Askmoses-A Jews Resource
What are "Selichot" and when are they recited?
Browse our archives

The Scholar is ready to answer your question. Click the button below to chat now.

Scholar Online:

Type in your question here:

What sort of contact with the dead is forbidden for a Kohen?

by Rabbi Naftali Silberberg

  

Library » Jewish Identity » Kohains and Levites » The Holy Tribe | Subscribe | What is RSS?

PRINT EMAIL COMMENT

Due to his heightened spiritual level, it is forbidden for a male Kohen to purposely contract tum’at met—ritual impurity through association with a human corpse (See Why does contact with a dead body cause spiritual impurity?).

The Torah defines association as a) touching or b) being under the same “tent” as a corpse or grave.

A “tent” includes all forms of cover. A Kohen is precluded from sharing any sort of roofing or cover with a corpse. A very common application of this rule is road-side cemeteries which have trees whose branches cover graves on one side and the roadway on the other. A Kohen may not pass beneath such a tree1 —even when driving in a vehicle.

The Torah defines association as a) touching or b) being under the same “tent” as a corpse or grave
The Sages added a third way to contract tum’at met: through entering the four cubit (approximately 6.5 feet) perimeter of a body or grave. However, if there is a separating wall or fence which is at least 10 handbreadths (approximately 35 inches) high, the Kohen may approach up until four handbreadths (approximately 14 inches) of the source of impurity.

Footnotes

  • 1. In the winter time when there are no leaves on the trees, if the branches are fairly sparse (more than 10 inches separating the overhead branches), it would be permitted to pass beneath such trees.

ADD A COMMENT

Please email me when new comments are posted (you must be  logged in).
Torah
Torah is G–d’s teaching to man. In general terms, we refer to the Five Books of Moses as “The Torah.” But in truth, all Jewish beliefs and laws are part of the Torah.