Under the Law of Moses in Ancient Israel certain imperfections and other criteria could disqualify the priest from serving in the tabernacle or, later, the Temple in Jerusalem. Many of these disqualifications are applied to the continuing role of the kohen in the Mishnah, Talmud and later rabbinical literature, as well as in some schools of modern Judaism. Hebrew Bible Physical disqualifications These blemishes include: blindness lameness an excessively low nasal bridge (such that a straight brush could apply ointment to both eyes simultaneously) disproportionate limbs a crippled foot or hand cataracts a white streak that transverses the junction between sclera and iris certain types of boils crushed testicles A Kohen who was afflicted with one of these imperfections would be deemed unfit for service. However, should it be a correctable imperfection, he would become re-eligible for service once the defect is corrected. Although unable to serve, he was permitted to eat of the Terumah (holy food). Kohanim with these blemishes would be allowed to perform work in the Temple outside of sacrificial service itself. Defilement by uncleanliness Since the priests served a unique role of service amongst the nation of Israel, e.g. service in the Holy Temple and consumption of the Holy Terumah, so the Torah required them to follow unique rules of ritual purity, in order to protect them against ritual defilement (tumah). Some of these rules are still maintained today in Orthodox Judaism. Defilement by contact with the dead Kohanim are forbidden to come in contact with dead bodies. They are permitted, however, to become defiled for their closest relatives: father, mother, brother, unmarried sister, and child. Defilement of a Kohen to his wife, although not biblically explicit, is permitted by Rabbinical order. A Kohen is forbidden to enter any house or enclosure, in which a dead body (or part therof), may be found (, , , ) Practical examples of these prohibitions include: not entering a cemetery or attending a funeral; not being under the same roof (i.e. in a home or hospital) as a dismembered organ. The exact rules and regulations of defilement are quite complex, but a cursory rule of thumb is that they may not enter a room with a dead person or come within a few feet of the body. Proximity to the corpse of a non-Jew is less serious and may only be an issue if actual contact is established. According