Pisqa’ 248¹

1

“No one of impaired lineage² shall enter the Community of HASHEM” (Dt.23:3)—

whether a man or a woman.

“Impaired lineage” (Dt.23:3)—

this applies to anyone who

carries “the defiling blemish” (mum zar).³

What, then, constitutes impaired lineage?

Any offspring of near kin

[whose marriage] places them under the

rule of No Entry:

Words of R. Akiva.⁴                          

For it is stated:

“A man shall not take his father’s wife” (Dt.23:1), and

“No one of impaired lineage shall enter the Community of HASHEM” (Dt.23:3)—

Just as a father’s wife is distinctive,

being near of kin and under the rule of No Entry,

such that her offspring carries impaired lineage,

so, too, shouldn’t the offspring

of anyone who is near of kin, and under the rule of No Entry,

carry impaired lineage?

2

Shimon the Temanite says:

Any [marriage] that places [the couple]

under judgment of Heavenly excision—

the offspring carries impaired lineage,⁵                                

as it is said:

“A man shall not take his father’s wife” (Dt.23:1), and

“No one of impaired lineage shall enter the Community of HASHEM” (Dt.23:3)—

Just as a father’s wife is distinctive,

in that [one who marries her] is placed

under judgment of Heavenly excision,

and the offspring carries impaired lineage,

so, too, shouldn’t [the offspring of any couple]

whose marriage places them

under judgment of Heavenly excision,

also carry impaired lineage?

3

R. Joshua says:

Any[marriage] that places the couple

under judgment of judicial execution—

the offspring carries impaired lineage,⁶

as it is said:

“A man shall not take his father’s wife” (Dt.23:1), and

“No one of corrupted lineage shall enter the Community of HASHEM” (Dt.23:3)—

Just as a father’s wife is distinctive,

in that [one who marries her] is placed

under judgment of judicial execution,

and the offspring carries impaired lineage,

so, too, shouldn’t the offspring of

any [couple whose marriage places them]

under judgment of judicial execution,

also carry impaired lineage?

4

“Even to the tenth generation” (Dt.23:3)—

[does this mean that the exclusion will

at some point expire]?

Here, the tenth generation is mentioned (Dt.23:3),

and elsewhere, the tenth generation is mentioned (Dt.23:4).

Just as the tenth generation mentioned elsewhere (Dt.23:4) implies forever,

so, too, the tenth generation mentioned here implies forever.

1. H:252;JN2:172-173.
2. Heb: mamzer.
3. Clearly a play on mamzer.
4. =M. Yev. 4:13.
5. =M. Yev. 4:13.
6. = M. Yev. 4:13.