The Torah instructs Kohanim, descendants of Aaron the High Priest, to observe special laws of tumah and taharah, ritual impurity and purity. One of the most important of these laws is that a Kohen may not come into contact with a deceased person.1

In Temple times, these laws were directly connected to a Kohen’s ability to serve in the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple. Although the Temple is no longer standing, many of these laws still apply.

Practically, this means that a Kohen must be careful not to become tamei, ritually impure, through exposure to the dead. This can happen not only through direct contact, but also by coming too close to a deceased person or even being under the same roof.

As a result, everyday situations, such as entering a hospital, attending a funeral, visiting a cemetery or going to certain museums, can raise important halachic questions.

Let’s explore a basic overview of these issues.

Whom does it apply to?

The obligation to avoid ritual impurity from the dead applies to all male Kohanim.2

(If a Kohen marries a woman forbidden to him by Torah law, such as a divorcee, children from that marriage do not have the status of Kohanim and are not prohibited from becoming impure.3 Someone who is unsure of his Kohen status should consult a competent halachic authority.)

Minors: Regarding the prohibition of a Kohen becoming impure, the Torah repeats itself: “Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them.”4 From this, the sages learn that the adults must make sure that their (male) children do not become impure. It is forbidden to cause even a baby Kohen to become impure.5

However, if a young Kohen becomes impure on his own, there is no obligation to intervene until he reaches the “age of education,” when he is old enough to begin being trained in mitzvah observance, generally around age five or six. At that point, the responsibility to prevent this rests specifically with the child’s father.6

Pregnant wife of Kohen: According to the letter of the law, the pregnant wife of a Kohen may enter a cemetery.7 Nevertheless, many Kohanim have the custom to avoid this when possible, in keeping with the opinion of some halachic authorities.8

(This stringency is especially emphasized if it is known that the baby is male, or if the pregnancy is close to term.9)

How is Impurity Transmitted?

In general, there are three ways a person can become impure through human remains:10

  1. Touching the remains, known as tumat maga
  2. Moving or carrying the remains, even without touching them, known as tumat masa
  3. Being under the same roof or covering (including a tree) as the remains, known as tumat ohel

In addition, it is rabbinically prohibited for a Kohen to come close to a deceased person.

In an open area, a Kohen must keep a distance of at least four amot, approximately 6.5 feet, from a grave or corpse.

If there is a solid halachic partition, such as a wall at least ten tefachim high, a smaller distance of four tefachim, approximately one foot including the partition, is sufficient.11

Because of the laws of ohel, a Kohen must be careful not only about distance, but also about anything overhead that could connect him to a source of impurity.

Funerals and Cemeteries

Memorial service:

A Kohen may not attend an indoor memorial service if the body is present in the room, because the shared roof causes impurity to spread throughout the room.

However, he may attend an outdoor service if he keeps a distance of four amot, approximately 6.5 feet, from the body and does not stand beneath anything that forms a covering over the deceased.

Funeral procession:

A Kohen may take part in a funeral procession as long as he maintains the required distance of four amot from the deceased.

He must also be careful not to walk under anything that extends over the body, since that can transmit impurity through ohel.

Entering the cemetery:

A Kohen may not enter a cemetery unless he can maintain the required distance from the graves.

If there is no halachic partition, he must remain at least four amot away from any grave. If there is a proper enclosing structure, such as a wall of sufficient height, he may come closer, provided he keeps a distance of four tefachim (approximately one foot).

In all cases, he must avoid passing under anything that forms a covering over the graves, such as a tree or awning.

When these conditions are met, it may be permissible for a Kohen to enter the cemetery grounds.

In a car:


A Kohen who remains inside a car is generally considered separated from the impurity. Accordingly, he may enter the cemetery grounds while staying in the vehicle and remain there during the burial.

