A long standing heter that allowed kohanim to fly El Al from JFK to Tel Aviv, even when niftarim are present, has been retracted, effective immediately.
The heter had been given by the Karlsburger Rov, Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, and relied on the airline placing the aron into an outer box, creating an ohel that afforded kohanim some leniency on flights that were carrying niftarim.
But after being alerted that El Al was placing aronos directly into the cargo hold with no outer covering, the heter is no longer relevant and Rabbi Roth has announced that kohanim should not fly to Israel on any El Al flight out of JFK until further notice.
Kohanim flying to Israel on United, which never had the policy of placing aronos into an outer box, should contact the airline directly to determine whether any niftarim are being transported on their flights.
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14 Responses
Why would ElAl change its long standing set-up?
hard to believe given new orthodox ownership
But United doesn’t have flights from JFK… ?
this is totally wrong, to come out with this, and destroy an airlines parnassah. not to mention the fact that you are halachically wrong , the ohel is the cargo section .
Pssst, here’s a secret … even domestic flights may have bodies in the cargo hold. So if you are a kohen you should probably drive or take a private plane.
Swings,
I’m not a paskunyak but the odds are that those being transported via cargo domestically, are ayno yehudim, and therefore far less of a problem.
Has anyone had experience calling an airline and asking them if they’re carrying a mes I’m bored and given an answer? I would think that’s something they won’t tell you.
“So if you are a kohen you should probably drive or take a private plane”
Its not a big issue now since most yidden I know are not flying anywhere. However, for those whose work requires frequent travel, driving from NYC to Chicago, Dallas or LA for meetings is not an option and I doubt most firms would approve an expense report showing seeking reimbursement for chartering a private jet due to “religious reasons”.
What about other airlines?
Swings. Believed an akum is not methane beohel so on random domestic flights there is a sfek sfeka maybe no meis and rov goy, however by elal good chance a niftar aboard and rov yisroel.
A rib. Kohanim that are makpid is a minute fraction of their business. As far as the cargo section ..being considered an rochel zaruk many didnt want to be stomach on that alone and were metzaref the added box w a tefach avir
Should say methane beohel
Ohel zaruk
Somech
Next I read text before post
Metame beohel
arib what r u talkin about?
It’s nice to see how people feel qualified to comment on a complicated halachos issue.
Kohanim- ask your Rav. One who presumably knows about Ohel Zaruk, Tumah Retzuza, Rov and other relevant Halachic precepts.