Tamid 7:1-2

Tamid 7:1

When the Kohein Gadol went in to bow down, three other kohanim supported him – one on his right, one on his left, and one by the precious stones (on the straps of the ephod). When the Temple official heard the Kohein Gadol leaving the Sanctuary (Heichal), he would raise the curtain for him, go in, bow down and leave. His fellow kohanim would then go in, bow down and leave.

Tamid 7:2

They left the Sanctuary and stood on the steps of the hall. The first group stood south of their fellow kohanim holding five vessels: one each holding the basket, the jug, the shovel, the censer, and the pan with its cover. They blessed the people with one blessing (birkas kohanim, the priestly blessing). Outside of the Temple this was recited as three blessings but in the Temple it was recited as one. In the Temple they would pronounce God’s explicit Name (the Tetragrammaton) as written, but outside the Temple they would use a substitute (i.e., Ado-nai, as we do). Outside of the Temple, kohanim would raise their hands as high as their shoulders but in the Temple they would raise them over their heads except for the Kohein Gadol, who didn’t raise his hands above the headplate (tzitz). Rabbi Yehuda says that the Kohein Gadol did raise his hands above the headplate as per Leviticus 9:22, “Aaron raised his hands towards the people and blessed them.”