1 - At the end of the Perek, Regarding Tumas Meis of a Human, the Gemaruh asks what is the difference between Tumas Aiver Men Hachai and Aiver Men Hames. Why doesn't the Gemaruh simply answer the practical difference that applies today and in the time of the Gemurah, regarding a Cohen. Can he touch it or not . Meis - No, ; Men Hachai - Yes.
2 - Regarding a Cohen flying on EL-Al from NY to Israel, where there is a 65-80 % chance that a Meis is in the lower compartment, where they
place the coffins in a cardboard box with a Tefach space , so that the Tumah does not rise into the airplane. ( Tumah Rezuzah ). Isn't there a requirement that there should also be a " Petach " for the Tumah to go out of ? ; Do they use the exit door of the plane as their ; "Petach", and if so, how does that work, The tumah should rise in the whole compartment, defeating the purpose of the sealed 1 Tefach boxes???
1. An Ever of a live person is Metamei b'Ohel and a Kohen is prohibited from becoming Tamei by it.
2. Your second question is a very involved issue. Let me just say that there are many Poskim who are unhappy with the El Al system. (I, too, am a Kohen, and I do not fly with a Mes on El Al. The last time I was in the states I had to miss two flights.) (Rav Yitzchak Mordechai ha'Kohen Rubin shlit'a told us that if the staff of El Al does whats they are supposed to do, then a Kohen may fly on El Al. -Y. Tavin.)
However, I am not sure of the intent of your question. If the Tum'ah is Retzutah, then it goes through the Ohel. The idea is that the Tum'ah should not be Retzutzah and therefore the Ohel is Mafsik. An Ohel Sasum contains the Tum'ah and it does not go out. However, you may be talking about the Din d'Rabanan (or, according to one comment of Rashi, a Halachah l'Moshe mi'Sinai) of Sof Tum'ah la'Tzeis. This says that any place through which the Tum'ah will eventually go, like the doorway of a house which has a Mes inside, is Tamei mid'Rabanan. The question arises regarding the box: since it will not go out of the box as long as it is on the plane, perhaps it does not have the Halachah of Sof Tum'ah la'Tzeis. However, as I mentioned, there may be other problems and many Kohanim refrain from traveling for this reason.
D. Zupnik
2- Regarding EL-Al, if it's a problem, why don't you just fly another airline ? and more important, how do you find out if there is a Meis on the airplane ?
Do they just tell you ? and if you tell then you are a Cohen, do they charge you to change the flight ?
In order of your questions:
1. I usually do.
2. You can call cargo and/or Pincus Mandel.
3. Unless you have an unusual fare, they are usually very forthcoming. Just ask about "human remains."
D. Zupnik