Ovunque vi sia il fidanzamento e nessuna trasgressione [vale a dire, dove il fidanzamento "prende" e non vi è trasgressione nel matrimonio], il bambino segue (il lignaggio di) il maschio. [Questa regola non è categorica; poiché nel caso di un proselito che sposa un mamzereth, vi è il fidanzamento e nessuna trasgressione, poiché la congregazione dei proseliti non è chiamata "congregazione" (di sinistra), vale a dire. Deuteronomio 23: 3 - "Un mamzer non può entrare nella congregazione della L-rd", nonostante il bambino non segua il lignaggio del maschio, il bambino è un mamzer, sia che un proselito abbia sposato un mamzereth o un mamzer ha sposato un proselito.] Che cos'è? [vale a dire, un caso in cui il bambino segue il lignaggio del padre]? La figlia di un Cohein, un levita e un israelita sposata con un cohein, un levita e un israelita (il bambino che porta la designazione del padre). E ovunque ci sia il fidanzamento e la trasgressione, il bambino segue l'imperfezione. Che cos'è? Una vedova sposata con un sommo sacerdote; una divorziata o una chalutzah sposata con un sacerdote regolare (nel qual caso il bambino è uno sfidante, bandito al sacerdozio), un mamzereth e un Nethinah sposati con un israelita; la figlia di un israelita sposata con un mamzer o un Nathin. E ovunque il suo fidanzamento non "porti" con sé, ma lo faccia con gli altri, il bambino è un mamzer. Che cos'è? Uno che vive con uno qualsiasi dei arayoth [kareth-interdicted] della Torah. [In Yevamoth (49a) Questo deriva da (Deuteronomio 23: 1): "Un uomo non deve prendere la moglie di suo padre", seguito da (3): "Un mamzer non deve entrare nella congregazione della L-rd." E (la "moglie di suo padre") è intesa come una donna in attesa di yibum con suo padre, cioè la moglie del fratello di suo padre, che è interdetto da lui.] E ovunque il suo fidanzato non porti né con lui né con gli altri , la bambina è come è. Che cos'è? La figlia di una schiava e di una donna gentile. [Rispetto a una schiava è scritto (Esodo 21: 4): "La donna ed i suoi figli apparterranno al suo padrone". E, nei confronti di una donna gentile, è scritto (Deuteronomio 7: 4): "Perché allontanerà tuo figlio da me". Il fatto che "Per lei non girerà" non è scritto indica il significato di essere: non dare a tua figlia tuo figlio, poiché lui, il marito di tua figlia, allontanerà tuo figlio, che tua figlia gli porterà, lontano da me . Ma ("Perché girerà") non si riferisce a "Non prendere sua figlia per tuo figlio", poiché il figlio di una donna gentile non si chiama "tuo figlio", ma "suo figlio".]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
כל מקום שיש קדושין ואין עבירה – that the betrothal takes effect, and there is no sin [associated] with her marriage. And this principle is not exact, for a male convert who marries an illegitimately born female, the betrothal is valid but there is no sin [associated] with it, for a community/congregation of converts is not called a community. And even though any child-born goes after the [status] of the male, [in this case] the child is illegitimate (i.e., a Mamzer), both whether a convert married an illegitimately born female or whether a Mamzer married a woman convert.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Introduction
This mishnah begins discussing a subject which will be covered throughout the remainder of Kiddushin: lineage. We have already encountered throughout Seder Nashim many different genealogical statuses: priests, Levites, Israelites, converts, mamzerim, natinim and more. Our mishnah discusses how these lineages are transmitted from generation to generation, namely the issue of whom the child’s lineage follows, that of the father or that of the mother. We should note that lineage was probably the most important factor in choosing a spouse in the ancient Jewish world and probably was a key factor in the entire ancient world. Indeed until the modern period many matches between young men and women were made based on lineage. Lineage largely determined a person’s social standing. It is sometimes hard to relate to this value for those of us living in 20-21st century America, a country where societal standing is perhaps less based on lineage than almost any nation throughout history.
