Kiddushin 150

ורבי ישמעאל סבר לה כר' עקיבא ר' אלעזר סבר לה כרבי ישמעאל דאמר כותים גירי אריות הם ור' ישמעאל סבר לה כר' עקיבא דאמר עובד כוכבים ועבד הבא על בת ישראל הולד ממזר

and R'Ishmael agrees with R'Akiba. [Thus:] R'Eleazar agrees with R'Ishmael, who maintained: Cutheans are proselytes [through fear] of lions.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. II Kings, XVII, 25. Therefore they are to be regarded as heathens.');">¹</span>

ומי סבר לה ר' ישמעאל כר"ע והאמר רבי יוחנן משום ר' ישמעאל מנין לעובד כוכבים ועבד שבאו על הכהנת ועל הלויה ועל בת ישראל שפסלוה שנאמר (ויקרא כב, יג) ובת כהן כי תהיה אלמנה וגרושה וזרע אין לה

And R'Ishmael agrees with R'Akiba, who said: If a heathen or a slave has intercourse with the daughter of an Israelite, the issue is mamzer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the Cuthean (male) may be the issue of a Cuthean and a Jewess, hence mamzer; while the female may be born of two Cutheans, hence a heathen. Now a mamzer is a Jew, though debarred from a legitimately-born Jewess, and may not marry a heathen.');">²</span> But does R'Ishmael hold with R'Akiba?

מי שיש לו אלמנות וגרושין יצא עובד כוכבים ועבד שאין לו אלמנות וגרושין

Surely R'Johanan said on R'Ishmael's authority: How do we know that a heathen or a slave who has intercourse with the daughter of a priest, a Levite, or an Israelite, disqualifies her?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If she is a priest's daughter, from eating terumah: the other two, from marrying a priest. Or, if she had been formerly married to a priest, who had died and left her with a son, who would otherwise entitle her to eat terumah, she is now forbidden.');">³</span> Because it is said: But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, [and have no child.

ואי ס"ד סבר לה כר"ע השתא ממזר הוי מיפסל בביאתו מיבעיא

she shall eat of her father's bread,]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., terumah, Lev. XXII, 13.');">⁴</span> [this holds good only of] one who comes within the ambit of widowhood.

אלא ר' אלעזר סבר לה כר' ישמעאל דאמר כותים גירי אריות וסבר לה כר' עקיבא דאמר עובד כוכבים ועבד הבא על בת ישראל הולד ממזר

and divorce; thus excluding a heathen or a slave, who does not come within the ambit of widowhood and divorce.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., only when she cohabits with one whose death leaves her a widow, or who can divorce her, does she remain fit to eat terumah. But not when she cohabits with a heathen or slave, for since these cannot legally marry her, they cannot give her the status of widowhood or divorce. - Where a woman is disqualified from eating terumah, she is certainly ineligible to marry a priest.');">⁵</span> Now should you think that he holds with R'Akiba - if he [the issue] is mamzer, is it necessary [to deduce] that he [the heathen] disqualifies by his intercourse!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely not, since the former involves even a greater degree of unfitness.');">⁶</span>

ומי סבר לה רבי אלעזר כרבי עקיבא והאמר ר' אלעזר אע"פ שנחלקו ב"ש ובית הילל בצרות מודים שאין ממזר אלא ממי שאיסורו איסור ערוה וענוש כרת

But R'Eleazar agrees with R'Ishmael who maintained that Cutheans are proselytes [through fear] of lions, and he also agrees with R'Akiba, who said: If a heathen or a slave has intercourse with a Jewess, the issue is mamzer. Yet does R'Eleazar hold with R'Akiba?

אלא כי אתא רבין אמר ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן ואמרי לה אמר ר' אבא בר זבדא אמר רבי חנינא ואמרי לה אמר ר' יעקב בר אידי אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי שלש מחלוקות בדבר

But R'Eleazar said: Though Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel differ with respect to co-wives,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Yeb. 13a.');">⁷</span> they agree that mamzer is only from one who is forbidden on the score of consanguinity on pain of kareth!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And a heathen or slave is not thus forbidden.');">⁸</span>

ר' ישמעאל סבר כותים גירי אריות הן וכהנים שנטמעו בהם כהנים פסולים היו שנאמר (מלכים ב יז, לב) ויעשו להם מקצותם כהני במות ואמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן מן הקוצים שבעם ומשום הכי פסלינהו

- But when Rabin came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 46, n. 6.');">⁹</span> he said in the name of R'Hiyya in R'Johanan's name - others state, in the name of R'Abba B'Zabda in R'Hanina's name - others state, in the name of R'Jacob B'Idi in R'Joshua B'Levi's name: There are three opposing views in this matter: - [i] R'Ishmael holds: Cutheans are proselytes [through fear] of lions, and the priests who became mixed up in them were unfit priests, as it is said, and they made unto them from among themselves [mikezotham] priests of the high places,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XVII, 32.');">¹⁰</span>

ורבי עקיבא סבר כותים גירי אמת הן וכהנים שנטמעו בהן כהנים כשרים היו שנאמר ויעשו להם מקצותם כהני במות ואמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן מן הבחירים שבעם ואלא מפני מה אסרום מפני שהיו מייבמים את הארוסות

whereon Rabbah B'Bar Hanah commented: from the most unworthy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thorns', Heb. kozim: i.e.,the unfit priests.');">¹¹</span> of the people [sc. priests], and on that account they were disqualified. [ii] R'Akiba holds: Cutheans are true proselytes, and the priests who became mixed up in them were fit priests, as it is said: 'and they made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places,' which Rabbah B'Bar Hanah interpreted:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On R. Akiba's view.');">¹²</span> from the choicest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec.: 'nobles', Heb. kezinim, which shews the connection with kezotham.');">¹³</span> of the people. Yet why did they interdict them? - Because they subjected arusoth to yibum,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">¹⁴</span>