P’sakim Differ Over Whether Kohanim May Visit Meron

[P’sakim on both sides below.] Kohanim may not enter Meron to visit the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, according to a p’sak that has been released by Rav Moshe Bransdorfer, rov of Heichal Horaah and a dayan with the Eidah Hachareidis in Yerushalayim. Rav Moshe, a son of Rav Meir Bransdorfer, has ruled that entry for kohanim is assur due to the existence of graves throughout the area, making it, according to his ruling, forbidden for them to traverse the area, lest they come in contact with the kevorim there.

The ruling, which comes just weeks before Lag Ba’omer, the busiest day of the year at kever Rashbi in Meron, has made waves.

Reportedly, the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe had asked Rav Brasdorfer to explore the matter due to claims of kevorim or remnants of bodies buried in the vicinity of Meron. Rav Bransdorfer concluded that there are indeed kevorim throughout the area.

“In addition,” says Rav Bransdorfer in his p’sak, “all roads leading to the tziyon (gravesite) were paved with no supervision and inspection… All of them were surrounded by kevorim…some of which were under the roads…” It is thus forbidden Mideoraisah, he says, for kohanim to enter Meron.

The Eidah Hachareidis itself is not in agreement, as Rav Nosson Gottlieb and Rav Yitzchok Rosenblatt, two dayanim, released a p’sak disagreeing with Rav Bransdorfer’s p’sak. Rav Rosenblatt, an expert in the matter of kevorim and various other areas, has explained in depth why there is no halachic problem for kohanim to enter Meron.

Many, including the chassidus of Toldos Aharon, will follow the ruling of Rav Gottlieb and Rav Rosenblatt, but are pruning trees and taking other precautions to prepare the approach to Meron for kohanim.

Click here to read the p’sak of Rav Bransdorfer.

Click here to read the p’sak of Rav Rosenblatt.

Click here to read the p’sak of Rav Gottlieb.

 {Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}