אין בודקין מן המזבח ולמעלה מאי טעמא אי לאו דבדקוה לא הוו מסקי ליה ולא מן הדוכן ולמעלה מאי טעמא דאמר מר ששם היו יושבים מייחסי כהונה ומייחסי לויה
What is the reason? - Had she<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mother of the priest who served at the altar.');"><sup>8</sup></span> not been examined, he would not have been promoted [to that dignity]. NOR FROM THE DAIS AND UPWARDS. What is the reason? - Because a Master said: For there sat those who certified the genealogy of the priestly and the Levitical families.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And priests or Levites of impure descent were not permitted to sing in the Temple service or pronounce the priestly blessing. - Rashi states that this took place in the Hall of Hewn Stones, and the examiners were the Sanhedrin. Weiss, Dor p. 175, n. 2. inclines to the view that a special priestly court was set up for this purpose (Cf. 'the priestly court' mentioned in Keth. 12a) , which sat in a place behind the veil. Wilna Gaon takes an intermediate position: this special court made the investigations, but the actual verdict was pronounced by the Sanhedrin.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
Sefer HaMitzvot
He prohibited us - that we not appoint as a king upon ourselves, a man who is not of the seed of Israel, even if he be a righteous convert. And that is His saying, "you may not place over yourself a foreigner who is not among your brothers" (Deuteronomy 17:15). And the language of the Sifrei (Sifrei Devarim 157:9) is, "'You may not place over yourself a foreigner' - that is a negative commandment." And likewise with the rest of the appointments: It is not permissible that we appoint any of the appointments over us - whether it is a Torah position or a governmental position - a man that is from the congregation of converts, until his mother be an Israelite. About His saying, "Surely appoint over yourselves a king [...], a king from among your brothers shall you appoint over yourselves," they said (Kiddushin 76b), "Any appointments that you appoint shall only be from among your brothers." Of course, concerning the monarchy specifically, you have already known from the books of prophecy that David - and, likewise, his seed after him - have already acquired it: For all generations, there is no king for one who believes in the Torah of Moshe - the master of all prophets - besides one from the seed of Shlomo, exclusively. And anyone who is not from that glorious seed is called, an outsider, regarding the monarchy - just like anyone who is from any other seed besides the seed of Aharon is called, an outsider, regarding the [Temple] service. And this is clear - there is no doubt about it. And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in [various] places in Yevamot, Sotah and Sanhedrin. (See Parashat Shoftim; Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 1.)
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Sefer HaChinukh
To not establish a foreign king over us: That we were prevented from establishing a man that is not from the seed of Israel - and even if he is a righteous convert - [as] king upon us. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 17:15), "You may not place upon yourself a foreign man that is not your brother." And they, may their memory be blessed, said in Sifrei Devarim 157, "'You may not place upon yourself a foreign man' - this is a negative commandment." And likewise, it is not fitting to appoint upon us for anything - not a Torah appointment and not a state appointment - a man that is from the 'congregation of converts,' until his mother be from Israel, from that which is written, "You shall surely place, etc."; and they, may their memory be blessed, made a precise inference (Kiddushin 76b), "Any placing that you do shall only be from among your brothers."
