Thousands Gather for Traditional Priestly Blessing at Western Wall

JERUSALEM, Israel – Thousands of Jews flocked to the Western Wall on Monday for the 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.