א הַכֹּהֵן מֻזְהָר שֶׁלֹּא לִטָּמֵא בְּמֵת, וְלֹא לְכָל טֻמְאוֹת הַפּוֹרְשׁוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ, וְלֹא לְגוֹלָל, וְלֹא לְדוֹפֵק, וְלֹא לְאֵבֶר מִן הַחַי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כְּדֵי לְהַעֲלוֹת אֲרוּכָה אִם הָיָה מְחֻבָּר, וְלֹא לְאִילָן הַמֵּסֵךְ עַל הָאָרֶץ וַעֲנָפָיו מֻבְדָּלִים זֶה מִזֶּה וְטֻמְאָה תַּחַת אֶחָד מֵהֶן וְאֵין יָדוּעַ תַּחַת אֵיזֶה, אוֹ אֲבָנִים הַיּוֹצְאִים מֵהַגָּדֵר וְטֻמְאָה תַּחַת אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְאֵין יָדוּעַ תַּחַת אֵיזֶה, וְכֵן שָׂדֶה שֶׁנֶּחֱרַשׁ בּוֹ קֶבֶר וְאֵין יָדוּעַ מְקוֹמוֹ וְכָל אֶרֶץ הָעַמִּים, אָסוּר לְכֹהֵן לִטָּמֵא בָּהֶן. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּכֹהֲנִים אֲסוּרִים לִטָּמֵא לְחֶרֶב שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְּמֵת (כָּל בּוֹ בְּשֵׁם סֵפֶר יְרֵאִים ותשו' רַשְׁבָּ"א בְּשֵׁם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הַצָרְפָתִים), וְיֵשׁ מְקִלִּין (תְּשׁוּבַת רַשְׁבָּ"א שָׁם בְּשֵׁם הָרַאֲבַ"ד וְעַיֵּן בתוס' דְּנָזִיר בַּאֲרִיכוּת), וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ לְהָקֵל וְאֵין נִזְהָרִין מִזֶּה.
1 The Kohen is cautioned not to defile himself for a corpse, nor for all uncleannesses that emanate from him [the corpse], nor for a Golel, nor for a Dofek, nor for a limb [severed] from a living body which does not have sufficient [flesh] to produce a new healing [skin] were it attached [to the body], nor for a tree which throws a shadow over the ground, the branches of which are separated from one another, and an uncleanness is under one of them and it is not known under which one, [nor for] stones that protrude from a wall and an uncleanness is under one of them and it is not known under which one, [nor] likewise [for] a field wherein a grave was ploughed over and its place is not known, and the entire land of the heathens is forbidden for a Kohen to defile himself for them. Rema: Some say that Kohanim are forbidden to defile themselves for a sword that became unclean [ through contact ] with a corpse; and some are lenient [ in this matter ], and thus is the accepted custom [ viz.,] to adopt the lenient view, and they are not careful with respect to this.