Nie ogląda się od ołtarza i od góry [tj. Gdyby zaczął badać matki i stwierdził, że ojciec jej ojca służył przy ołtarzu, nie musi badać matki ojca jej ojca. Odkąd jej syn służył przy ołtarzu, z pewnością był rodowodem]; a nie z podium (lewity) i wyżej [jeśli znalazł, że śpiewał na podium], a nie z Sanhedrynu i wyżej. [W szczególności Sanhedryn w Jerozolimie—nawet ten, kto sam rozstrzygał o prawie monetarnym. Wyznaczali bowiem tylko rodowitego Cohena, Lewitę lub Izraelitę do Sanhedrynu w Jerozolimie, a mianowicie. (Lb 11:16): „I niech tam staną z wami (Mojżeszu)”—z tymi, którzy są do was podobni pod względem rodowodu i mądrości.] A wszyscy, których ojcowie byli znani jako urzędnicy wspólnotowi lub zbieracze dobroczynności, mogą poślubić kapłaństwo i nie trzeba ich badać. [Skoro walczyli z tymi ludźmi, od których ściągali datki na cele charytatywne, nawet w przeddzień szabatu, gdyby ich rodowód był skażony, byłoby to znane. R. Yossi mówi: Również ten, który został podpisany jako świadek w sanhedraoth [miasta] Jeszana [w pobliżu] Seforis. R. Chanina ur. Antignos mówi: Również ten, który został wpisany na królewską listę oficerów [w podziale miesięcznym, aby wyruszyć na wojny Dawidowe—taka a taka rodzina w takim a takim miesiącu. Tylko rodowici wychodzili na te wojny, mając nadzieję na Boską pomoc w ich zasługach i zasługach ich ojców.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
אין בודקין מן המזבח ולמעלה – He began to examine the mothers, and found that her father’s father served at the Altar, there is no need to examine after the mother of her father’s father, since her son served at the Altar, it is known that he is of legitimate descent.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Introduction
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that men need to check their wives’ lineage before marriage. The normal check was eight mothers. Our mishnah teaches that if the woman father’s or one of the mother’s father’s served in a role where disqualified priests were not allowed, then they need not check back any further. I would make the following analogy: sometimes companies do background checks on potential employees. However, if the company for which the person previously worked is known for doing thorough background checks, a fresh check need not be done.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ולא מן הדוכן ולמעלה – if he found that he as a singer on the platform.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
They do not check from the altar and upwards, nor from the duchan [dais] and upwards, nor from the Sanhedrin and upwards. If one of the woman’s fathers either served as a priest at the altar, or sung as a Levite from the duchan in the Temple or served in the Sanhedrin, the man who wishes to marry her need not check back in that branch any further. We should note that it is clear from here that lineage was a criterion for serving in the Sanhedrin.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ולא מן הסנהדרין ולמעלה – and especially from the Sanhedrin/Jewish court that was in Jerusalem, and even from those who adjudicated only monetary cases, for they would not place anyone from the Sanhedrin other than a Kohen, Levite or Israelite of legitimate descent, as it is states (Numbers 11:16): “And let them take their place there with you,” those that are similar to you in descent and in wisdom.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And all those whose fathers were established to have been among the public officers or charity collectors may marry [their daughters] into the priesthood, and he doesn’t need to check after them. Furthermore, if the father held a position of public trust then the husband need not check any further. Again we can note that lineage was a criterion in appointing men to positions of leadership. This section probably refers to the post-destruction period, whereas the previous section referred to positions held when the Temple still stood.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
וגבאי צדקה – since they would quarrel with these people, they would seize the Tzedakah, and even on Fridays, if they had with them a matter, it would have a voice.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
And all those whose fathers were established to have been among the public officers or charity collectors may marry [their daughters] into the priesthood, and he doesn’t need to check after them. According to Albeck, Rabbi Yose is referring to people appointed to approve documents in the old court in Tsippori. Normal witnesses would not undergo such thorough background checks.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
בערכי ישנה של צפורי – In the Sanhedrins of the city whose name is Yeshanah, which is near to Sepphoris.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Rabbi Yose says: even one who was signed as a witness in the old court of Tzippori. While all sorts of people with all sorts of lineages could certainly serve as soldiers, only those with proper lineage were listed in the king’s list of officers (see I Chronicles 7:40).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
ערכי – Sanhedrins where they would arrange and establish the genealogies.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
אסטרטיא של מלך – in the monthly division of each month to go out to the wars of the House of David, a particular family in a certain month. And they would not go out to war other than those with legitimate descent , so that their merit and the merit of their ancestors would help them.
