The question posed to Rabbi Yochanan Lombard pertains to a Kohen on El Al flights during the night, based on rumors it might be problematic these days due to changes in flight patterns.
The rabbi’s unedited response to YWN-ISRAEL below:
“Around half the El Al flights from JFK take coffins, El Al from Newark does not take coffins at all. Other flights have various percentages of flights with coffins. Flights with stopovers don’t carry coffins unless they pick them up on the way, so stopovers in any destination in Europe are OK except France (stopovers in England are OK, better to avoid El Al from Heathrow).
“Besides the issue of flying coffins, since around a year ago flights coming in and out of Israel at night go over the Holon cemetery. Landings and takeoffs from 20 min. before sunrise (or 5:50, whichever is earlier) until 20 min. Before sunset are OK (takeoffs are actually close to half an hour after scheduled, so takeoffs should be scheduled from 50 minutes before sunrise until 50 minutes before sunset), and takeoffs between 01:00 and 02:00 (scheduled from 00:30 on) are also OK.”
YWN Israel adds the following for those unfamiliar with the rabbi and his work:
Rabbi Lombard was born in Israel, raised partly in Israel and partly in Los Angeles. He served in the IDF and continued studying in various Yeshivos, spending more than a decade in Torah Ohr where he authored a sefer about halachic measurements and co-authored a halachic sefer for kohanim about the prohibition of tumas mes.
He heads a worldwide organization that helps kohanim maintain their special status including a brief horaa for kohanim.
In Orchos Chaim he leads an elite cadre of young men who are excelling in their studies, and simultaneously continues to develop his expertise in the less known halachos of seder Taharos in which he is considered an expert. www.hakohanim.org
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
So we toss hilchos tuma out the window? Tuma would NOT affect the plane because it is its own ohel. I dont get some people.
Mr Levin: Rabbi Lombard “is considered an expert”. Who are you? This is a complicated issue which needs the input of a self appointed expert who was both born in Israel, partly raised in Los Angeles AND served in the Israeli army. Again I ask what qualifications do you have? Did you serve in the Israeli army? Unfortunately Am Yisrael is being driven more to the wall every day with people’s self invented chumras. Anyone who has the most basic knowledge of hilchot tuma understands that the plane is its own ohel. Anyone who has a basic knowledge of how airline flight paths are mapped knows they are subject to constant change due to weather and other variables.
Ohel zaruk has different parameters than ohel.
Shtuyot. The me’et is in a double box (by law) in the cargo hold for international flights. BTW, all airlines (on domestic and international flights) carry coffins (with a deceased inside) from time to time. You never know what is loaded in the cargo hold.
The absurdity of this plane flying over a kever is beyond insanity ,and i am a kohen what do theese people think we are toys to be played around with unbeleivable.
#1, agree, I remember the matter was investigated about 20 years ago and since the cargo area is seal from the passenger area hermetically it is really not the problem. Tuma is not ‘bokea’ in this case.
correct me if I am wrong…
Mark Levin, that isn’t so pashut. Rabbi Lombard is considered an expert in this area and I assume he knows what is a problem and what isn’t. There are 2 separate issues here: one is of a kohein being in the same plane as a coffin and the other is of him flying over a cemetery. There may be those who hold of heterim such as the one you mentioned but there are tzdadim to be machmir as well. (IIRC, an airplane is considered an ohel zaruk and therefore would not block out tumah from a cemetery.)
This whole article is a bit misleading. There is NO WAY for a kohen to know on any given flight whether or not the flight path dictated by air traffic controllers (either on take-off from JFK or landing at Lod, or at any European stop-over) might result in over-flying a cemetery. Same for the sometimes last minute need to flight a coffin for burial in EY the next day). If a kohen is really worried about tumah than take a boat or stay home. Any commercial pilot asking air traffic controllers to reroute his plane to avoid over-flying a cemetery would be suspended and given test for being under the influence.
Mr Levin,
With all due respect, the statement you make is the subject of much discussion among the contemporary gedolim. Each person MUST be guided by their own Rav.
Just to perfectly honest, when my dad was niftar a few years ago, we flew to Israel on ElAl from Newark (on the afternoon flight), with the aron in the cargo section.