnah section, see my “Sacred Speech: The Languages of Ritual Recitations and the Historical Blessings and Curses at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal in Deuteronomy 27 and Joshua 8 (Mishnah Sotah 7:1-5)“.

See my intro there, for some context:

The Mishnah gives two lists: those things that can be recited in any language (including the Shema, Grace after Meals, and certain oaths) and those that must be recited in Hebrew (such as the Priestly Benediction, the king’s Torah reading at Hakhel, and the ritual formulae for first fruits and halitza).

2. מדינה - literally: “country”.

Compare the similar contrasting of “Temple” vs. “country” (i.e. non-Temple) in Mishnah_Sukkah.3.12 (=Sukkah.41a.6-7):

בראשונה —

היה לולב ניטל במקדש שבעה,

ובמדינה יום אחד.

משחרב בית המקדש —

התקין רבן יוחנן בן זכאי שיהא לולב ניטל במדינה שבעה,

זכר למקדש

ושיהא יום הנף כולו אסור.

Originally, during the Second Temple era —

the lulav was taken in the Temple for 7 days,

and in the rest of the country outside the Temple it was taken for 1 day.

Once the Second Temple was destroyed (in 70 CE) —

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai instituted an ordinance that the lulav should be taken even in the rest of the country for 7 days,

in commemoration of the Temple (זכר למקדש)

And for similar reasons, he instituted an ordinance that for the entire day of waving (הנף) the omer offering, it should be prohibited to eat the grain of the new crop.

3. השם ככתבו - “the name [of God] as it is written [in the Bible]” .

I.e., the Tetragrammaton: ‘YHWH’.

4. כינויו - “epithet”.

5. ציץ - tzitz.

6. סגן - segan.

7. בימה - from Greek bema.