Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 373

Siman 373

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַכֹּהֵן מֻזְהָר שֶׁלֹּא לִטָּמְאוֹת, כָּךְ מֻזְהָרִים הַגְּדוֹלִים עַל הַקְּטַנִּים. וְדַוְקָא לְטַמְּאוֹתָן בְּיָדַיִם, אֲבָל אִם הַקְּטַנִּים מִטָּמְאִין מֵעַצְמָן, עַיֵּן בְּא"ח סִימָן שמ"ג אִי צָרִיךְ לְהַפְרִישָׁן (הָרַשְׁבָּ"א סִימָן קכ"ח ומהרי"ו, וְטוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ"ם כָּתַב כָּאן דְּאֵין צָרִיךְ).
1 Even as the Kohen is cautioned not to defile himself, so too, are the older [Kohanim] cautioned concerning the minor ones. And [ the warning applies ] only with respect to defiling them with one's own hands, but if the minors defile themselves, O.H. § 343, whether it is necessary to separate them.
ב אֲפִלּוּ בַּעַל מוּם, מֻזְהָר מִלִּטַּמֵּא, אֲבָל חָלָל וְכֹהֶנֶת, מֻתָּרִים לִטָּמֵא.
2 Even [a Kohen ] who has a blemish, is cautioned not to defile himself, but one of profaned [Priestly stock] and a daughter of a Kohen, are permitted to defile themselves.
ג כָּל הַמֵּתִים הָאֲמוּרִים בַּפָּרָשָׁה שֶׁכֹּהֵן מִטָּמֵא לָהֶם, מִצְוָה שֶׁיִּטָּמֵא לָהֶם; וְאִם לֹא רָצָה, מְטַמְאִים אוֹתוֹ עַל כָּרְחוֹ, אֶחָד הָאִישׁ וְאֶחָד הָאִשָּׁה.
3 All the dead [near-of-kin] mentioned in the Scriptural section for whom a Kohen may defile himself, — [the law is that] it is a religious duty that he defile himself for them; and if he does not wish to [do so], he is defiled against his will. [This applies] both to the man and to the woman.
ד אֵלּוּ הֵם הַקְּרוֹבִים שֶׁמִּטָּמֵא לָהֶם: אִשְׁתּוֹ נְשׂוּאָה שֶׁהִיא כְּשֵׁרָה; אֲבָל פְּסוּלָה, אוֹ גְּרוּשָׁה, אוֹ אֲרוּסָה, לֹא אוֹנֵן וְלֹא מִטָּמֵא לָהּ; וְכֵן הִיא, לֹא אוֹנֶנֶת וְלֹא מִטָּמְאָה לוֹ. וּמִטָּמֵא לְאִמּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ נִתְחַלְּלָה; וְלִבְנוֹ וּלְבִתּוֹ דְּקִים לֵיהּ שֶׁכָּלוּ לוֹ חֳדָשָׁיו, אוֹ שֶׁהֵם מִשְּׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וָאֵילָךְ, אֲפִלּוּ הֵם פְּסוּלִים; חוּץ מִבְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ מִשִּׁפְחָה אוֹ כּוּתִית; וּלְאָחִיו וְלַאֲחוֹתוֹ מֵאָבִיו, אֲפִלּוּ הֵם פְּסוּלִים, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הֵם בְּנֵי שִׁפְחָה אוֹ כּוּתִית; אֲבָל לְאָחִיו וְלַאֲחוֹתוֹ מֵאִמּוֹ, אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא. וְכֵן אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לַאֲחוֹתוֹ אֲרוּסָה, אֲפִלּוּ הִיא אֲרוּסָה לְכֹהֵן; וְלֹא לַאֲנוּסָה וּמְפֻתָּה; אֲבָל מִטָּמֵא לַאֲחוֹתוֹ אֲרוּסָה שֶׁנִּתְגָּרְשָׁה, וּבוֹגֶרֶת, וּמֻכַּת עֵץ; וּמִטָּמֵא לְשׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם, אֲפִלּוּ אִם כָּתַב בִּכְתֻבָּתָהּ: אִי מִיתַת בְּלֹא בָּנִים תֶּהְדַּר כְּתֻבָּתֵךְ לְבֵי נָשָׁא (פֵּרוּשׁ לְבֵית אָבִיהָ).
4 The following are the near-of-kin for whom [a Kohen ] defiles himself, [viz.,] his lawful married wife, but for his unlawful wife, or his divorced wife, or [his wife who was only] betrothed [to him], he does not observe the laws of Onen, nor may he defile himself for her; and likewise, she [in the case of his death] does not observe the laws of Onen, nor may she defile herself for him. He defiles himself for his mother, even if she became profaned, and for his son and daughter, where it is certain that its [the infant's] months [of pregnancy] were complete, or that they are over thirty days old, even if they are illegitimate, excluding his son and daughter of a slave or a heathen. [He defiles himself] for his paternal brother and sister, even if they are illegitimate, unless they are the offspring of a slave or a heathen. But for his maternal brother or sister he does not defile himself. And likewise he does not defile himself for his betrothed sister, even if she were betrothed to a Kohen, nor for [a sister] who was outraged or seduced, but he defiles himself for his betrothed sister who was divorced and [for] one who is adolescent and [for] one who was wounded. He [likewise] defiles himself for a woman awaiting the [decision] of the levir, even if [her deceased husband] wrote in her Kethubah, 'if you die childless, your Kethubah will return to the paternal house', i.e., her father's house.