In such a case, he should make sure that the windows are closed, or at least not opened more than three inches.12

This can also be relevant when simply driving past a cemetery, especially if trees overhang both the cemetery and the road. A Kohen should therefore make sure the car windows are closed in such situations.13

Exceptions for Closest Relatives

A Kohen may not attend most funerals if doing so would cause him to become tamei, as we’ll discuss below.

But it is important to note that the Torah makes an exception for seven close relatives: his father, mother, son, daughter, wife, brother, and unmarried sister. For these relatives, he is obligated to participate in the burial, even though this involves becoming tamei.14

This exception applies only to the funeral and burial preparations, and only with regard to becoming impure through that specific deceased relative, not through other deceased people.

After the burial, however, the Kohen may not visit the grave in a way that would cause him to become impure. (For this reason, it’s common to arrange for the burial of a Kohen’s relative near the edge of the cemetery, so that the Kohen can access the grave while still maintaining the required distance from other graves).15

The Rebbe’s Ohel and Other Graves of the Righteous

There is an opinion that the graves of righteous tzaddikim do not impart tumah. However, this view is not relied upon in practice. Therefore, a Kohen must observe the same precautions at the resting place of a tzaddik as he would at any other grave.16

That said, some sites are specifically designed to accommodate Kohanim. A well-known example is the Rebbe’s Ohel, where halachic partitions separate the surrounding cemetery, as well as the inner burial area itself, from the place where visitors stand.

In such settings, a Kohen may be able to visit while remaining within the required halachic guidelines.17

Hospitals

Hospitals can present a serious halachic question for Kohanim.

Depending on the layout of the building, if all the rooms are connected through open doorways, ducts, vents or other airways, tumat ohel may spread throughout the entire building. This means that if even one room in the hospital contains a corpse, a Kohen may have to avoid entering the building.

However, there is an important distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish remains.

Non-Jewish remains certainly impart ritual impurity through touch or carrying. However, there is a halachic dispute whether they impart impurity through ohel, meaning by being under the same roof.

In the Code of Jewish Law, both Rabbi Yosef Caro and Rabbi Moshe Isserles rule that although the halachah may follow the more lenient opinion, a Kohen should follow the stricter view and avoid being under the same roof as the remains of a non-Jew.18

Kohanim generally follow this ruling. However, many rabbis are of the opinion that outside of Israel and heavily Jewish neighborhoods, you can assume that most corpses or limbs in hospitals are non-Jewish. Therefore, in a case of great need, a Kohen may rely on the lenient opinion that a non-Jewish corpse imparts impurity only through touch or carrying, and he may visit the hospital.

An example of great need would be visiting a parent, wife or child who would be deeply distressed if the Kohen didn’t visit.19

Museums

Obviously, this leniency wouldn’t apply to a leisure visit to the local museum, which may contain human remains.

Still, the laws depend on the details. As mentioned above, the spread of tumat ohel depends on the layout of the building and other factors. In some cases, if the remains are enclosed in a proper display case, it may be permissible for a Kohen to enter all or part of the museum.

Because these details can vary widely, each situation should be investigated in consultation with a competent Orthodox rabbi. In some Jewish communities, local rabbis maintain lists of museums that may or may not be problematic for Kohanim.

Organ and Tissue Transplants

The question of whether a Kohen may receive an organ transplant, graft, or implant can raise issues related to the laws of tumah, especially when human tissue is involved.

In many cases, particularly when there is a medical need, halachah is lenient, since preserving health takes precedence. At the same time, the details can vary depending on the nature of the material and the procedure.

So when it’s not a case of real danger, each situation should be discussed with a competent rabbi to determine the proper course of action.

Alerting a Kohen of Tumah

If a Kohen does not know that he is in the presence of tum’at met, impurity from the dead, such as when there is a corpse in the same building, he should be informed so that he can leave.

If he’s sleeping, he should be woken up for this purpose.20

If telling him immediately would cause embarrassment, such as if he is not properly dressed, he should first be asked to step outside. Once he’s dressed and his dignity has been protected, he should then be told why he needed to leave.21