Now the question arises: What should someone disturbed by a dream do if he davens in a shul whose custom is to duchan only a few times a year? The simple solution is for him to wait until the next time the kohanim duchan, but what if he feels uncomfortable doing so? Furthermore, what if he waited until the next time the kohanim duchan, but on that day, no kohanim were present in shul?
The Shulchan Aruch Harav answers that one may say “Ribono shel olam” even without a kohen present when the chazzan recites, “Sim shalom – Establish Peace,” the last benediction in the Amidah. However, if one sees that it will be impossible to conclude this prayer in such a short period of time, one may start saying it as Birkat Kohanim begins at “Yevarechecha.” He states further that one should not recite this prayer on a daily basis (here in the Diaspora where we don’t duchan every day) but rather only when necessary.
The Shulchan Aruch Harav (infra. sk2) reminds us that there are actually three dream scenarios that may be in need of “rectification” and notes that the order in which one should enumerate them is not necessarily what we find in most of our printed siddurim. He writes, “It is better to first say, ‘Whether they are dreams that I have dreamt regarding others,’ then ‘Whether they are dreams that I have dreamt regarding myself,’ and then ‘[Whether they are] dreams that others have dreamt regarding me.’ ”
The reason (for this altered text) is due to our sages’ comment in Bava Kama 92a: “Anyone who prays for mercy on behalf of his fellow and he, too, has personal need for such a prayer, is answered first.”
(To be continued)
Rabbi Yaakov Klass, rav of Congregation K’hal Bnei Matisyahu in Flatbush, Brooklyn, is Torah Editor of The Jewish Press. He can be contacted at [email protected].