Kiddushin 146

אין בו משום אסופי משלטי הדמיה אין בו משום אסופי שייף משחא ומלא כוחלא רמי חומרי תלי פיתקא ותלי קמיעא אין בו משום אסופי

he is not [forbidden] on account of [the law of] a foundling.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he were not fit, his parents would not trouble to circumcise him.');">¹</span> If his limbs are set, he is not [forbidden] as a foundling. If he has been massaged with oil, fully powdered, has beads hung on him, wears a tablet [with an inscription] or an amulet,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The last three are for identification.');">²</span>

תלי בדיקלי אי מטיא ליה חיה יש בו משום אסופי אם לאו אין בו משום אסופי

he is not considered a foundling. If he is suspended on a palm tree, if a wild beast can reach him, he is [forbidden] as a foundling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Were he legitimate, his parents would have taken greater care of him.');">³</span> if not, he is not considered a foundling.

זרדתא סמיכא למתא יש בו משום אסופי ואם לאו אין בו משום אסופי בי כנישתא סמיכתא למתא ושכיחי ביה רבים אין בו משום אסופי ואם לאו יש בו משום אסופי

[If exposed on] a sorb bush: near a town, he is considered a foundling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sorb bushes near a town were held to be haunted by demons.');">⁴</span> if not, he is not a foundling. [If found in] a synagogue near a town where many congregate, it is not a foundling; otherwise, it is.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Synagogues far from town and when infrequented were likewise thought to be haunted.');">⁵</span>

אמר אמימר האי פירא דסופלי יש בו משום אסופי חריפתא דנהרא אין בו משום אסופי פשרי יש בו משום אסופי צידי רשות הרבים אין בו משום אסופי רשות הרבים יש בו משום אסופי

Amemar said: [If found in] a pit of date stones,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where these are deposited as fodder.');">⁶</span> he is considered a foundling; in the swift current of the river, he is not a foundling;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Parents would not trouble to place him in the middle of the river, where ships abound, if he were not fit.');">⁷</span> in shallow water,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Formed by melting snow which affords no passage to ships.');">⁸</span>

אמר רבא ובשני רעבון אין בו משום אסופי הא דרבא אהייא אילימא ארשות הרבים איידי דשני רעבון קטלא ליה ואלא אצידי רשות הרבים מאי איריא שני רעבון אפילו בלא שני רעבון

he is a foundling: in the side passages off public thoroughfares, he is not a foundling; in a public thoroughfare, he is a foundling.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is dangerous to leave a child there.');">⁹</span> Said Raba: But in famine years he is not considered a foundling. This [dictum] of Raba, to what [does it refer]?

אלא כי אתמר דרבא אהא דאמר רב יהודה אמר רבי אבא אמר רבי יהודה בר זבדי אמר רב כל זמן שבשוק אביו ואמו נאמנים עליו נאסף מן השוק אין נאמנים עליו

Shall we say, to a public thoroughfare? because it is in famine years one [the mother] is to kill him! Again, if it refers to the side passages off a public thoroughfare, why particularly famine years? [It is so] even without famine years! - But Raba's [dictum] was stated in reference to what Rab Judah said in the name of R'Abba in the name of R'Judah B'Zabdi in Rab's name: As long as he [the exposed child] is in the street, his father and mother are believed concerning him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In their claim that he is their child.');">¹⁰</span>

מאי טעמא אמר רבא הואיל ויצא עליו שם אסופי ואמר רבא ובשני רעבון אע"פ שנאסף מן השוק אביו ואמו נאמנים עליו

but if he has been gathered in from the street, they are not believed concerning him. What is the reason? - Said Raba: Because he has already acquired the name of a foundling. Then Raba also said: But in famine years, even if he has been gathered in from the street: his father and mother are believed concerning him.

אמר רב חסדא שלשה נאמנים לאלתר אלו הן אסופי חיה ופוטרת חברותיה

R'Hisda said: Three are believed there and then,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the doubt first arises, but not afterwards.');">¹¹</span> and these are they: a foundling, a midwife, and she who frees her companions [from the suspicion of uncleanness]. A foundling, as stated.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The parents' claim is admitted only while he is in the street, but not after.');">¹²</span>

אסופי הא דאמרן

A midwife, as was taught: A midwife is believed when she states: 'This one issued first and this one issued second.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When twins are born.');">¹³</span> When is that? [Only] if she did not go out [from the chamber of confinement] and return; but if she went out and then returned, she is not believed.

חיה דתניא חיה נאמנת לומר זה יצא ראשון וזה יצא שני במה דברים אמורים שלא יצתה וחזרה אבל יצתה וחזרה אינה נאמנת רבי אליעזר אומר הוחזקה על עומדה נאמנת ואם לאו אינה נאמנת מאי בינייהו איכא בינייהו דאהדר אפה

R'Eliezer said: If she was known to have been at her post, she is believed; if not, she is not believed. Wherein do they differ? - They differ where she turned her face away.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the first Tanna she is believed, but not in R. Eliezer's opinion, for by turning her back on the mother she left her post.');">¹⁴</span> What is the reference to her who frees her companions? - For we learnt: If three women were sleeping in one bed, and blood was found under one of them, they are all unclean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In sleep they do not keep to the same spot all the time, and any one might have discharged the blood. ,xu rugha');">¹⁵</span>

פוטרת חברותיה מאי היא דתנן שלש נשים שהיו ישנות במטה אחת ונמצא דם תחת אחת מהן כולן טמאות בדקה אחת מהן ונמצאת טמאה היא טמאה וכולן טהורות אמר רב חסדא שבדקה עצמה כשיעור ווסת

If one examined herself and was found to be unclean, she is unclean, while the others are clean. Said R'Hisda: [That means] that she examined herself forthwith.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , v. Nid. 14b.');">¹⁶</span> Our Rabbis taught: A midwife is believed when she affirms, 'This one is a priest, this one is a Levite, this one a Nathin, this one a mamzer.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If several women of different genealogical status are confined together.');">¹⁷</span>

תנו רבנן נאמנת חיה לומר זה כהן וזה לוי זה נתין וזה ממזר במה דברים אמורים שלא קרא עליה שם ערער אבל קרא עליה ערער אינה נאמנת

When is that? Only if no protest is raised: but if a protest is raised, she not believed. What kind of a protest?

ערער דמאי אילימא ערער חד והאמר רבי יוחנן אין ערער פחות משנים אלא ערער תרי

Shall we say, a protest by one person? Surely R'Johanan said: A protest is invalid if made by less than two? Hence it means a protest by two.

ואיבעית אימא לעולם אימא לך ערער חד וכי אמר רבי יוחנן אין ערער פחות משנים הני מילי היכא דאיתא חזקה דכשרות אבל היכא דליכא חזקה דכשרות חד נמי מהימן

Alternatively, I may say [that] after all that it was a protest by one. Yet when did R'Johanan say: A protest is invalid if made by less than two? Only where we have a presumption of fitness;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which the protest seems to overthrow.');">¹⁸</span>

נאמן בעל מקח לומר לזה מכרתי ולזה אין מכרתי במה דברים אמורים בזמן שמקחו בידו אבל אין מקחו בידו אינו נאמן

but if there is no presumption of fitness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As here, when the identity of the babes is in question.');">¹⁹</span> even one is believed. A vendor<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the owner of the ware'.');">²⁰</span> is believed when he says: 'To this one I sold [it] and to this one I did not sell.' When is that Only if his ware is in his hand; but if his ware is no longer in his hand, he is not believed.