ה כָּל אֵלּוּ שֶׁמִּטָּמֵא לָהֶם, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּדַוְקָא לְצֹרֶךְ. הַגָּה: וְלַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, אֲפִלּוּ מֵת לוֹ מֵת בְּשַׁבָּת, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְקָבְרוֹ בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם, שָׁרֵי לִטָּמְאוֹת לוֹ וּלְשָׁמְרוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מֻטָּל בְּבִזָּיוֹן (ת"ה סי' רפ"ג); וְנָכוֹן לְהַחְמִיר כַּסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, שֶׁלֹּא לִטָּמְאוֹת רַק לְצֹרֶךְ קְבוּרָה וּלְהָבִיא לוֹ אָרוֹן וְתַכְרִיכִין. (שָׁם בְּשֵׁם תּוֹסָפוֹת שנ"ץ).
5 All those [near-of-kin] for whom he defiles himself [applies] even [to a defilement] which is not for the requirements [of the corpse]. And some say, only for the requirements [of the corpse]. Rema: And according to the former opinion, even if he suffered a bereavement on the Sabbath where it is impossible to bury him the same day [ on account of the Sabbath ], he is permitted to defile himself for him and guard him so that he should not lie in disgrace. It is proper to adopt the stringent view according to the latter opinion [ viz.,] that he should defile himself only for the requirements of the burial and [ in order ] to bring him a coffin and shrouds.
ו אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לָהֶם, אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיִּסְתֹּם הַגּוֹלֵל. וְאִם דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתוֹ, מֻתָּר לִטָּמֵא לוֹ לְצֹרֶךְ, עַד שֶׁיִּסְתֹּם גּוֹלֵל שֵׁנִי (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א סִימָן רצ"ב).
6 He defiles himself for them only until the closing of the Golel. And if his intention is to clear him away [ therefrom ], he is permitted to defile himself for him for the sake of [ his ] needs until the closing of the second Golel.
ז אָסוּר לְכֹהֵן לְהִתְטַמֵּא לְמֵת, אֲפִלּוּ בְּעֵת שֶׁמִּטָּמֵא לִקְרוֹבָיו. לְפִיכָךְ כֹּהֵן שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ מֵת, צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר וּלְקָבְרוֹ בְּסוֹף בֵּית הַקְּבָרוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת וְלֹא יִתְטַמֵּא בְּקִבְרוֹת אֲחֵרִים כְּשֶׁיִּקְבֹּר מֵתוֹ. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא לְאַחַר שֶׁפָּרַשׁ מִמֵּתוֹ, אֲבָל בְּעוֹד שֶׁהוּא עוֹסֵק בְּמֵתוֹ, מֻתָּר לִטָּמְאוֹת אַף לַאֲחֵרִים (טוּר).
7 It is forbidden for a Kohen to defile himself for [another] corpse even while he defiles himself for his near-of-kin. Therefore, a Kohen who suffered a bereavement must be careful and bury him [the corpse] at the end of the cemetery, so that he should not [have] to enter the cemetery and will not [thereby] defile himself through other graves when he buries his dead. Rema: And [ this applies ] only after he departs from his dead, but while he attends to his dead, he is permitted to defile himself even for other [ corpses ].
ח כֹּהֵן שֶׁפָּרְשׁוּ אֲבוֹתָיו מִדַּרְכֵי צִבּוּר, כְּגוֹן הַמַּסוּרוֹת, אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לָהֶם; וְלֹא לַהֲרוּגֵי בֵּית דִּין; וְלֹא לְמִי שֶׁמְּאַבֵּד עַצְמוֹ לָדַעַת, וְלֹא לְסָפֵק, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב וְלָדָהּ בִּוְלַד חֲבֶרְתָּהּ אוֹ סָפֵק בֶּן ט' לָרִאשׁוֹן אוֹ בֶּן ז' לָאַחֲרוֹן.
8 A Kohen whose parents dissociated themselves from the practices of the community, e.g., informers, — does not defile himself for them, nor for those executed by a Jewish Court, nor for one who commits suicide wilfully, nor for one of uncertain [parentage], e.g., if her child became mixed up with her friend's child, or it is not known [whether] it is a nine months' child by the former [husband] or a sevenmonths' child by the latter [husband].
ט אֵין הַכֹּהֵן מִטָּמֵא לְאֵבֶר מִן הַחַי מֵאָבִיו, וְלֹא לְעֶצֶם מֵעַצְמוֹת אָבִיו. וְכֵן הַמְלַקֵּט עֲצָמוֹת, אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לָהֶם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַשִּׁדְרָה קַיֶּמֶת. חָסֵר מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל שֶׁהוּא, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא מֻנָּח אֶצְלוֹ, אֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא אֶלָּא לְשָׁלֵם. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר דְּהָנֵי מִלֵּי כְּשֶׁחָסֵר לְאַחַר מִיתָה, אֲבָל אִם חָסַר מִמֶּנּוּ אֵבֶר בְּחַיָּיו, וּמֵת, מִטָּמֵא לוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שָׁלֵם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִטָּמֵא לְהָרוּג, דְּמִקְרֵי חָסֵר (כָּל בּוֹ בְּשֵׁם ר"ש מאוירא) וְנָכוֹן לְהַחְמִיר.
9 The Kohen does not defile himself for a limb [severed] from his father while [the latter] was still alive, nor for a bone of his father's bones. And so too, he who collects bones, — [the law is that] he does not defile himself for them, although the spinal column is intact. [If] a small part is missing, even if it lies beside him [the corpse], he does not defile himself for him, for he defiles himself only when he is whole. And there is one [authority] who says that this applies only if he [the corpse becomes] defective after death, but if there is a limb missing from him during his lifetime, and [then] he died, — he defiles himself for him [the corpse], although he is not whole. And some say that he does not defile himself for a slain person, for he [ the slain person ] is designated defective. And it is proper to adopt the stringent view.
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