JERUSALEM, Israel – Thousands of Jews flocked to the Western Wall on Monday for the semi-annual priestly blessing in Jerusalem.
The traditional priestly blessing – known in Hebrew as Birkat Kohanim – takes place during the Passover and Sukkot festivals.
In the Book of Numbers, God commands Moses and Aaron to bless the Children of Israel:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
This year’s priestly blessing is split into two events – one on Monday and another on Wednesday – for security purposes and to reduce crowd size.
The event comes amid increased tensions in Jerusalem and recent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian rioters on the Temple Mount.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
