R. Yossi said: It once happened that a child went to draw water from the well and was raped. R. Yochanan b. Nuri said: If the majority of the men of the city (are kasher and their daughters and widows may be) married to the priesthood, she may marry to the priesthood. [Even though one majority is generally sufficient, "pedigree" was accorded special status, and in this instance the rabbis required two majorities — the majority of (traveling) companies passing through there (as being pedigreed) and "the majority of the city." Women are not married ab initio to the priesthood without two majorities. And this is the halachah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Ketubot
אם רוב העיר משיאין לכהונה – Even though that a majority of one in a general way is sufficient, regarding priestly descent is concerned, they put up a higher standard (i.e., made the law more stringent – Talmud Ketubot 13a). And here, the rabbis required a double majority: most of the party [of priests] that pass through the place and most of the people of the city. But, ab initio, we do not marry into the priesthood other than with the double majority – and such is the Halakha.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
Introduction
The previous two mishnayoth discussed the ability of a woman to marry into the priesthood. The final mishnah of chapter one continues to discuss this subject.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Ketubot
Rabbi Yose said: it happened that a young girl went down to draw water from a spring and she was raped. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri said: if most of the inhabitants of the town marry [their daughters] into the priesthood, this [girl] may [also] marry into the priesthood. The question in this mishnah is can this girl marry into the priesthood. If the man who raped her was forbidden to marry an Israelite, then she is forbidden to marry a priest. This is true even though she did not willingly engage in intercourse with the man. Although this sounds like the woman is being punished for having been raped, we would do well to keep in mind that priests were extremely cautious about the “purity” of their lineage. The laws of who can and cannot marry a priest have nothing to do with morality, at least not as we understand it. Rather they have to do with the prohibition of defiling the priestly line. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri rules that if most of the inhabitants of the town are men who are allowed to marry into the priesthood, meaning that their wives and daughters are allowed to marry priests, then this girl is allowed to marry a priest.
