Kohen

A Kohen (plural: kohanim) is, in Jewish tradition, a descendant of Aaron, Moses’ brother, whose family served in the Temple in Jerusalem. With no Temple, there are no sacrifices today, but the status still carries a few very visible roles: the Kohen is called first to the Torah, blesses the congregation in the priestly blessing, and receives the redemption at a pidyon haben. By tradition the status passes from father to son. It is inherited, not chosen, and it does not change if a family changes synagogues or movements.

The Torah tells Aaron and his sons to bless the people (Numbers 6:23: “Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel”). That verse is the source of the blessing the kohanim give with raised hands; how often it is given varies from community to community.

1Kohen, Levi, Yisrael: three statuses

Tradition distinguishes three groups: the kohanim; the Levites, descendants of the tribe of Levi who served alongside them in the Temple; and everyone else, called Yisrael (Israelites). You see the distinction most clearly in the synagogue. For the Torah reading, the Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chayim 135:3) states: “A Kohen reads first, and after him a Levite, and after him an Israelite.” The Mishnah (Gittin 5:8) lists this order among the rules enacted “for the sake of peace”: fixing the order in advance keeps a community from arguing over who is most distinguished.

So the Kohen receives the first aliyah and the Levi the second, followed by the Yisrael calls (see our entry on the aliyah). The Shulchan Arukh (135:4) adds that the common practice is for a Kohen to go first even before a great Torah scholar who is not a Kohen, as long as he can read the passage or follow it word for word with the reader. Precedence comes from status, not from learning.

2Pidyon haben: redeeming the firstborn

Numbers 18:15 says that the firstborn of every living thing belongs to the Kohen, but that the firstborn of a human being is to be redeemed. The Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh De’ah 305:1) derives a mitzvah from this: a father redeems his son when the boy is his mother’s firstborn. The father hands the set sum to a Kohen in a small family ceremony (see our pidyon haben entry). The cases where it does not apply are specific. If you are unsure, ask your rabbi rather than rely on what you have heard.

3Across communities

• Sephardic and Mizrahi families: Kohen status is typically known within the family and often the community. How often the priestly blessing is given depends on the synagogue, so ask about local custom.
• Ashkenazi families: the same Torah order applies (Kohen, Levi, Yisrael). Some surnames hint at priestly descent, but a name is never proof, so don’t rely on one.
• Israelis, secular or traditional: many know they are Kohanim through a father or grandfather without being observant. Some care a great deal about it at a family celebration, others not at all.
• Family by family: some want to be called up as a Kohen, others would rather not discuss it. Both attitudes appear in every community.

4What it means for an invitation

First principle: never infer a guest’s status from a surname. Someone named Cohen may not be a Kohen, and a guest with a different name may be. The invitation does not need to ask, and neither does the RSVP form. The gabbai (the person who runs the service) or the guest raises it on the day. There is no right answer to expect from a guest and no awkwardness to create.

For guests, the useful information is practical: the order of calls is set ahead of time, a Kohen has nothing to prove, and no one is required to announce their status. If you plan to honor relatives with an aliyah, you can arrange it quietly through the gabbai, without printing it on the invitation.