והכהנים והעם...כשהיו שומעים את השם... יוצא מפי כהן גדול
“When the Kohanim and the people…heard the glorious and awesome Name…emanating from the mouth of the Kohen Gadol.”

QUESTION: Isn’t the word “yotzei” — “coming out” — superfluous?

ANSWER: According to the Arizal, the Kohen Gadol would not actually recite the Holy Name; rather, when he opened his mouth to say it, miraculously it emanated from his mouth without him actually doing anything.

(תפארת ישראל, יומא פ"ו מ"ב)

* * *

There is an opinion in the Mishnah (Tamid 3:8) that when the Kohen Gadol recited the Name, his voice was heard all the way to Jericho, which was ten parsah away (approximately twenty-five miles). The Tosafot Yom Tov (ibid.) says that it is difficult to say that every Kohen Gadol had such a strong voice, and therefore he concludes that it was not the Kohen Gadol’s voice that was heard, rather it was the voice of all the Kohanim and the people who would proclaim, “Baruch sheim kevod malchuto” — when they heard the Name being pronounced. However, based on the Gemara (Yoma 20b), many agree that it was indeed the Kohen Gadol’s voice that was heard.

As to the question of how is it possible that every Kohen Gadol possessed such a powerful voice, it can be answered according to the abovementioned Arizal that the recitation of the Holy Name was not done physically by the Kohen Gadol — rather the Al-mighty Himself would utter it through the mouth of the Kohen Gadol.

(עי' ספר סדר יומא על סדר עבודת יו"כ)