Commentary for Kiddushin 139:4
הניחא למ"ד הולד ממזר אלא למאן דאמר הולד כשר מאי איכא למימר ותו ממאי דהוו ליה בני דילמא לא הוו ליה בני ותו ממאי דהכא הוו להו וסליקו דילמא התם הוו
perhaps they did not have sons? Again, how do you know that they were [originally] here [in Babylon] and then migrated; perhaps they were there [in Palestine, from the beginning]? - But [it is learnt] from this: And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their fathers' houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 61.');"><sup>6</sup></span> Now 'Tel-melah'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'saltheap'.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
Daf Shevui to Kiddushin
There are three reasons why this verse is not sufficient to prove that mamzerim went with Ezra to Israel. First of all, some tannaim hold that the child of a non-Jewish man and Jewish woman is not a mamzer. Thus Tobiah’s children would not have been mamzerim. Second, perhaps Tobiah did not have children. Third, even if he did, he might have had them in Israel in which case they did not go up with Ezra.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy