Halacha:

Minhagim 

Collections: Rabbi Weinberger: Visiting The Cemetery

Description

A Kohen becomes tamei (impure) through contact with the dead minus certain particular exceptions. The Talmud Yerushalmi includes the Nasi (Prince) of the Jewish people and his family in this list of exceptions. The halacha does not say that a Kohen can m'tamei (impurify) himself through contact with the dead in a graveyard any day, only for the Nasi on the day of the burial. The Arizal accepted the Zohar piece that says that the bodies of tzaddikim do not transmit tumah. There is a tradition that Kohanim can go to the kevarim (graves) of Rachel Immeinu and Rebbi Shimon, but the big poskim of our day (halachic authorities) say that they are not allowed at all.