Kohanim Not Becoming Tameh

From Halachipedia

What kind of Tumah

  1. A male kohen cannot come into contact, carry, or be under the same roof with a human corpse.[1]
  2. Ashkenazim allow a kohen to come into contact with metal which has come into contact with a corpse.[2]
  3. Sefardim do not allow a kohen to be under the same roof as a goses.[3] Ashkenazim agree that this should be avoided , but strictly it is permitted.[4]
    1. If there is a chance the kohen can save the person, then he should come to help.[5]
  4. A kohen is permitted to live outside the land of Israel.[6]

Blocking Tumah of Corpse

  1. If there is a corpse in a room the tumah extends from room to room if there is an opening of a Tefach by a Tefach. If there is an opening of a Tefach square and it is completely closed off tumah doesn't extend beyond. However, if it is only partially closed off and the hole is less than a Tefach if the closing is permanent the tumah doesn't extend but if it is temporary it isn't a sufficient blockage and tumah expends.[7]
  2. A closed door is considered a permanent blockage of tumah.[8]
  3. Only items that aren't mekabel tumah and are able to stand on their own are able to block tumah.[9] Anything attached to the ground isn't mekabel tumah for these purposes.[10]

Alerting a Kohen of Tumah

  1. If a kohen is sleeping in a house where there is a dead corpse you should wake him up to tell him to leave. If he isn't wearing clothing, first tell him to just come out of the house and he'll get dressed, and only then tell him about the corpse.[11]

Air Travel

See Kohanim_Flying_on_a_Plane#Kohanim:_Air_Travel

Sources

  1. ↑ Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 369:1
  2. ↑ Rama Y.D. 369:1 quoting from the Shut HaRashba 1:476 that there is an argument about this point, but we are customarily lenient
  3. ↑ Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 370:1. Shach Y.D. 370:4 says this is not as serious as an actual corpse, but notes that others disagree
  4. ↑ Rama Y.D. 370:1
  5. ↑ Pischay Teshuva Y.D. 370:1 quotes the Teshuvot Beis Yaakov who is strict, but strongly disagrees
  6. ↑ The Gemora Shabbat 15a tells us that Shimon ben Shetach decreed that outside the land of Israel has the status of tumas meis. The Shach Y.D. 369:2 and Taz Y.D. 369:4 suggest that this is a stringency that doesn't apply nowadays as the laws of tumah and tahara are not practiced. Rabbi Akiva Eiger (Y.D. 369 :1 s.v. v'chol) explains there is room to be lenient as this tumah is only Rabbinic in nature. Additionally, he suggests (s.v. HaKohen) that kohanim are relying on the minority opinion of the Ravaad that there is no issue for a Kohen to come into contact with a corpse if he is already tamay.
  7. ↑ Shulchan Aruch YD 371:1
  8. ↑ Neeyim Zemirot p. 49 writes that a door can be a stimah olamit but if it is metal there's room to be machmir since it is mekabel tumah. Avnei Nezer OC 293:7 holds that a door is a stimah forever but struggles to prove this. Taharat Hakohanim 371:14 quotes the Avnei Nezer as primary. Taz Y.D. 371:3 suggests that doors cannot block tumah as they are only able to stand because of their metal hinges which are mekabel tumah. However the Shach (Nekudos HaKesef) strongly disagrees as he views the doors and hinges as one unit and therefore, they can block tumah.
  9. ↑ Rama YD 371:1
  10. ↑ Taharat Kohanim 371:19 quoting Kehilat Yakov Taharot 25
  11. ↑ Rama YD 372:1
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