The final clause of our mishnah contains the famous principle of “matrilineal descent” the “Jewishness” of the child follows the mother and not the father. This principle is surprising since ancient Jewish society was clearly patriarchal. Men were almost always the heads of their households, the woman would typically leave her family to enter the man’s house, men had custody and overall responsibility for their children etc. Furthermore, it seems quite clear that the Bible operates on the principle of “patrilineal descent.” Throughout the Tanakh men marry women of foreign descent and the women assimilate into their husband’s culture and homes (or notoriously fail to assimilate). The same is true of Second Temple literature such as the later books of the Bible, Josephus and Philo. How the matrilineal principle came to dominate rabbinic halakhah and literature is a mystery. There are a few places in rabbinic literature with a hint of a patrilineal principle, but there are few of them and they are usually rejected. A good discussion of these issues can be found in Shaye Cohen’s excellent book, The Beginnings of Jewishness.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
וכל מי שאין לה עליו קדושין וכו' הולד ממזר – In [Tractate] Yevamot (49a) we derive it from Scripture, as it is written (Deuteronomy 23:1): “No man shall marry his father’s former wife, [so as to remove his father’s garment],” and near it (verse 3), [it states]: “No one misbegotten [shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD; none of his descendants, even in the tenth generation, shall be admitted into the congregation of the LORD].” And we maintain her as a widow whose husband died childless waiting for her brother-in-law to act (i.e., either to marry her or to absolve her of the obligation through the Halitzah/refusal ceremony) of his father, as she is the wife of the brother of his father and she is liable to Divine extirpation through him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Wherever there is kiddushin and there is no transgression, the child goes after the status of the male. And what case is this? When the daughter of a priest, a Levite or an Israelite is married to a priest, a Levite or an Israelite. In normal marriages the status of the child follows that of the father: the child of a priest is a priest, of a Levite is a Levite and of an Israelite is an Israelite.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
על אחת מכל העריות – of those liable for Divine extirpation.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And wherever there is kiddushin and there is transgression, the child goes after the status of the flawed parent. And what case is this? When a widow is married to a high priest, or a divorced woman or a halutzah to an ordinary priest, or a mamzeret or a netinah to an Israelite, and the daughter of an Israelite to a mamzer or a natin. However, if the marriage is valid, meaning that the woman requires a get to separate from the man, but the marriage involves a transgression, the child receives the lower status. Therefore, the child of a mamzer or a mamzeret is a mamzer(et). Furthermore, if the marriage is prohibited but neither parent is “flawed” (such as a mamzer or a natin), a female child from such a marriage is disqualified from subsequently marrying a priest. For instance the daughter of a priest and divorcee cannot marry a priest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ולד שפחה ונכרית – as it is written [regarding] a female maidservant (Exodus 21:4): “the wife and her children shall belong to the master…” and [regarding] a heathen woman, it is written (Deuteronomy 7:4): “For they will turn your children away from Me [to worship other gods]…,” and because it is not written, “and she will turn [your children] away [from Me], we learn from it that this is how it should be understood: “do not give your daughters to their sons [or take their daughters for your sons]” (Deuteronomy 7:3), for the husband of your daughter will turn away your son that your daughter will give birth to through him from Me, but, it does not repeat “his daughter you shall not take for your son,” for the child (literally “male,”) that comes from the heathen is not called “your son,” but rather, “her son.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And any [woman] who cannot contract kiddushin with that particular person but can contract kiddushin with another person, the child is a mamzer. And what case is this? One who has intercourse with any relation prohibited in the Torah. If the marriage is invalid, but the woman could be betrothed to other men, the child is a mamzer. The example given is incest.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And any [woman] who can not contract kiddushin with that particular person or with others, the child follows her status. And what case is this? The child issue of a female slave or a gentile woman. This section is where we see the famed “matrilineal principle.” We should note that it is incomplete. The mishnah states that the child of non-Jewish woman or slave is not Jewish or is a slave, but it does not specifically address the status of the child of a Jewish mother and male father.
