Halakhah for Kiddushin 3:12
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ קִדּוּשִׁין וְאֵין עֲבֵרָה, הַוָּלָד הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַזָּכָר. וְאֵיזֶה, זוֹ כֹהֶנֶת, לְוִיָּה וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִית שֶׁנִּשְּׂאוּ לְכֹהֵן וּלְלֵוִי וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ קִדּוּשִׁין וְיֵשׁ עֲבֵרָה, הַוָּלָד הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַפָּגוּם. וְאֵיזוֹ, זוֹ אַלְמָנָה לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, גְּרוּשָׁה וַחֲלוּצָה לְכֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, מַמְזֶרֶת וּנְתִינָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַמְזֵר וּלְנָתִין. וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ עָלָיו קִדּוּשִׁין אֲבָל יֶשׁ לָהּ עַל אֲחֵרִים קִדּוּשִׁין, הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר. וְאֵיזֶה, זֶה הַבָּא עַל אַחַת מִכָּל הָעֲרָיוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ לֹא עָלָיו וְלֹא עַל אֲחֵרִים קִדּוּשִׁין, הַוָּלָד כְּמוֹתָהּ. וְאֵיזֶה, זֶה וְלַד שִׁפְחָה וְנָכְרִית:
Wherever there is betrothal and no transgression [i.e., where betrothal "takes" and there is no transgression in the marriage], the child follows (the lineage of) the male. [This rule is non-categorical; for in the instance of a proselyte who marries a mamzereth, there is betrothal and no transgression, for the congregation of proselytes is not called a "congregation" (of the L-rd) viz. Deuteronomy 23:3 - "A mamzer may not come into the congregation of the L-rd", in spite of which the child does not follow the lineage of the male, the child being a mamzer, whether a proselyte married a mamzereth or a mamzer married a proselyte.] Which is that? [i.e., an instance in which the child follows the lineage of the father]? The daughter of a Cohein, a Levite, and an Israelite married to a Cohein, a Levite, and an Israelite, (the child bearing the father's designation). And wherever there is betrothal and transgression, the child follows the blemished one. Which is that? A widow married to a high-priest; a divorcée or a chalutzah married to a regular priest (in which instance the child is a challal, banned to the priesthood), a mamzereth and a Nethinah married to an Israelite; the daughter of an Israelite married to a mamzer or a Nathin. And wherever her betrothal does not "take" with him, but it does take with others, the child is a mamzer. Which is that? One who lives with any of the [kareth-interdicted] arayoth of the Torah. [In Yevamoth (49a) This is derived from (Deuteronomy 23:1): "A man shall not take his father's wife," followed by (3): "A mamzer shall not come into the congregation of the L-rd." And it ("his father's wife") is understood to be a woman awaiting yibum with his father, i.e., the wife of his father's brother, who is kareth-interdicted to him.] And wherever her betrothal takes neither with him nor with others, the child is as she is. Which is that? The child of a bondswoman and a gentile woman. [In respect to a bondswoman it is written (Exodus 21:4): "The woman and her children shall belong to her master." And, in respect to a gentile woman it is written (Deuteronomy 7:4): "For he will turn your son away from Me." The fact that "For she will turn" is not written indicates the meaning to be: Do not give your daughter to his son, for he, your daughter's husband, will turn your son, which your daughter will bear to him, away from Me. But it ("For he will turn") does not refer to "Do not take his daughter for your son," for the son of a gentile woman is not called "your son," but "her son."]
Shulchan Arukh, Even HaEzer
In modern times the priest has the following privileges:
a) the right to be called first to the reading of the Torah.
b) the privilege of having the phrase, bi-reshut Kohen (with the permission of the Kohen) added to the Grace after Meals.
c) the laws prohibiting contact with the dead except for close relatives and met mitsva are in full force.
d) the laws prohibiting marriage to a Zonah, a halalah, a proselyte, a divorcee, a widow who has received ḥalizah are still in effect.
e) he is entitled to the priest’s position at the ceremony of the redemption of the first born male.
Reform Judaism does not follow all the traditional laws applying to a Kohen. and found to be a Levite132The tribe of Levi was singled out as the servants of God in the Temple. They were chosen “in place of all the first born among the Israelite people” (Num. 3:40-43). Though priests came from one family of the tribe of Levi all Levites served as attendants to the Priesthood. The superiority of the family of Aaron over the Levites is clearly stressed in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Since the destruction of the Temple the Levite has no special privileges except being called second after the Kohen to Torah, and washing the hands of the Kohen before the latter blesses the people. Their first born sons need not be redeemed. or a Levite and found to be a Priest;” Netin133Usually non-Jewish temple slaves. Traditionally they were considered descendants of the Gibeonites. This group was considered a second type of those in the prohibited category. and found to be a Mamzer134Usually translated as “bastard” but the true definition is found in Kidushin 3:12 “If she cannot contract a legally valid marriage to this man, but can contract a legally valid marriage to others, her offspring [from the former] is a mamzer. A mamzer is the issue of a couple whose sexual relationship is forbidden according to the Torah and is punishable by excommunication or death. A mamzer is also the descendant of a mamzer. According to Deut. 23:3: “A mamzer shall not enter the congregation of the Lord” and may not marry a legitimate Jew or Jewess. Legally the status of a mamzer is no different than any other Jew except with regard to marriage. The mamzer is eligible to hold any public office and he or she maintains their appropriate inheritance rights. or Mamzer and found to be Netin; a town dweller and found to be a city dweller or a city dweller and found to be a town dweller; “on condition that my house is close to a bath” and it is found to be far, far and it is found close; “on condition that I have a slave girl” or “grown daughter or a baker” and he does not have, on condition that he does not have and he has; “on condition that he has a wife and sons”135(children). and he does not, on condition that he does not have and he does have; in all of these, or if he said I betrothed you to me with this cup of wine and it is found to be honey or honey and it was found to be water, for example that it was covered and she did not recognize it until afterwards, in all these and similar events even if she said “in my heart I intended to be betrothed to him,” even if the condition is not fulfilled she is not betrothed. It makes no difference if she accepts the betrothal; it makes no difference if she told the agent to accept for her with conditions and the agent changed it, and the same holds true if she deceived him, even if he said136(afterwards). “In my heart I intended to betroth her” even though she fooled me, she is not betrothed. [Note: Except if afterwards she explicitly said so at the time of betrothal and the husband heard and was silent (Tur) and similarly if she deceived him (and he said explicitly, even if it was not the case) the betrothal is betrothal.] However if he married her137(without conditions). and he said “I thought that she was a Kohenet and she is a Levitess,” or138(I thought). a Levitess and she is a Kohenet, rich139(I thought). and she is poor, poor140(I thought). and she is rich behold she is betrothed.