This photo was posted on many websites, including Gothamist, as well as Reddit Seen in the photo is an Orthodox Jewish man who totally wrapped himself in a plastic bag while on a flight. Poster “FinalSay” on Reditt initially assumed the man was covering up because he was in front of women, but others pointed out that it is much more likely that the man is a “Kohen”, who are prohibited from flying over cemeteries.
It is unknown where this photo was taken, or where the flight was heading.
We report you decide….
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29 Responses
It’s hard to believe he wraped his entire body with a plactic bag in order not to see women, if so, all he needs is to cover his face, also, the plastic seems to be clear and see through. and if he was a “cohen” why a plactic bag would help? is it a chtsitsa from tuma’a?
I think he probably had the swine flu or some crazy contagious virus that the airline made cover up and be isolated, then at the same time they take pictures of him as if he is crazy. disgusting.
He went on as carry-on luggage
Ok. So MAYBE the man has a virus. How about a face mask? These stories are so bizarre. It’s hard not to laugh.
How long is it possible for a person to breathe wrapped up in plastic like that? Not very long!
Could be a photo-shopped picture!
He’s a Lamed Vov Tzadik. Thats the way they hide from us. Or he might have been body-scanned.
“we report you decide”
Not sure what you are reporting but …………
Pehaps he doesn’t want an Ayin-Hora. This meathod also protects a Kohen from Tumah. When Moshiach comes, the Kohanim and Bechoirim will all wear these.
isnt the plane itself a chasitsa or an ohel? and its not much of a mechitsa either since its see through.
He wanted to stay fresh over the long flight….
It’s really quite simple!
He is obviously an einikel of Ben BAG-BAG!!!!!
I have heard of a dayan from the UK who does this when flying over Germany on his way to Israel because he is a Cohen.
And he was on his way to his father in…..
YUP! You got it! BAGHDAD!!
Does every “shtus” have to be news?
Lion Dear
Yes, some kohanim cover themselves while the airplane flies over a cemetary.
I think the guy was dead and they were shipping his body this way. Cheaper than flying in the baggage area! Or maybe he is one of those Whacko “meet with Arafat, and ahmadinejad” Neturei Karta guys and he is in an EL AL plane and does not want to derive any pleasure from it.
Or maybe he is escaped from the looney ward!
Or Maybe he was in Africa and a big game hunter Bagged him!
This “news” Item is about 2 months late
Did anyone notice that this bag is KNOTTED? Look over his head!
It is obvious to me that the photo is either totally fake, or that’s only a statue or mannequin inside and not a real person. When you consider that “It is unknown where this photo was taken, or where the flight was heading”, this has all the simanim of being an urban legend.
dy why? the plane is an ohel
An OBVIOUS photoshop!!!!
it’s a known thing that kohanim do only for a few minutes from lift off and after. Since Ben Gurion airport is close to a yiddish bais hachaim. They cover themselves for 5 minutes and then take it off. Another ploy for the non religious in israel to exploit and misrepresent the chareidi world. They just love it!
@Realist: Best laugh I had in weeks. Thanks so much.
Of coarse it was photoshopped. Anyone that witnesses something like this on a plane, would take out their camera and film it. It would go viral in a day. Since there is no recording, just some photoshopped image, the guy that took it is having the last laugh at all the fools taking it for real.
He is Tahor and does does want to become tumey if touched
That could be really dangerous. He could asphyxiate doing that. I think the simplest explanation is that — he’s NUTS.
Maybe he was gift-wrapped & a present to somebody.
Kikarhashabat.co.il has the entire story as reported by Yated Neeman which explains how a cohen got stuck on a flight which flies over a cemetery and the Pesak halacha from rav Zilberstein.
The Israeli Yated (quoted on Kikar Hashabbat)tells the background to the story. It involved two people from Bne Brak who traveled to London shortly before Pesach to find support for their Kolel. The Thursday before Pesach they traveled back but their flight was diverted to Cyprus as the airspace over Israel was closed due to the departure of President Obama. They had to spend Shabbos in Cyprus and wanted to take the Motzoi shabbos flight back home. However that flight flies over a Jewish cemetery in Gush Dan and, as one of them is a Kohen, they contacted Rav Zilverstein shlitoh, son-in-law of Rav Eliashiv ztsl for advice.It was he who advised him to envelop himself in a plastic bag whilst the plane is over the cemetery, creating a “tzomid posil”
The true story:
The plane stopped in cyprus for a refueling and due to the problem there is today with flying in to israel at night hours because they fly over the cemetery in cholon he called harav zilberstein (son in law of rav eliyashiv zt”l) and he told him to do so for landing in order not to become tomeh.
It’s not a new thing this has been going on for years and the israely authorities did change the route for a while but the last year already they are working on the runaway and therefore this unpleasent position is happening daily to kohanim flying in and out of israel
Yanki613, because it’s an ohel zaruk.
But isn’t he also Zaruk?