Wednesday, May 18, 2005

טומאת ארץ העמים

In yesterday's daf (Shabbos 15) the gemara discusses the gezera of טומאת ארץ העמים. Chazal made a gezera that חוץ לארץ has a din like a cemetary and therefore whoever goes to חוץ לארץ becomes a טמא מת.

This is a serious issue for Cohanim, how are they allowed to go/live in חוץ לארץ? After all they are prohibited from being מטמא למת and chazal gave חוץ לארץ a din of טמא מת.

The acharonim discuss what was the motivation for such a gezera? Some suggest that the motivation was ישוב ארץ ישראל, that by declaring טומאה on חוץ לארץ it would discourage people from leaving ארץ ישראל.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Which acharonim, out of curiosity for mekoros?
Does anyone rule like this halacha l'maaseh regarding kohanim? The gezeirah doesn't seem to have taking.