3608 —כהנים מבקרים בציון אדמו"ר הזקן והגדר בהאדיטש

B"H, 3rd of Tammuz, 5715. Brooklyn.

Havavac"h iy"a nu"n etc. Akiva Yosef HaKohen

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Regarding what you wrote about Kohanim walking on the graves of tzaddikim, it is well known from a letter by Maharil of Yanovitch, brother of our Alter Rebbe, about the fence surrounding the gravesite in Haditch which was published in HaTamim. From this, one can also understand the ruling on this matter.

As for what you wrote about a private cave and the rumor that this is an accepted tradition, it is clear that this requires clarification on site and from trustworthy people. In any case, it is obvious there is a difference between becoming impure for a nasi or tzaddik at the time of burial and visiting the gravesite after some time has passed; many have already discussed this.

Certainly you are taking an active part in activities for Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Eretz HaKodesh may it be rebuilt and established, and it is surprising that you do not write about this in detail.

With blessing, on behalf of the Lubavitcher Rebbe shlita

Friedman

Summary

The Rebbe clarifies that there are halachic distinctions regarding Kohanim visiting gravesites after burial versus at burial itself. He encourages seeking reliable information and urges continued involvement in communal youth activities.