[Avodah] Kohanim in Cars in Cemeteries

[Joshua Meisner]

A poster on Areivim, commenting on a psak a few years ago by R' Zev Cohen
that it's assur for kohanim to travel along a certain block of W. Pratt Ave.
in Chicago because of trees that overshadow a Jewish cemetery and one side
of the street, wondered why the car would not insulate the kohen.  Another
poster suggested that perhaps the issur is only if one were walking, or if a
window was open.

According to the Rambam, Hil. TM 20:1, there are only three things that can
be matzil against tum'as ohel: Tzamid p'sil, Ohalin, and Belu'in.

Acc. to Ch. 21, Tzamid p'sil (which would be negated by an open window) only
works by k'lei cheres or, by extension, keilim that are not m'kablin tum'a
at all.  Hence, this would not work for most cars, except perhaps the ones
that are made of plastic.  The hatzalah of ohel b'soch ohel would not work
because a moving car constitutes an ohel zaruk that is not halachically
considered an ohel (11:5/6), while the hatzalah of balu'a only works for
something inside a living creature (20/5:6).

Are any of these restrictions subject to machlokes?

Joshua Meisner
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