The Gemarah explains how the Cohanim washed their hands, by placing their right hand over their right foot, and then having another Cohen open the faucet. In the beis Hamekdash , the Leviem did not wash the hands of the Cohanim, rather they washed each others hands. Why nowadays do Leviem wash the hands of the Cohanim ?
Shmuel K.
Today's practice is recorded in the Beis Yosef (OC 128), and is based on the Zohar in Parshas Naso.
(The washing of the hands for Birkas Kohanim, by the way, is not related to the Din of Richutz Yadayim v'Raglayim in Shemos 30:21. Rather, it is a special Din of Netilas Yadayim for Birkas Kohanim, as learned from the verse "Se'u Yedechem Kodesh..." (Tehilim 134:2).)
D. Zupnik
To add to our previous reply, I have suggested an original source for this Minhag. My answer will explain, as well, why washing the hands of the Kohanim (when a Levi is not present) is the only honor afforded to *Bechoros* nowadays:
The Gemara in Berachos 32b teaches that a Kohen who has killed may not perform Nesi'as Kapayim, based on the verse "*Yadeichem* Damim Mile'u"; murder is connected to the hands, and hands that have murdered cannot be raised in a blessing of love.
One may wonder, then, why any Kohen can perform Nesi'as Kapayim. After all, it was the Kohanim who killed the worshippers of the Golden Calf even before they were chosen to serve in the Mikdash. The answer is that they killed l'Shem Shamayim, while performing a Mitzvah of Hashem. Such killing is not associated with "murder," and does not tarnish the hands.
Washing the hands before Nesi'as Kapayim is a way of showing that the Kohen's hands are not tarnished by murder, and that the fact that their ancestors killed those who served the Golden Calf cannot be counted against the Kohanim. It is not appropriate for those who *served* the Calf to wash the hands of the Kohanim; they are the ones who caused the Kohanim to kill in the first place, so they are not the appropriate ones to symbolically "remove the blemish" from the hands of the Kohanim. Rather, the Leviyim, the Kohanim's fellow tribesmates, who helped them kill the sinners, stand up to "cleanse" the Kohen's hands from this sin.
When no Leviyim are present Bechorim take their place. The Bechorim lost their position of serving in the Mikdash since they did not avenge the honor of Hashem when the Jews sinned with the Golden Calf. Perhaps they were afraid to "tarnish their hands" with this killing. Washing the hands of the Kohanim and proclaiming that such a killing does not tarnish the Kohanim's hands, is their way of repenting for the sin that lost them their Kehunah.
Best wishes,
M. Kornfeld
i have been having trouble finding a scource for the levi opening the faucet for the cohanim in the temple.the talmud doesn't mention this.further can a non cohen enter the location of the kiur
thanks
As we wrote in an earlier response, the washing of the hands for Birkas Kohanim is not related to the washing of the Kohen's hands and feet that was done in the Beis ha'Mikdash. The Din of Richutz Yadayim v'Raglayim is taught in Shemos 30:21, while the requirement to wash before giving the blessings is a special Din of Netilas Yadayim for Birkas Kohanim, as learned from the verse "Se'u Yedechem Kodesh..." (Tehilim 134:2). Thus, a Levi did *not* open the faucet for the Kohanim.
Regarding whether a non-Kohen may enter the location of the Ki'ur, technically it was permitted, but it was done only in certain circumstances (see Mishnah in Kelim 1:8).
Y. Shaw